Lucius clasps his holy symbol and the slight glow that always surrounds him brightens and focuses, leaping from his crucifix to strike one of the shadows with a dazzling beam of power.
[dice=RT]d20+5
[dice=Damage]6d8
The shadow withers away in the searing light!
The Fox stays behind Zagathoth and throws a mystic bolt at one of the closer skeletons.
Boga pulls a scroll of Protection from Evil from his pack. He reaches for Johann's tail and reads from the scroll. The hum of chanting comes from Boga and a brief glow emanates from the hand of Jan Hus and extends around Johann before fading.
Johann slithers to the nearest skeleton and attempts to put an end to his cursed existence.
[dice=power attack Bite Attack & damage]d20+9; 2d6+12+d6 20 bludgeon/piercing damage, 3 acid.
The skeletal champion in the northwest corner collapses with a single bite of Cobra Johann’s venomous fangs!
Quinlan looks at his new shadow friend and gestures lazily at the lamia. "Do your thing."
The ensuing carnage is efficiently brutal, as lamia and shadow compete in a draining race to mutual destruction, while Cobra Johann and raging Zagathoth snap down on the three remaining skeletal champions in short order...
AAAAGGGHH!! YOU BASTARDS!! curses the lamia as her strength is sapped by the black shadow leeching her life force...
The shadow whispers mournfully as the lamia embraces it and sucks it’s awareness away, freeing it to merciful oblivion...
The skeletal champions rattle and clatter as they fall apart under Zagathoth’s Flamefang and in Johanns mouth!
The Fox throws a couple more mystic bolts as needed, and then searches the room for valuables or signs of any notes like those that have been found before. "Orpheus, do you see anything?"
AAAAGGGHH!! YOU BASTARDS!! curses the lamia as her strength is sapped by the black shadow leeching her life force..."There is only one creature here of dubious parentage." The Cardinal answers laconically, as the lamia is left almost unable to move.
Lucius slides his blade into the helpless lamia’s jugular vein, easing her passage into the Abyss...
UUUHHHnnnnggghh...
.
Johann sees with satisfaction that the remaining foes have given up the ghost, so to speak...
Searching amid the bones and debris in this chamber, the Crusaders find nothing of value, except a stairway descending to the the west, down to a lower level...
Boga kneels and crosses himself as Lucius releases the lamia, "O God, grant Mercy to thine enemy as it passes before you. May it know your Justice. May she be a witness that her gods kneel before thee, that there is no other god before you."
He rises, brushes off his knees, and places his hand on Lucius' shoulder, "She has gone to the Creator. His wisdom is her future now." Boga has a pensive look as he contemplates within himself the reality of many gods, many beings of great power being served by their devotees. "Some day perhaps I shall understand..."
Boga participates in the search, but once it is done, he looks at the stairs. "Is everyone ready? Shall we proceed?"
The Fox casts light on the point of Serpent's tail.
The stairs land in a great chapel with an alcove in the east wall, 15-feet-wide and 10-feet-deep, which houses a basalt altar and idol of a winged, horned, regal-looking devil.
Etched into the floor of the chapel at the west end is a huge conjuring circle surrounded by arcane symbols, all filled with silver.
"Ah, yes...this arch devil should be known to you, if you have not forgotten your theological studies," he says to Lucius and Boga. "And he is famed throughout the planes, as well..." he says with a look to Quinlan.
[dice=Planes]1d20+9
[dice=Religion]1d20+9
"Ah, yes...this arch devil should be known to you, if you have not forgotten your theological studies," he says to Lucius and Boga. "And he is famed throughout the planes, as well..." he says with a look to Quinlan.
"...for this is Asmodeus, also called Ashmedai, one of the seven princes of Hell, the Prince of Lust."
The graven circle radiates conjuration magic of the teleport kind...
The graven circle radiates conjuration magic of the teleport kind...
"Him..." The Cardinal says, in a voice that clearly conveys his disgust. "This must be destroyed - it cannot be allowed to remain here, beneath the Holy City."
He begins to patrol the circle, examining the magic and attempting to work out how best to remove it.
[dice=Spellcraft]d20+7
Hearing Lucius comments, Boga reaches out and grabs Lucius' shoulder as he begins to circle the magical symbol. "Brother! Do not act in haste. We must be careful, but if it is God's will for us to cleanse these catacombs, this may be the means to doing so. Do you see any other exit? Should we start to look for hidden doors and passages?
"We may need to make preparations, for this step may cut us off from resupplying and from reinforcements for a time, but I would not advise its immediate destruction. Let us consider."
Boga looks around the group, hoping for a consensus.
Suddenly, Jan Hus, missing his right hand, stands among you! In Enochian Celestial, he says:Gwa BEot ApHatn HeSs!
The martyr then vanishes from sight again...
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20+9
Boga sees Jan Hus and hears his words. He genuflects towards the image, "We are grateful, Jan Hus. We thank the Lord for sending us His emissary with His divine will and guidance."
Boga sees Jan Hus and hears his words. He genuflects towards the image, "We are grateful, Jan Hus. We thank the Lord for sending us His emissary with His divine will and guidance."
[dice=Sense Motive]1d20+16
[dice=SM]d20+17
"You speak truly Brother." Lucius replies to Boga. "Although I like it not..."
[dice=reflex]d20+5
Johann in snake form continues to circle the circle, but does so expertly, and does not interfere with the circle itself. He eventually peels off and begins searching the rest of the chamber, flicking his tongue out and in, and looking at the walls for any secrets that are eluding the group.
[dice=percep]d20+13
[dice=survival-tracks]d20+15
Cobra Johann perceives something about the eyes of the idol of Asmodeus... as if they are a different material painted to look like the rest of the marble statue...
Zagathoth quietly stands by with doomcresent at the ready. With all his attention focused on watching and listening for any new threats it was easy not to think about how far removed from the fighting pits the living shadows and magic carvings of this place were.
With a noise sounding something akin to a "Thuuummmmmmmpppp!", Johann turns back to his bear-like human self. He approaches the statue of Asmodeus, whips out a dagger, and does his best to pry out the eyes.
Johann dislodges two fire opals of fine cut and fire!
Zagathoth quietly stands by with doomcresent at the ready. With all his attention focused on watching and listening for any new threats it was easy not to think about how far removed from the fighting pits the living shadows and magic carvings of this place were.
[dice=perception]1d20+10
Nothing untoward is perceived.
Boga looks around the room, clearly disturbed. "This next step requires our full commitment. To step into this circle is to put ourselves in God's hands, perhaps never to return. We should put our affairs in order before we press on."
Boga paces back and forth a moment, looking at the statue, then the circle, then the statue. "I am fully convinced that we should not disturb the circle. Let us return to the surface, make preparations, then rejoin in our quest to continue the will of the Lord. Let's search and inspect to everyone's satisfaction and be gone."
Returning back the way they came through the labyrinth of the Roman Catacombs, the Crusaders return to the surface with their loot and tales of the wicked foes they defeated and the treacherous traps they overcame to report to the Holy Father.
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".... and Zag is swing left and right, but he can't make contact. The stone devil is too fast, too armored. So what do I do? I jump in there, grab that devil with my two paws, and ROAR in its face! Heh heh, I tell you all, if that devil had a bladder, it would have been a mess. As it was, I think a few pebbles fell on the ground. So I just hung on, keeping it from moving, holding on despite all it's bucking and screaming. Twisting my paws like so and really bringing the pain. And my good ol' buddy the Fox just kept piercing it again and again with these mystical bolts. It was a scene, I tell you. Just unreal evil! But we put it down in the end."
Johann sits back and takes a big swig of warm mead laced with extra honey. The three blind mice, his primary audience, sit in rapt attention, but by the end of the story most of the bar had gathered round the table.