Throne of Bloodstone (Inactive)

Game Master WhtKnt

Cathryn looks around the look expectantly as Tima investigates. She keeps an aura of Detect Evil, good old Paladar constantly generated just in case.

"Such pessimism Warlord. Surely the Lich has more up his sleeve, and we should be cautious to mind that, but I don't see a point in accepting our own demise quite yet."
Cathryn emphasizes the last bit in a slightly joking manner.

Doppel grunts and affirmative as his companions go back in forth.

Tima phases through the door, discovering only a corridor that goes right and left. To the left, it turns right after about 20 feet. To the right, a corridor branches in from the right at the 20 foot mark.

Cathryn, your detect evil is pinging like a madman on a bell. This whole place is so saturated with evil intent and aura that it is impossible to discern one from another.

"The corridor continues here, and doesn't look trapped. Feel like smashing a door, Doppel?"

Cathryn releases the divination magic, with a look as though had eaten something particularly nasty. "The very being of this place is nothing but evil."

"Yes as Doppel hefts his sword.

Sunder: 1d20 + 35 ⇒ (1) + 35 = 36
Damage: 3d6 + 20 ⇒ (1, 6, 1) + 20 = 28

For the love...

Sunder: 1d20 + 35 ⇒ (15) + 35 = 50
Damage: 3d6 + 20 ⇒ (6, 1, 2) + 20 = 29

"You feeling a little rusty there? Never seen somebody miss a door before."

The door is so fast... I can barely see her moves! Amarilis laughs hard.

"...I was loosening the wall. The stone here is well-masoned."

Sunder is an attack action BTW, you can smash it some more.

Chuckling at Amarilis' statement, and Doppel's response, Rowan will cast detect magic to determine if the door is magic.

Well, anyway, unless the door is made of magic Super Adamantine™, it shouldn't take us more than a round to bust it down.

Once the door is down, Tima leads the way down the hall.

"Left or right?"

The door falls readily before the fusillade of blows.

Coin: 1d2 ⇒ 2
Cathryn shrugs, "either way seems as good as the other. Let us go right."

"Right it is."

Tima begins heading that wa

Map updated.

Ahead the corridor continues, while to the right, you see a door on the northern side of the passage.

"I'm a sucker for a good door. Let's check it out."

Perception: 1d20 + 39 ⇒ (20) + 39 = 59

Doesn't look to be trapped, and is unlocked.

Tima opens the door.

The room beyond the door is empty, save for a staircase going up.

"What do you guys think? Ascend, or explore some more down here?"

"Let us travel upwards. Cowards have a tendency to flee to their highest towers."

"The wolves hunt larger prey by surrounding them and attacking by all sides... we should be the wolves, not the prey."

After a couple seconds she continued, remembering that her people's words could sound strange to others.

"If we go upwards, we leave a good portion of unexplored ground behind our backs... we know nothing about this places, quite the opposite of our prey. I say he move slowly but with certainty than risk a fast attack, just to be led to a trap."

"You're overthinking things."

"She has a point. We lose nothing but time if we check around down here first."

Other hall.

"Aye, I agree, it seems unlikely charging in blindly would work to our benefit. If our host is still around he is more than likely already prepared for any assault. We might as well make sure we don't have any more unpleasant surprises find us than necessary."

"We're at a crossroads here. Right now, we have the initiative because they haven't started reacting to us yet. That will change shortly. Either we can take our time and clear out each floor as we go, or we can try to guess which way he headed and push as fast as possible. Our 3rd option, which I wouldn't recommend, would be to attempt to attract the attention of everything on this floor and face it all at once."

Tima smiles.

"That last one sounds fun."

"But let's resist temptation. I like the 'low and slow' plan. Rushing in may end up with us crashing everything down on us anyway...and not be prepared for it."

"If we knew for sure where the rat is hiding, rushing in might be the right call, but we do not..."

Gm?

The corridor proceeds straight ahead. There is a door on the left and right sides of the passage, and it turns sharply north at the end.

Tima inspects the left door, and if it is unlocked/untrapped he opens it.

The door to this room has a clean latch, not bearing the same rust and grime as other rooms in this complex. As you move to open it, you hear a woman crying beyond.

"Looks trapped"

Forgot to specify. I Take 10 on Perception for a 49.

"Looks well used, more like."

Tima opens it.

On a low couch sits a frail figure, her face buried in her hands and sobbing uncontrollably. She appears to be an elderly, human woman.

Tima carefully approaches and opens all his senses to the woman.

Activating Spirit Hunting Stance. Blindsight + Scent + Perception: 1d20 + 39 ⇒ (4) + 39 = 43. My Scent can smell ghosts and such on the Ethereal.

"What's wrong?"

Tima is now more on guard than ever before, but doesn't attack.

"She's a ghost. But she doesn't seem hostile...yet."

"Miss?" he addresses her.

Cathryn studies the lady her expression currently neutral. "Can we do anything to assist you?"

Using a move action to use the focused version (where I get all three rounds of info in one round) of Detect Evil on the ghost.

"If she's a ghost, we should probably leave her be, As much as it pains me to see an old woman in tears."

"She could have something important to tell us."

Doppel waits by the door with his arms crossed.

"Still looks like a trap"

Cathryn concentrates, and the words barely leave her lips. "Definitely evil, look ou..."

In that instant, the ghost looks up, her wizened face glaring at you. She opens her mouth and issues a mournful wail. Everyone needs to make a Fortitude save (DC 25), please.

Success: You are sickened (the character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks) for 1d6 rounds.
Failure: You take 140 points of damage.

Initiative
Cha'Tima
Banshee
Landsknetch
Warlord
Valonzo
Amarilis
Cathryn

Fort: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (17) + 17 = 34
Round: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Wouldn't one of us have recognized it as a Banshee from the start? All of us with Religion make the base DC on a 1, and then some.

"It's not a ghost, it's a damn Banshee! Terminate with extreme prejudice."

Tima dances back and unleashes a hail of arrows at the creature.

Arrow 1: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (19) + 34 = 53
Damage: 1d8 + 2d6 + 18 ⇒ (4) + (2, 5) + 18 = 29

Arrow 2: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (8) + 34 = 42
Damage: 1d8 + 2d6 + 18 ⇒ (8) + (1, 2) + 18 = 29

Arrow 3: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (20) + 34 = 54
Damage: 1d8 + 2d6 + 26 ⇒ (5) + (3, 5) + 26 = 39

Arrow 4: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (12) + 34 = 46
Damage: 1d8 + 2d6 + 26 ⇒ (8) + (1, 6) + 26 = 41

Arrow 5: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (4) + 29 = 33
Damage: 1d8 + 2d6 + 18 ⇒ (3) + (6, 6) + 18 = 33

Arrow 6: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (5) + 24 = 29
Damage: 1d8 + 2d6 + 18 ⇒ (3) + (3, 3) + 18 = 27

Confirm Arrow 1?: 1d20 + 42 ⇒ (2) + 42 = 44
Damage: 2d8 + 52 ⇒ (5, 7) + 52 = 64

Confirm Arrow 3: 1d20 + 42 ⇒ (8) + 42 = 50
Damage: 2d8 + 52 ⇒ (1, 1) + 52 = 54

Possibly, but banshees strongly resemble ghosts, and she was trying to lure you in and draw you closer.

Fortitude Save: 1d20 + 34 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 34 + 4 + 2 = 49
Know. Religion: 1d20 + 19 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 19 + 4 = 43
Modifier: Mythic Heroism

Cathryn grimaces a little as the wail overlaps her. Will wait for my turn to finish.

Sickened Duration: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Fortitude (DC 25): 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (13) + 24 = 37

"Nice try... but no thanks... Try harder next time darling..."

Sickened Duration: 1d6 ⇒ 5

I have a feeling that Amarilis won't be able act once more. LOL

Fort Save: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (14) + 19 = 33

EDIT: If it gets to me, I will post actions, but I don't know that it will.

Under a fusillade of ghost touch arrows, the banshee's wail suddenly dies out as she disappears in a wisp of ether.

::sigh:: They just don't make undead like they used to (and she was an advanced creature). Not being accustomed to play at this level, I am beginning to see that the further up the ladder you go, the more things swing in favor of the PCs.

But then, we're still in the early stages of the adventure. It will get tougher, I promise.