To face a God of iron. (Inactive)

Game Master DBH

Raktar doesn't relish the return to the stinking alien ship, but knows that it likely holds important information. He calls for a stop a few hundred yards away to allow the group time to prepare.

He casts a few spells over his chainsaw, sharpening it's cutting chain, before doing the same for one of Olimpia's swords. He also mutters a prayer of protection to Brigh for himself, hoping that the Lady In Bronze will keep him safe in the depths of the alien corpse-ship.

keen edge, lead blades and shield of faith for me, and a keen edge for Olimpia on whichever sword she'd prefer.

Seeing Raktar begin his ritual, Elrys silently nods. She walks off slightly to the side and draws her ceremonial longsword, which she places across a nearby stone in the length. Then, she kneels down before it, closes her eyes and mutters her own prayer.

"I am the flame of hope, the light of the sword. With blade in hand, I will cleanse the taints of the world and lead to a brighter tomorrow. Dispair or temptation will stray me from my path. So I swear to the Inheritor, now and forever."

Upon finishing, a faint bubble-like shape of fresh air forms around everyone, like yesterday. A sense of duty also takes hold, bringing courage and trainquility with it, should the others except it.

Elrys casts Life bubble; everyone has 2 hours of fresh air to breathe around them which also protects against gasses, airborne agents and the like. Elrys herself and Raktar have 3 hours. She also casts Untold Wonder, which among others makes everyone immune to morale penalties and increases all morale bonuses by 1 for 2 hours each. Finally, just before moving in, she casts metamagic'd inspiring good hope. Everyone has a +4 bonus to damage rolls, attack rolls, all saving throws, all ability checks and all skill checks for 12 minutes.

She then rises, sheathes her sword and draws her ranged weapon. "I always feel a bit self-conscious about using the bow in her service instead. But... that's what my family has always done, and it seems to work thusfar," she adds, looking a little sheepish. "Regardless, shall we go? Evil empires aren't going to topple themselves!" She grins and begins walking forward.

Wulfgar nods to Olimpia happily. "Nothing in the armors that's better than what you have there." He states. "What about a good protective ring?

Wulfgar has:
1 Ring of Protection +3 18000gp.
2 Rings of Protection +2 8000gp

He also has:
1 Dusty rose prism Ioun stone 5000gp. Gives a +1 insight bonus to AC.

Say, that ioun stone is a pretty bobble. But I already have one. Olimpia points to the stone making rotations around her head with fascination. Would you take my +2 ring and 10K in coin for your +3 ring?

At the ship...

Olimpia chooses her adamantine blade for Raktar's enchantment. Testing the edge she says My thanks. This blade was already sharp. Now it's scary sharp.

Even at this distance she wrinkles he nose at the stench from the ship and gives Elrys a smile as the bubble of clean air replaces the tainted air around her. As the other spells take effect she adds I feel great. Lets get this done. She slips on her ring of invisibility and begins to scout.

With his newly acquired musket from Olimpia in hand, "I'm ready."

As before the only way you can see to enter is through the tubes flopped in the fetid water.

The easiest way to enter the hulk is via the numerous posterior vents leading to area L2 or LJ. These immense squamous stalks end in foul-looking apertures connected to 5-foot-diameter tubes.

The water is murky and foul. Also 30' deep.

How are you doing this?

"Looks like we're swimming up those tubes," Raktar says, pointing at the thick stalks emerging from the filthy lake. He walks up to the edge of the water, looking down at the scummy froth at the edge of the water. He scans the surface of the water to make sure nothing is lurking in wait before stepping into the filth to begin the swim towards the tubes.

Perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (9) + 20 = 29

Elrys follows Raktar and decides to drink two potions while they scout the murkey depths. The technological goggles she had acquired on the way here helped her magnify what might have been suspicious shapes, and she was glad they'd scouted out so much of the valley. Surely all their new equipment would come in handy at some point.

Perception: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (18) + 29 = 47

Drinks Touch of the Sea and antiplague. If she doesn't find anything, she enters the water with her dagger drawn and swims after Raktar and into the pipe.

Shall I go for a swim? Olimpia asks from the air near the group? She also has an anti-plague and will quaff it before entering the water.

Search for traps and threats on the swim: 1d20 + 34 ⇒ (13) + 34 = 47

"Let's go in shortly after him for now. This enhancement magic doesn't last long. I would prefer we get through as much resistance as possible before it runs out." Elrys comments.

If nothing bad seemingly happens to Raktar, she just follows him in in an attempt to save time on the active magical spells.

Shaking his head, "Yeah I'm not much of a swimmer. Ah well." Placing his gun back up, he heads in after Raktar and attempts to make the swim.

Swim: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Dilana thanks Elrys for the work she did to make this easier on them all before looking at the water. Bad flashbacks of swimming to the caves under torch cross Dilana's mind. She shudders but takes the plunge following close after the others, a light spell cast on her headband.

Swim: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Your caution is well advised, as you draw near the murky, stinking waters as huge creature surges from the water to meet you.

A long, spiny fin runs down the length of the dolphinlike body of this eel-headed predator.

As you were looking for trouble you spotted it as it came up and have a round to attack as it closes. It has partial cover thanks to the water.

"Something in the water!" Raktar says as finned creature appears through the water, pointing it out to everyone with one hand as he pulls his chainsaw from it's sheath with the other. "Lady in Bronze, steel our hearts and reforge us with your strength," he calls, magic flashing through his skin as he protects his friends and weakens the thing flicking through the water.

Free Action to 5ft step, Move Action to draw my weapon, Standard Action to cast prayer which gives a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks to my allies, while that monster takes a –1 penalty on such rolls.

Unsure if we are in the water or not? If in the water are we standing or swimming?

Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Drawing her Arc Rifle While still invisible, Olimpia moves to the side for a better shot and waits for the creature to be in sneak attack range.

Readied Action with Arc Rifle, range touch attack: 1d20 + 16 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 16 + 1 = 272d6 + 6d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 4) + (5, 1, 4, 2, 5, 3) + 1 = 31

2d6 is electricity, and I think the sneak attack is also considered electric damage.

As Elrys spots the creature nearing the water, and suddenly very glad she didn't enter it right away, she decides to fire on it as best she could while starting a soft hymn to the fallen crusaders who came before her!

Attack huge creature once, start inspire courage +3. Total party buffs: Life Bubble, +4 morale to attack/damage/saves/skills/init, +3 competence to weapon attack and damage rolls.

attack: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (15) + 16 = 31
Damage #1: 1d8 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22

Staring at the water creature through narrowed eyes, "Water, huh? Well let's see how you like fire then," he mutters as he draws his firedrake pistol with uncanny speed and fires!

If he has to move to get within 20' first, he'll do that.

Using Firedrake. And rolling with ALL fire damage.

+1 Firedrake pistol vs touch: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (5) + 17 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 11 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 11 + (6) = 19 I'm unsure if I actually also get the 1d6 as well. If not, just ignore.

AC 29; Hp's 120/120; Prayer

Know Arcana: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (8) + 20 = 28

Dilana begins shouting out what she knows of this huge magical beast! While she talks the thinks about what spell to best use. A moment of considerations and she calls forth a cloud of sparking dust in an attempt to blind the thing.

Glitterdust DC18 will save.

And I totally forgot Elrys' excellent bonuses. Please add +4 to both her to hit roll and her damage roll.

You are on dry land. It attacked as you neared the waters edge. You are trespassing on its food! :)

Raktar vs SR27: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24
Dilana vs SR27: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

Dilana & Raktar's spells don't get through its Spell resistance.

Olimpia does full damage to the Lukwata.

Luthor does some. As does Elrys.

Full fire damage. This thing has DR10/Non magic weapons? Magic weapons are resisted? I can just see a high level party panicking "Do we even have any non-magic weapons anymore?"

Taking a battering as it hurtles towards the party the Lukwata tries to snap up the nearest to the shore. Raktar.

Bite on Raktar: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (16) + 22 = 38
damage: 4d10 + 15 ⇒ (7, 10, 10, 6) + 15 = 48

grapple: 1d20 + 30 ⇒ (7) + 30 = 37

It snatches Raktar up in it's jaws and begins to savage him.

Everyone but Elrys goes before the Lukwata.

Luthor please put your stat line up.

Raktar expands his armor with a thought as the huge fish thing barrels towards him, but it doesn't help as the creature barrels into him and savages him with it's jaws, needle sharp teeth piercing his flash as it clamps him hard.

Unable to reach the grip of his chainsaw to activate it he tries to wrest himself free of the beast's grip. "Help!" he calls out to the others, fearful of what might happen if the beast drags him into the water.

Standard Action to attempt to escape the grapple.

CMB: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (18) + 18 = 36

Glitterdust is not subject to spell resistance I think.

That is correct. If blinded it might miss Raktar?

Stepping back a step Olimpia fires her rifle twice at the beast. The damage is not backed up by sneak attack and she can olny hope that the party can do enough damage quickly enough to save Raktar.

Arc Rifle, range touch attack: 1d20 + 16 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 16 + 1 + 4 = 402d6 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (2, 4) + 1 + 4 = 11

Arc Rifle, range touch attack: 1d20 + 11 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 1 + 4 = 322d6 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (2, 3) + 1 + 4 = 10

Cant make a full post atm, but i think Elrys has higher init than the beast. Good hope adds +4. Also, i think prayer, good hope and unspire courage raise Raktar's Cmb check to break free?

Seeing Raktar get mauled, Luthor quickly fires off shot after shot at the beast.

All fire damage still

+1 Firedrake pistol vs. touch: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (18) + 24 = 42
Damage: 1d8 + 18 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 18 + (5) = 24

+1 Firedrake pistol vs. touch: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (17) + 19 = 36
Damage: 1d8 + 18 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 18 + (4) = 28

+1 Firedrake pistol vs. touch: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15
Damage: 1d8 + 18 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + 18 + (3) = 24

AC 29; Hp's 120/120; Prayer, Good Hope(+4), Insp. Courage(+3)

Correct about Glitterdust not being effected by SR. :(

will save vs Glitterdust: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13 Poot!

Since it is now blind. :(

miss chance 1-50=Miss. 51-100=Hit : 1d100 ⇒ 71

Since it is blind I believe your attacks are also Sneak attacks Olimpia?

And Elrys goes before it as well. Take your attacks. Rassum frassum! Cheaters.

If the spells and the Inspire courage raise Raktar's roll over 40 then he escapes and can attack.

Raktar!" Elrys cries. "Hold on! I'll-"

"...Use a spell..." she thought, but that was before noticing the Huge Eel-like being struggling far more than might be expected. And far before Raktar, somehow, incredibly, wrenched the enormous jaws open by himself from the inside and got out!

Wide-eyed at such a massive display of pure physical might, Elrys can only stare in shocked silence. At least, until the many archery drills from her father kicked in. "-Um, just shoot it!" She finished her earlier sentence and proceeds to fill the now also blinded creature with arrow holes!

Base: +14/+9, 1d8+1. Full attack vs flat-footed (blind), Tactics domain: Deadly Draw access one round as swift, Rapid shot, multishot, Prayer+1, IC +3, GH +4, point blank?, Total Penalties: -5 hit, Total bonusses: +9 hit/+15 damage.

attack: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (6) + 18 = 24
Damage #1: 1d8 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22
Damage #2, multishot: 1d8 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22

attack#2, Rapid Shot: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (8) + 18 = 26
Damage #3: 1d8 + 16 ⇒ (5) + 16 = 21

attack#3: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27
Damage #4: 1d8 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22

Raktar's CMB should be high enough to get over 40 on his check. +4 from str, 9 BAB, +3 weapon = +16 base, +8 from good hope/courage/prayer. Natural 18 roll + 24 = 42, also concidentally the meaning of life and answer to all worthwhile questions in the universe!

My weapon bonus won't add to my CMB to escape a grapple sadly. I make it BAB +9, Str +5, prayer +1, inspiring good hope +4, inspire courage +3, and a dice roll of 18 for a total of 40 on the nose. I forgot my own prayer, which is embarrassing, and I didn't realise that inspire courage applies to all attacks but only weapon damage.

40 is the roll needed to escape.

Sneak Attack 1 vs blind fishy: 6d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 1, 1, 3, 6) = 21

Sneak Attack 2 vs blind fishy: 6d6 ⇒ (1, 3, 4, 2, 6, 2) = 18

The creature slumps on the banks, Elrys's arrows protruding from its carcass, along with the many holes Olimpia & Luthor blasted into it.

Going by this things size and territorial frenzy you think that there is likely to be no other threats in the murky waters.

It used to be a fresh water Crocodile, until it ate so much alien flesh from the drop ship that it mutated into a Lukwata.

Raktar is missing a big chunk. What now?

Raktar drags himself back onto the shore, blood from his bite wound mixing with the foul water. He stands carefully, wincing in pain. "Thanks for that," he says to the others, grateful to have been saved from a potentially horrible fate. He carefully passes his hands over his injury, silver light glowing from his skin as he attempts to use his magic to soothe the pain and stem the bleeding.

I'll cast cure critical wounds on myself to heal 4d6 + 12 ⇒ (4, 2, 1, 3) + 12 = 22 HP.

"We should try and get inside before another one appears," Raktar suggests, looking more comfortable now.

Shouldering her rifle Olimpia nods. Ready here. Almost as an afterthought she casts Detect Magic and examines the creature's remains. No telling what something this size might have swallowed. Not sure its worth cutting into its stomach to have a look.

"I'd rather move inside quickly. Chances are this carcass won't be cut by anyone else anytime soon. Plus, both our spells and their measure of being prepared for us are on a timer. If you want to, we could do it on the way out after we know we're safe." Elrys reasons, falling in line after the frontline. "Oh, and Raktar, if you need more healing at any point, I have some magic and a wand. Just let me know, all right? You don't have to go walking around injured."

Ready to move on!

You squirm through the 5' tubes that provide entrance to the Drop ship.
Wriggling through rotting, slimy flesh while trying not to vomit from the smell and sensation makes this an experience that you will not remember with anything but nausea.

L2. Cargo Pods
Five fleshy tunnels enter this damp chamber. The moist floor is
irregular, a deep green with grayish tumor-like growths scattered across the surface. It has the unsettling appearance of moist folds of skin within some grotesque beast's mouth. To the west, the walls cinch down into a tangle of pink, dripping fibers that seem to mostly, although not entirely, block passage into an area beyond.

These chambers were once used to store cargo, but also as boarding chambers-the dominion ship would extend its tubelike stalks to attach to a grappled ship, allowing the aliens within access to the enemy ship's interior.

The pink fibrous barriers are decayed "doorways" that once separated compartments-they once worked as the flesh valves in the Dominion Hive work today, but time and decay has rendered these doors mostly inoperable.

These walls of tissue are easy to smash through or destroy (hardness 2; hp 12; Break DC 16). A successful DC 15 Escape Artist check allows a character to wriggle through one without destroying the door as a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.

L3. Rotting Floor
The smell of putrefaction is overwhelming here. This damp chamber itself appears empty, save for a tangle of ribbed gray cables-or arteries-that hang from rotting walls.

Olimpia immediately sees the the floor here is a dangerous trap!
The floor section of this chamber has rotted almost completely through. One round after anything larger than a Tiny creature sets foot on the floor, the entire floor ruptures, dumping all creatures in the room into a foul pit.

Disable device DC30 to find a safe path over it.

What now? Please give me your party order as you make your way through the ship.

Still visible Olimpia points out the danger. See that floor there. Will not hold weight. Might have been weakened intentionally. Foul pit below. Let me lead. I think I can find us a path around.

Disable Devise: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (13) + 25 = 38

Once around this danger she will nod to the group and slip on her ring, vanishing to normal vision.

Message spell would be nice.

Very, *intensely* grateful for the life bubble protecting her from the no doubt cacophany of hideous odours right outside it, Elrys tiptoes along to the best of her ability. She trusts Olimpia's judgement as an expert scout, and almost blindly follows her instructions on how to make it past here.

"I'm glad you're here with us, Olimpia. I might have missed the floor's weakness, but I'd defnitely have fallen down here had I tried to cross alone."

Once past the fleshy trap of sorts, she attempts to cast detect magic below the floor of where they would have fallen, just in case it felt like they might have missed something useful. There was no way she'd go back now, but it might be good to know on the way back.

Lets see... a sugested party order from front to back: Raktar, Luthor, Elrys, Dilana? I assume Olimpia is usually scouting far in front of the party in invisbiliy for formation purposes. Does that work for everyone?

Not too far... :)

"My magic didn't entirely sort me out," Raktar replies, grateful for Elrys' offer of more help with his wounds.

I'm only down 24HP, but I'd rather be fully healed as we go into this thing.

The crawl through the tubes makes Raktar wish he'd never volunteered to go looking for Khonnir Baine all those long months ago back in Torch - the sensations and the smells set his stomach to churning and his skin to crawling. Finally emerging into the fleshy interior wasn't much better, but at least he didn't feel like he was crawling through something's guts.

Pulling his chainsaw out ready he follows along behind Olimpia as she scouts ahead, and he stops at her warning about the dangerous floor. "Good spot," he says as she leads the group across carefully.

Sounds like a sensible party order to me.

Dilana moves from the back to tap Raktar on the shoulder. Healing rushes too him but it is not like holy healing. His stomach feels a little queasy for a moment but then the healing is complete.

Cure Moderate at Raktar: 2d8 + 12 ⇒ (4, 7) + 12 = 23

"Can't have you beat up now can we."

She slips back to bring up the rear yet again.

Luthor pulls out his musket, double checks to make sure it's loaded, and proceeds to keep his eyes peeled for everything.

Perception: 1d20 + 30 ⇒ (6) + 30 = 36

Use the Drop ship map up top for this part.

L4. Cathedral of Light
The drooping ceiling of this elongated gallery rises thirty feet high in places but hangs down to only five feet from the ground in others, sagging like a partially collapsed tent made of rotting flesh. The air itself swirls with multiple motes of various colors of light-what at first seem to be fireflies but, upon closer inspection, appear to be more akin to floating jellyfish-like creatures.

Olimpia scouting ahead detects a creature drifting in the air 5' above the floor. It clutches a tech pistol in one clawed tentacle.

What are you doing now?

"Thanks Dilana," Raktar says, shuddering as Dilana's otherworldly magic rushes through him. He holds the group back a little, giving Olimpia space to check out what's ahead.

Darting back the the group Olimpia quietly warns the others of the strange creature floating up ahead and the fact that it holds a pistol.

Knowledge Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

"Thanks Dilana," Raktar says, shuddering as Dilana's otherworldly magic rushes through him. He holds the group back a little, giving Olimpia space to check out what's ahead.

Already having the wand out but slightly too slow to act before Dilana, Elrys watches with some fascination as the elder woman managed to heal Raktar quite thoroughly with yet another unconventional healing method. First Erigga - who definitely wasn't a spellcaster - somehow drawing energy from the positive energy plane directly, and now... 'something not divine' that seemed to act in the exact same way as divine magic?

She considered herself a pretty good healer, but it seemed like there was still a lot to learn - a lot she didn't know about the craft.

But that's what made being a healer exciting, wasn't it? It was diverse, and you never stopped learning.

Elrys studies Raktar when Dilana finishes and grins. "Seems like she missed a spot." She says, and trails over the remaining scratch with the wand. "There we go, good as new! Let's get going, shall we?" She finishes pleasanty, and re-notches the arrow on her bow.

Have that one HP, good sir! CLW wand 49/50. Also, Elrys automatically passes the heal check for the bacteria.

"Interesting. I wonder if that is part of this creature's immune system..." She says a short while later, noticing the strange 'jellyfish-like' organisms that were floating around in the area. "Wait, no. It's just large bacteria spawning from the ship, eating the remains. That's good, because the alternative would mean that the ship was still alive rather than dead, and that it could have probably gone back into space - with us still on it." she muses.

When Olimpia informs them of the threat, she doesn't recognize the creature from the description. "Okay. If it's only one, do we simply walk in and kill it like we did in the mushroom cave? Wish we could do it more covertly, as it's probably a sentry of sorts. But I don't think we have that option unless Olimpia feels like attacking it by herself?"

Cutting his eyes toward the healer as she speaks, he looks back toward the creature after she finishes. "I say we just kill it. Shoot it before it shoots us," he recommends plainly.

It does seem to be watching the whole area closely. It couldn't spot Olimpia though. So it obviously doesn't have See invisibility.

"Thanks," Raktar says, grateful for Elrys' ministrations. With his pain fully gone he rolls his shoulders and readies his chainsaw. "If you can shoot it down from here, be my guest," he says to Luthor.

Olimpia will draw her rifle and ready to fire on the crab-thing as soon as Luthor hits it. Sjhe will close to within 30' of the creature to make sure she gets her sneak attack damage.

Taking a long look at the creature and its distance, the gunslinger shakes his head. "Not hitting it from this far out. Not like I need to anyway. Need to get closer. Of course, by the time I do that, it's going to see me and there goes are element of surprise. If that's not an issue then just say the word and I'll go in blasting. Your call," he offers, readying his gun just in case.