Notick curses under his breath. All of his knowledge from the books he has read over the years driving his action of drawing his Light Mace, an odd feeling for him considering he rarely uses it.
Channel Positive Energy Saves
DC11
Skeleton 1
Skeleton 2
Skeleton 3
Skeleton 4
Thaddeus:
Khrondak:
Channel Positive Energy:5/6
Notick:
Midori:
Scoria:
HP 4/10
Bel'Tanis:
Skeleton 1:
Skeleton 2:
Skeleton 3:
Skeleton 4:
Encounter Map
Desecrated Vault, Round 2
The undead continue to press forward against Scoria and Bel'Tanis who are blocking the entrance.
The skeleton in melee with Scoria finds a gap in her defenses and gives her a vicious slash.
The second skeleton hacks away at Krondak, lightly grazing him in the shoulder.
The third skeleton attacks Bel'Tanis, but of its attacks are turned away by his stout shield.
Bel'Tanis cranks back and swings again!
If the skeleton that attacked Bel'Tanis is still standing at the end of his turn, Bel'Tanis will try to 5-ft step back to hopefully draw it out so the others can take some shots at it.
HP: 13/13
AC: 15 (11 T / 14 FF)
w/ shield: 17 (11 T / 16 FF)
Resistances: Acid (5), Cold (5), Electricity (5)
CMD: 15
F/R/W: +4/+1/+2 (+1 vs fear)
(+2 vs evil descriptor)
daylight uses left: 1/1
-Ongoing Effects-
power attack
Scoria is too well trained to make any sound of pain as the broken sword grazes her ribs, feeling the jagged, rusted edge scraping along her bones. She bears with it, keeping herself upright, continuing her attack - showing weakness would only cause them all to focus their attentions upon her.
Khrondak sees the skeleton's blade furiously slashing Scoria's flesh. He barely notices his own wound as he crouches, dodging his undead opponent, in an atempt to safely deliver the gift of health to the stonemason. Moving to avoid the broken sword, he reaches Scoria and touches her on the head, saying his prayers.
He then steps back leaving Scoria room to withdraw whilst trying to draw the skeletons to fight in the open.
Midori will heal Scoria.
Notick curses at the tactical ignorance breaking forth in-front of him. He shouts to everyone, "Back up damn it! Let them spread out so we can all attack them!"
Notick side steps to give the others room to maneuver back. Examing the scene further, he shouts aloud again "Ameiko's Cousin, if you've no breaking weapons, throw rocks! You'll have more luck than that sword!"
Skeleton 1: 1 Damage
Skeleton 2: 1 Damage
Skeleton 3: 1 Damage
Skeleton 4: 1 Damage
Thaddeus:
Khrondak:
Channel Positive Energy:5/6
1st— divine favor, shield of faith, true strikeD (One Spell Swapped for Cure Light Wounds)
Notick:
Midori:
Spells Cast
1st Level 1/2
Scoria:
HP 10/10
Bel'Tanis:
11/13 HP
Encounter Map
Desecrated Vault, Round 3
The monk had been seriously injured, but the combined efforts of both the barbaric Shoanti and the Tien woman had brought her back to peak form. She didn't waste any time, launching another assault at the closest skeleton, fist and foot flying out to strike hard and fast.
Trying once again with his prayer, and this time swinging his sword first, Thaddeus does a combination attack on the creature. The statue, in combination with his casting while swinging, cause his attacks to be weak. He decides to step back behind Bel'Tanis, so the group as a whole can move back, and no one gets singled out or seperated.
The skeletons eyes continue to burn with a fire of cold blue malevolence as they hack with rusty swords and push towards the party.
No sooner is Scoria healed by her companions, the skeleton surges forward determined to run her through, quickly scoring another hit.
The other skeleton continues to hack away on Bel'Tanis's shield. It is unable to find any opening.
Round 3
Grunting with frustration as he watches Scoria get sliced to ribbons beside him, Bel'Tanis tries yet again to crush the skeleton before him into dust.
If Scoria 5-foot steps away, Bel'Tanis will 5-foot step into her spot to prevent the skeleton from pursuing her directly.
HP: 13/13
AC: 15 (11 T / 14 FF)
Resistances: Acid (5), Cold (5), Electricity (5)
CMD: 15
F/R/W: +4/+1/+2 (+1 vs fear)
(+2 vs evil descriptor)
daylight uses left: 1/1
-Ongoing Effects-
power attack
With the front line still in place, Thaddeus steps back up to where he was at the statue's corner, trying a double shot once again. He swings his sword, and losing his focus in frustration, almost snaps it against the statue. Regaining a little composure, he manages to get some of the radiant energy to at least hit the thing.
Midori once more heals Scoria.
She then steps back to look for something to use as a blunt weapon; stones, sticks...anything.
Khrondak curses the skeletons and again invokes the powers of the gods to bring destruction upon them.
Khrondak's wave of pure energy roils out from him, engulfing all of the skeletons. Three of the skeletons are instantly burnt to cinders, their cold malevolence is no more. The fourth skeleton is still standing but its boney frame is pitted and charred. It wobbles for a few seconds then collapses. Midori in frustration grabs a large branch and bludgeons the skeleton until it quits moving.
As you look in to the crypt you see no more undead lurking within. The crypt contains two sarcophagus, one of which has been opened.
Bel'Tanis regards his large club inquisitively, testing its heft and bouncing it in his palm to confirm that it is, in fact, solid. He frowns down at the skeletons' remains then turns to Khrondak, "Very nicely done, Iron Forged. I'm not sure what you said, but I'm glad you said it!" His brow furrows then as he continues, "But I am more concerned about this vandalism now. The presence of restless dead here leads me to think this was no petty prank."
The half-elf curses in elven under his breath as the fight comes to an end. He places the tip of his light mace on the ground and leans on the handle, using it to hold himself up, looking at everyone incredulously. He closes his eyes and shakes his head, sighing exuberantly. "Well, at least no one was killed" he speaks aloud. "Is everyone alright?" he asks after Bel'Tanis makes his proclamation of concern for the tomb.
"It is not so much what you say, Bel'Tanis, but the conviction with which you say it."
Scoria was fine, all the damage done to her by the terrible skeletons negated by the efforts of healing magic. "...Your assistance is appreciated," She tells Khrondak and Midori, before venturing into the crypt proper, peering into the open sarcophagus and examining the interior.
Peering into the gloom you notice that in the corner near the opened sarcophagus, lies an old tattered robe.
Upon further inspection of the sarcophagus, it does appear that is was forced open.
Thaddeus
Bel'Tanis
Khrondak
Notick
Midori
Scoria
Everybody but Notick, notices that Naffer has apparently ran off during the fight with the skeletons.
Confident that the physical danger is passed, Bel'Tanis will follow Scoria into the crypt and look around.
Further investigation into the crypt reveals nothing other than the sarcophagus of Tobyn was forced open and the old robe lying in the corner. Otherwise it looks undisturbed, including the sarcophagus of Tobyn's daughter Nualia.
Looking into Tobyn's sarcophagus revels that the body is missing.
Scoria doesn't waste any more time with the sarcophagi, going over to check on the old robe lying in the corner, picking up it gently and taking a look at it. "Is this the garb the priest was buried in?" She wonders out loud, searching it over for any hidden pockets.
"I do hope that one of those wasn't him."
She turns to Notick "Oh, and by the way,and as I've said before, my name is Midori. Midori Masaki. Try using it...unless you want me calling you 'crooked dice man'."
Notick rubs the back of his head, smirking towards Midori. "I apologize - I'm bad with names!" Before moving on, he winks and sticks his tongue out at her, implying that he may be lying, but in a completely harmless manner. He maneuvers into the tomb, taking a glance around. He walks over to the daughters sarcophagi and gives it a glance over, more interested in why it wasn't opened.
"Does anyone else find it odd that only one of the two sarcophagi were opened?! If they were thieves after valuables, then one would think they would have opened them both... "
The robe is very plain and nondescript. Its only feature is that is old and tattered.
As far as you can tell without religious training, the robe does not look like any priest vestments for the faiths that are associated with the church in Sandpoint.
Nulia's sarcophagus is completely untouched, in fact it still has a layer of dust coating it.
Notick cocks his right eyebrow high, "It wasn't even bothered at all. The dust is undisturbed. They were after something the old-man was buried with, and they had to have known before hand that it was there."
Notick stands while dusting his hands off, shaking his head as he works through any knowledge he may have gained through his years at Sandpoint. Trying to remember if his Uncle, for instance, had mentioned any sort of heirlooms he may have interest in from the old father's tomb.
Midori goes over to the sarcophagus to examine the remains, trying to determine what was taken.
"We should ask the current priest and the caretaker if there was anything of import buried with him."
"If they wanted a trinket or heirloom, why would they take the body then? I don't know. This doesn't strike me as something as simple as grave robbery. Where'd Naffer get to? He might be of some help answering these questions."
Khrondak looks around the tomb. He closes his eyes and whispers in Shoanti, gesturing calmly.
When he opens them up again, a faint glow emanates from his pupils as he analyzes the whole tomb. He walks up to Scoria and reaches for the robe in her hands. "Let me see this."
As the party is gathered around the crypt investigating the sarcophagi and the robe. Father Zantus approaches with Naffer hobbling in tow.
"Ahoy mates, I be bring'n ye ole priest amid ships,"yells Naffer as they approach.
Father Zantus looks around the area as if expecting more undead, "Have all of the undead been purged."
"Naffer came to get me thinking you may need my assistance."
"Foul creatures, pray tell children what has transpired here?"
"Four skeletons. One tomb empty, one tomb closed. A discarded robe," Scoria summarizes, letting the Shoanti have the robe for now. "Six sets of goblin tracks and one set of humanoid tracks outside. They came over the wall, intruded upon the crypt. I do not think they animated the priest, or we would have seen a second set of humanoid tracks." Scoria glances over at the untouched sarcophagus, the one that apparently held the daughter of the deceased priest.
"It may look untouched, but with the permission of the Father, I humbly request we open this one as well in order to determine if they took her body...or altered it."
"Perhaps the goblins were as surprised as we were about the skeletons. Maybe this robe did it; it is magical. I will keep it for further inspection," Khrondak announces, not exactly asking for permission. He analyzes the tracks trying to figure out where the skeletons came from and whether there are any signs of conflict betweent them and the goblins.
He agrees with Scoria's suggestion. "Yes, opening the second tomb sounds reasonable."
Father Zantus bows is head in reverence for moment at the request.
"I am afraid that will not be necessary to open Nulia's sarcophagus, for her body is not present."
"After the fire, we only recovered Tobyn's body". "His daughter's corpse was no where to be found, we assumed the fire consumed it."
"Let us confirm it remains empty, then" says Khrondak, moving to push the tomb's lid.
Considering the daughter's body was not found in the fire that claimed her father's life, Scoria had to wonder if the daughter really was dead at all. Those were thoughts best spoken in less hallowed ground however. She tapped the Shoanti on the shoulder to pause him in his attempts to open the sarcophagus. "Perhaps it would be more prudent right now to follow the trail. If only to recover the priest's body before they can desecrate it as well."
She also takes the robe, and shows it to the others. "I hope that some of you know how to identify objects of magical nature?"
Notick's eyes follow back and forth between the Stone Woman and the Shoanti man as they speak their thoughts. Unafraid of any possible repercussions for asking his questions, he speaks what he feels everyone is thinking. He squares his body towards the father, before asking his questions, pulling his hair out of his low pony tail and redoing it as he speaks.
"Father, was Tobyn buried with anything of import? Anything that may have been precious or valuable that someone would have wanted to steal?! A family momento maybe that was important to the Daughter?!"
Thaddeus watches passively as the others investigate the tomb, his skills lie more in study and swordplay, than in deductive investigation. As the group speaks, he considers what he has learned since he has been in town, especially as a religious man, he sure he remembers something about the previous Head priest.
As the group finds the robe inside, he tries to determine whether they act as burial vestments for the church Father Tobyn belonged to, or if they were something cast off by the body thieves.
Finally, after the stonemason asks, he replies, "I have the ability to decipher the subtle weave of magic associated with objects. However, I have not yet this day prayed for Iomedae's blessing to see the magical bindings tied to things, and would not be able to investigate it further until tomorrow morning. Until then, I agree that our first course of action be following the trail of the vile blasphemers before they pollute a respected priest's remains any further."
Father Zantus looks at Notick,"No, Tobyn was buried only with his clerical vestments."
He then continues, "I must say this is quite a disturbing development, no mere vandalism. I think Sheriff Hemlock should be informed of this matter straight away."
Scoria tosses the robe towards Thaddeus then. "Hold onto this until you can identify it's properties, then." She tells him, looking to the priest. "Then let us inform the sheriff quickly, then we may follow the tracks."
Thaddeus explains what he knows of Father Tobyn and his daughter, and explains that the robes were not Father Tobyn's vestments of Desna. As Scoria hands him the robe, he cocks his head at the woman, and hands it back to the Khrondak.
As Scoria makes her suggestion, he offers "The Sheriff has set us to this task, and I'm certain we need not let him know we shall continue to search for the guilty parties." He turns to the priest, "Father, would you be so kind as to inform the Sheriff if he asks of our whereabouts, or if possessed of the personnel, send a runner to let him know where we have gone?"
"Yes of course, I will send word of the goings on here to Sheriff Hemlock, replies Father Zantus.
[ooc]The tracks lead to the wall of the cemetery. The wall is 15' high. Past the wall is lightly forested hills known as the Ravenroost. A little to the north of the hills is the coast, which the Lost Coast Road follows.
"Yes of course, I will send word of the goings on here to Sheriff Hemlock, replies Father Zantus.
[ooc]The tracks lead to the wall of the cemetery. The wall is 15' high. Past the wall is lightly forested hills known as the Ravenroost. A little to the north of the hills is the coast, which the Lost Coast Road follows.