Cynehelm channels positive energy into the room trying to disperse the evil aura. The statues start to bleed but before the stigmata gets too far the positive energy slams into them closing the wounds and immobilizing the statues...for now. You know from previous haunts that it is not destroyed but simply at bay for now.
Calling forth Sarenrae's power though was a mixed blessing. While it worked against the haunt the powerful burst was enough to alert the guards outside to your presence.
Calling out in Russian you hear, We know you are in there. Come out now and you will be killed immediately. Wait, and you will be killed slowly!
Whoopsadaisy!
So..how much are you people being paid? Perhaps we can convince you to take a long walk?
"Ugg. More guns. The moment we one the the door they will start to fire. Can we move to an advantageous position? "
The area beyond the statues is where Rasputin was found once before spells were cast causing you to leave to inspect other areas. You were not able to hurt him at that time. There are no other entrances or exits that you can see in this burned out chapel area. At one time it was tall enough to possibly have a second story but that is long gone.
Well, we can use the walls in here for cover. I can start sniping them.
"Let us remember the words of the blessed Sarenrae," says Cynehelm, "when she vouchsafed us these words:"
"Body rent and soul bound
Inventor’s both must be found
To reverse the Anchor’s flow
And into the dome you must go,
Cut the suture that binds the soul
To achieve your ultimate goal"
"At a guess, we need to find the body and soul of the inventor of something called the Anchor and then go into a dome. Probably this dome here. So we need to figure out what the Anchor is and where the inventor's body and soul are before we can find what we need here. Maybe?"
"Also, that delicious and terrifying young lady in the pond, Libuska, told me that we should investigate the four towers and also that we had to 'bring the chapel back to this world from the fey realm.' That suggests to me that whatever this is, it's not the chapel. Let's go check out those four towers."
Sure. Let's go.
"So should we seek the inventor's soul first or go seek our answers among the four towers, do you think?" Cynehelm asks Duardlara.
"That makes sense to me. More info going into the towers will help."
”We need to move quickly before they get their courage up to come in. We think we know where the soul is, so I say we go there first.”
Going for the soul makes sense
D-Dooring over to the camp you find yourself in the middle of a bunch of huts. Standing there all alone in the center is a strange looking goat with a glowing lantern around its neck.
all need will save DC 22 vs fear or panicked for rounds
It responds to your presence with a loud bleating alerting those in the tents around you to your presence. It then charges Jetro!
charge gore for
threat for
From the huts emerge headless Siberian Cossacks who summon fiendish mounts to ready charges against you!
Jetro's Improved Snapshot fires off as the goat charges.
Jetro steps back and attempts to make goat stew.
Titian will ask those infront of him to clear the way to he can attack.
Jetro strikes the goat 3 times for daring to charge it. The goat looks slightly damaged from the arrow attacks but clearly it has resisted some of the damage. Titian moves up a space and smacks the goat around a bit. The troll form clearly liking the taste of goat. Yet when he went to bite it he must have realized its undead nature and quickly pulled his teeth away in disgust. Likewise some of the damage dealt to the goat was resisted.
With a wave of his hand and a whispered prayer, Cynehelm summons a twenty-foot tall curtain of shimmering violent flame into being, covering their retreat.
"I can't imagine we need the goat, but I suspect the lantern might have value for our mission. Cynehelm, do you know anything about what we are facing?"
Looking around the camp at the small force arraying against the party, she adds, "Should I put something in their way?"
Mass numbers of arrows make the perfect barrier.
"I can't imagine we need the goat, but I suspect the lantern might have value for our mission. Cynehelm, do you know anything about what we are facing?"
"Don't die around the goat!" says Cynehelm. "That lantern stores souls. Also the headless rider can summon new mounts if you kill this one. Sorry, that's all I've got. Oh... uh, kill 'em both!"
Looking around the camp at the small force arraying against the party, she adds, "Should I put something in their way?"
"I've got it," says the priest. He summons the afore-mentioned wall of fire in a circle around them to hopefully keep the enemies at bay while they rummage through the tents.
”Souls? That’s our goal, then. The lantern has the soul we need, I’d wager.”
Jetro wins!
Jetro always wins!
"Hmmmm, soul lantern on a goat is not how I expected this to go. But then again I did not know what to expect."
"I'm going to try to get the lantern. Keep the beast occupied."
She casts a spell and disappears.
Jetro slays a rider!
Cynehelm protects the group as they are completely surrounded by a ring of fire. While it has the effect of keeping the mounted cossacks from approaching and being able to see what is happening inside, it also means that they have very little room in which to move.
Duardlara goes invisible in the hopes that she can snatch the lantern from the goat.
The goat continues to attack Jetro as the source of its malice as the lantern grows brightly again.
gore for
threat confirm for and fatigued
hoof 1 for
hoof 2 for
Duardlara appears out of thin air as she clutches the collar of the lateen around the goat. Bleating in fury it swings its head away from the elf ripping free of Duardlara’s tenuous grasp.
Clustered Shots,PBS,PS, on goat
Cynehelm, running a bit low on spells, unleashes an admonishing ray. "Back, goat-demon! Begone!"
"This is an ornery goat."
Between the three of you the goat is a puddle of goo no longer threatening this world. The lantern still maintains it faint glow indicating it is currently occupied by a soul.
The wall of fire is currently keeping foes at bay and is starting some of the huts on fire.
Duardlara picks up the lantern. ”Shall we return to the hut?”
Sounds good to me! My guts are about to fall out of me.
Cynehelm examines his companion and begins to pray for the healing warmth of Sarenrae.
Gathering everyone around Duardlara is able to d-door everyone to a location of their choosing. The questions are... do you go to the Hut and is Cynehelm able to rasie the dead or is a resurrection needed if too much time has passed?
"I can reincarnate the soul and body, but the form will differ. I used to be a bugbear."