Wardens of the Righteous (Inactive)

Game Master Jesse Heinig

"I do not carry oil, it may be something we should pick up once we are back in Kenabres. Among many other things." Sario says

Alexa shakes her head. "Don't have any."

"Something to remember for next time I guess, I'm sure this isn't the last site like this we're likely to come across." Darya says with a sigh. "Let's go."

You rush back to the shrine with the insensible woman, and the dwarf priest does his best to make her comfortable. The storm strikes exactly when Sario predicts, heavy winds coming howling in and banging shutters, blowing dirt, and obscuring the area, with light but hard-hitting rain and the bang of thunder.

Severe wind and light rain have hit, causing -8 on ranged attacks, -4 on Fly checks, and -8 Perception checks. Visibility is halved and Small creatures must make a DC 10 Strength check to move through the wind. Note that due to her Storm druid features, Sario can still be heard over the wind, and she only suffers the penalties of strong wind instead of severe, so Sario takes -6 on ranged attacks and Perception checks instead of -8.

You can wait out the storm in the shrine if you choose, but Sario's right about one thing: If you use the storm as cover, you could set up an ambush or traps outside the other cave entrances, and anything following you outside would be unlikely to see it (due to the Perception penalty in the storm-tossed areas).

"Does anyone know anything about traps?" Sario asks while still inside.

"I can break them. Create them, not so much."

Note that while making sophisticated traps may be beyond you, rigging simple deadfalls (falling rocks at the cave mouth, for instance) is probably about DC 10 and could thus be done untrained, if you were so inclined. Depends on how much time you want to take and how long you want to be out in the windstorm.

It seems you are at an impasse? I presume you'd like to continue to deal with any remaining demons in the quarry; do you want to take 10 to at least set up a few traps? Have Alexa scout ahead and draw them out to you? Set up cover outside? Just barrel in and murderhobo everything evil that you find?

I think we'll go with the DC 10 just to throw together something basic and make use of Sario's cool class ability. Alexa scouting ahead also sounds like a solid idea. As long as she falls back if there's any trouble. Maybe Sario can keep an eye on her so we know if we need to rush in

Alexa can scout ahead while the others set up traps.

Yeah, I think we can agree that running in murderhobo style is not a great strategy, given our last fight.
If we take 10, who will have the best chance of setting up something decent? Will that be a Disable Device check? Survival?

Taking 10 survival for traps: 10 + 11 = 21

Sario organises the group into gathering the supplies, setting up ropes to help with making it back to where everyone needs to be.

So pretty sure we're setting up a basic trap and heading into danger, with Alexa scouting ahead.

Taking 10 to Stealth & Perception for scouting: 18 and 16 respectively.

Sounds good. The skill for traps is technically Craft (trapmaking) but just as technically you can take 10 on it with people aiding each other.

You set up a deadfall trap at the entrance to the central cavern, then Alexa sneaks in. At need you can drop a large chunk of rock from over the entryway onto someone coming out, doing probably a lot of damage to their head.

For Alexa it's a mixed bag: On the one hand, she is out of the driving wind and spattering rain. On the other, the booming and howling of the weather outside is amplified in this cavern.

The cave is about twenty feet wide with smooth walls. Once it was hewn to remove large chunks of usable stone. Now the floor is also smoothed carefully and some stonemason has even carved knotwork designs into the walls.

About 30' down the hallway Alexa spots a massive cask - a giant tun for winemaking. The tunnels here have obviously been converted over to making and storing wine and likely other beverages.

There are two doors just past the giant tun, one behind it, one to the right. A torch sconce sits in a corner between the doors with a torch on it that is currently extinguished.

Though the wind makes it hard to hear things, Alexa can tell that there's light coming under the crack of the door to the right.

Alexa creeps over to investigate the door.

Taking 10 again for Stealth & Perception.

Alexa will open the door as quietly as she can to peek beyond.

Sario waits for Alexa to come back out.

"this could go back quickly." Sario says

Alexa squeezes the door to the right open and finds a small alcove, carved out of the rock, with a round table, four chairs, and a decorative floor rug. A torch is lit in one corner in a sconce. Against the back wall are three casks, all stoppered. In the dirt are skid marks where a fourth cask was removed.

Based on the torch, you'd guess that it was lit only an hour ago. Someone probably removed the cask recently.

Sario waits for Alexa to come back out.

"this could go back quickly." Sario says

Iomenna nods solemnly in agreement, "That's why we need to stay here and be ready to move in if Alexa calls for us." The tip of her sword wavers slightly for a moment as Iomenna adjusts her grip, but it quickly comes back to a ready position. Her eyes peer into the darkness as if she could see Alexa, though the young woman disappeared into the shadows after just a few yards.

Bump? Searching for any other clues or just busting down the next door?

Just waiting for the sign from Alexa that we're clear to move in.

Sario is alert and waiting

Sario seraches around for anything else that can be useful.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

Sorry for the delay! Forgot you were all waiting on me.

Alexa doubles back to fetch the others, scooping up the lit torch before leaving.

With Alexa's all-clear, you move into the next room.

A sickly-sweet smell assails your nostrils and you realize that the floor is sticky with a dark red substance - wine, this time, instead of blood.

An uneasy feeling overtakes you and you note that on the table, in addition to crackers, sliced cheeses, bottles of wine, and a bowl of grapes, there is a severed human head on each plate in front of the chairs. The skulls have been cracked open and the brains devoured on all but one, the one at the far end of the table.

As soon as you cross the threshold, the eyes of the head on the plate open, and a grayish mist seems to emanate from its mouth and eyes.

"No more, no more," it whispers in a ghastly voice.

Paladins are still not detecting evil from the head, so presumably it's not an evil undead.

Sario recoils a bit a the bodyless head talking.

"No more what?" Sario asks

Iomenna grimaces in fury and disgust at the gory scene ahead of her. "This is...horrible," is all she can manage before the final head speaks. Do...do you want us to help you...die?" she offers, unsure what else she could do for what remains of the person.

If Alexa is at all affected by the gory tableau before her, she doesn't show it. She looks around the room for any other exits.

Alexa notes that there is another door on the back eastern wall.

The severed head says in a hollow voice, "No more do I wish to be bound to this effigy of death!"

Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Alexa turns her attention to the severed head. "The head is... well, technically it's dead. It's just being inhabited by a bound spirit from the Outer Planes. It can only answer questions: it's essentially a more perverted form of the contact other plane spell."

"Oh, and there's another door over there." She points out the door in the back eastern wall.

(For what it's worth, the door is obvious to everyone, it's just easy to miss on the Roll20 map because of the coloration.)

"so we destroy the veesel the spirit goes back?" Sario asks

"Hopefully, yes."

With a nod Darya draws her sword, striding forward to cleave the head apart.

Regular attack, CDG or Sunder attempt?

It is an object, so this is a Sunder.

The head babbles strangely. "The son is coming! He is coming! Soon he will lead everyone down the path to his mother's wicked grace!"

Darya hesitates but a moment before bringing her blade down with decisive force, completely splitting the skull into halves.

Sunder: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Darya's blade chops down on the head (not just a skull!) and splits it easily in twain. The severed tongue flails helplessly as the two halves roll onto their sides.

The sound of the chop resonates through the room as the entire table shakes from the force of the blow.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 1

Perception?: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

"someone jsut asked what the noise was." Sario says quietly

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

Iomenna's eyes go wide at the news Sario shares. "Damn," she whispers to the others, "Everyone, find some cover. Sario, did you hear which direction it came from?"

Alexa wordlessly complies.

Stealth?: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

DId she?

Sario looks around to see where the voice came from.

It came through the door to the east.

Luci had remained quiet for a while. Mostly it was just because she hated having to talk over the storm but also because she was as clueless about the head thing as most of the others. She was certainly glad when Darya offered to destroy it.

She was, however, quick to respond when Sario gave her warning and moved to find a safe spot.

Which door to the east? The southern one by Alexa or the northern one off the dining room (up in the north-east corner of it)? Or is that northern one just supposed to be a cabinet?

With as much effort as closing an eye, Darya dampens her halo, the golden divine light winking out as she moves against the wall into the increased shadows.

Stealth: 1d20 ⇒ 13

I think "vacation" was a misnomer this year. I didn't get to vacate any premises and spent the whole time tied up in social obligations!

There are two "doors to the east," one is from the main chamber that you entered first over to the room with the rug and casks; the other is on the northeast side of the room with the long dining table and the now-bisected head. The door just isn't showing wholly because you can't see the other side of it yet. :)

The voices that were heard are coming from the other side of the door on the northeast - through the dining room door. I'll mark it on the map.

Quietly flicking the gore off her blade, Darya sheathes her blade, drawing her crossbow and training it on the door beyond which the voices emanated.

Sario stays behind Darya, ready to assist as she can