Way of the Wicked - a Tale of the Fall of Talingarde (Inactive)

Game Master Mark Sweetman

Jethryk - sure, why not.

Jethryk nods to Albina.

"Well then, let's table that as a possibility for tomorrow. Shall we explore the rest of this area?"

So saying, he moves forward to open the only door from this room...

The door is rusted slightly at the hinges, but opens easily enough with a screech. The rounded chamber beyond it has a high domed ceiling and is everywhere adorned with grisly bas relief depictions of the nightmare realm of Abaddon. A spiral staircase without railing rises at the western end of the room. A curved half-wall blocks direct access to the staircase.

However it is the two daemons writ large within the room that dominate your attention. Each resembling a gigantic humanoid bear with the talons of an eagle and curling ram horns they have an iron amulet around their necks that looks broken in two somehow. Immediately it dawns that these two daemons are the same that you saw in the fresco on a lower level.

Turning towards you with curiously cocked heads that growl contented...

Am I in on this?

Oh how I sincerely hope I'm in on this.

I had assumed that everybody had taken the stairway together - so you should be facing the two ram-horned daemons together.

Unfortunately the mural was dirty and I sadly did not get the time to clean it and learn their names. So unless it is otherwise this is what I do.

Shendalyn looks on a bit non-plussed when Gurthock elbows him in the leg.

"Oi isn't that them daemons from the mural. abyssal growling and more abyssal growling? That's only half a bloody name."[/ooc]

Slamming the door hard with all his strenth Shendalyn is laughing.

"Gurthock! Scrub brush! We clean a mural! Go!" Pushing past the rest Shendalyn giddily skips down the steps yelling back. "No one touch that door until I've tamed our new house bear-ram-dog-things!"

Shendalyn's joy is incredibly short lived... as moments after he slams the door - both daemons appear in the entry room as though formed from the very air itself... the one labelled Vexor standing between you and the entry to the stairwell.

Hexor growls in Abyssal...

In essence, it's game on and into combat now - all the party is up for actions before the daemons can act again.
I shall have a map this evening.

"Really? I suppose some kind of brutal violence was inevitable."

And in much more serious tones Shendalyn draws his sword and growls at the Daemons indignance and insult dripping from every acidic word..

Draw sword while backing off. Cast Shield.

Gurthock: Sigh in resignation. Draw two wands.

"Well, if they are insisting, I am happy to oblige; it just seems like such a waste... Still, the bodies may be useful afterwards..."

Jethryk then steps up, and takes a swing at the closest one.

Adamantine Greatsword: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26, for 2d6 + 18 + 1 ⇒ (2, 3) + 18 + 1 = 24 Adamantine Slashing damage.

Albina drops the unlit torch she was using as 'web-gatherer' and steps out of reach of the nearest daemon 5 ft. step, if one is within reach of her before intoning a spell and drawing her Morningstar.

bless, +1 morale bonus to attack rolls and saves vs. fear for all allies in 50 ft. for 5 minutes.

Mapski

Jethryk's sword cuts into the daemon, but not as deeply as he expected given the weight behind the scything blow.

Shendalyn and his pet, and Albina draw upon magics to gird loins and strengthen swordarms.

Just Mi'Dre to go.

Mi'Dre tenses immediately as he spots the creatures from the mural. It seems he is not the only creature from the dark realms in this place. They likely should not have been so keen to rush headlong through the place when they had already discovered so much...

He wasn't one to dwell however, grinning and ready to leap into the fray when the deranged elf slammed the door and attempted to flee, cackling. He hadn't seen him eat any more of the mushrooms, but that wasn't to say he hadn't... His mirth is short-lived as the daemons appear in the room, cutting off his retreat, or... whatever it was he'd been trying to do.

Mi'Dre quickly looks between the two, Jethryk beating him to the punch engaging the southern one, while the north threatened Albina. He leaps towards it, tumbling through the air to avoid it's swiping claws, while attempting to bring his own into play.

_________________________
Move: Tumble to C3. Swift: Activate Judgement of Destruction. Standard: Claw
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

Claw: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 8 + 1 = 26
Damage: 1d4 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 9 + 1 = 12

Retrying the check to identify them now that he can see them in the flesh.
Knowledge (Planes): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Apparently the artist's representation was better :p and probably an attack of op :s

As Mi'Dre attempts to pass the daemon, it's jaws snap outward at it...
AoO Bite: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27 for 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 6) + 6 = 16
...crunching through his shoulder as he passes. DR aplies

Before Vexor and Hexor each take a sharp intake of breath... and the entire room is filled with a cascading burst of electric discharge...
Breath Weapon (Hitting everyone bar Jethryk): 6d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 3, 6, 6, 4) = 21 electricity, DC 19 Reflex for half
Breath Weapon (Hitting everyone bar Albina and Mi'Dre): 6d6 ⇒ (5, 3, 2, 3, 5, 6) = 24 electricity, DC 19 Reflex for half

Back to you guys...

Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20.

Jethryk manages to dodge the worst of the blast, but his muscles are still left spasming from the eletrical onslaught.

"Shendalyn, now might be a good time to put a bit of a pep in our steps!"

Haste?

Reflex save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
D'oh.

Given the damage just tossed out let's make sure shendalyn didn't just get immediately dropped.

1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 Reflex 1
1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22 Reflex 2

And now for gurthock.

1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

Gurthock goes poof! Yeah no haste. Not with the damage these guys are dropping on us. Need to mitigate that first. So let's go with flooding the board instead. Will post turn when sheet is updated.

One last roll before I choose my wall of midgets to throw at them.

1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28 Knowledge check on our friends here and their kin. Looking for weaknesses and the normal stuff. You know other than realllyyy wishing I had gotten the first half of their true names.

Jethryk shrugs, sighs, and keeps swinging at the injured outsider...

Adamantine Greatsword: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26, for 2d6 + 18 + 1 ⇒ (1, 4) + 18 + 1 = 24 Adamantine Slashing damage.

Mi'Dre grunts as his shoulder explodes with pain, followed quickly thereafter by his everything as lightning shoots through him. He dearly hoped they could only do that once, or they were in real trouble in this enclosed space.

Gritting his teeth he fights through the pain, frantically trying to take the things down before the whole party falls.

Claw 1: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 9 + 1 = 18
Damage: 1d4 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 9 + 1 = 12

Claw 2: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 9 + 1 = 24
Damage: 1d4 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 9 + 1 = 12

Shendalyn - they are Greater Ceustodaemons, so you know their abilities and weaknesses as per PRD.
If it makes you feel better, the mural doesn't have enough detail for you to rip their truenames off of that depiction...

Ugh, well we may very well be boned here. Honestly if there ac wasn't so high I'd have a few options here.

5ft shift up over the crispy critter remains of Gurthock.

Drop Celestial Aurochs on north daemon on either side of Mi'Dre preferably between shendalyn and the daemon.

Smirking very slightly between charred lips Shendalyn reaches out and grabs the heavenly bull by the horns and drags it into a deep dark cellar with lots and lots of things to be angry about....

Celestial Aurochs #1

Swift: Smite Evil
1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28 Attack
1d8 + 14 ⇒ (4) + 14 = 18 Damage

The storm of lightning catches Albina by surprise, and she staggers a bit before regaining her focus.

Reflex DC 19 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

She sees the effects on her companions, and quickly sets to attempting to heal their wounds, starting with Mi'Dre.

Channel energy to use infernal healing on Mi'Dre. Is it fast healing 1.5 for 1 minute or something?

I believe you had the option of either fast healing 1 for 2 minutes (more healing, but slower), or fast healing 1.5 for 1 minutes (quicker healing, but less). I don't know if any of those were meant to increase again at 5th level when your channel went to 3d6 or not.

Found with a 5 second search for infernal and channel in the discussion thread

Jethryk's blade flashes out at the beast again, carving another hunk of flesh... but it does not yet look at all perturbed.

Mi'Dre begins to strike back with his claws, but can only find purchase with one. Even then his talons are mostly turned back by the supernatural strength of the daemon's skin.

Shendalyn calls upon alien and offensive forces, calling a creature of goodness into the horn. The beast has a profoundly annoyed expression upon it's face, but is driven by the magic that called it to act. It's strike lands true and drives deep into the daemon's flesh.

Albina's extended touch begins to overcome some of the damage inflicted upon the least of the evil outsiders within the room, and slowly his wounds begin to close over.

Hexor and Vexor laugh before the Northern one taunts in Abyssal "Most unsporting... though nothing that cannot be rectified." He then rends and tears at the Auroch, seeking to swiftly end it's presence in this world...
Bite at Auroch: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22 for 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 6) + 6 = 15
Claw at Auroch: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16 for 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Claw at Auroch: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19 for 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

The southern daemon cocks head at Jethryk, but tut-tutting "You are beginning to become annoying human..." and it briefly calls upon it's focus, though leaves itself open to assault in doing so...

Updated map? Aurochs is gone.

"I'm not for sport..." Shendalyn mutters before shouting. "M'lady if you have any means to banish, control, or outright destroy them now would be a good time to actually employ it!"

Shouldn't Jethryk have taken two extra attacks? He just hit 6 BAB right?

"Are they saying anything helpful?" Mi'Dre calls back at Shendalyn. He doubted it from the behavior, but you never knew...

Claw 1: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 9 + 1 = 29
Damage: 1d4 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

Claw 2: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 9 + 1 = 27
Damage: 1d4 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

"They said after they kill me and feast on my soul they'll break your virgin infernal arse in like the pretty pink princess you are!"

Shendalyn's mind races as he tries to think his way out of this his mouth moving without thought. "Oh and they'll be polite while they do it!"

Jethryk snorts.

"I think that you will find that I can be substantially more than 'just annoying'... I think I might make a throw-rug out of that hide of yours."

He then delivers a truly punishing blow to the beast!

AoO: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31, for 2d6 + 18 + 1 ⇒ (4, 1) + 18 + 1 = 24 Adamantine Slashing damage.

AoO, crit confirmation: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26, for 2d6 + 18 + 1 ⇒ (3, 4) + 18 + 1 = 26 *ADDITIONAL* Adamantine Slashing damage.

@Mi'Dre: I prefer to only do one swing a round (I will eventually be taking the 'vital strike' chain); the second swing has a substantially lower to hit, and damage, but I can turn off power attack, and make a full attack, to show you what I mean...

Ignoring the taunts from the Outsider, Jethryk continues to calmly hack away at it, looking for weak points in its anatomical design to take it apart, piecemeal.

Adamantine Greatsword: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22, for 2d6 + 13 + 1 ⇒ (2, 2) + 13 + 1 = 18 Adamantine Slashing damage.

Adamantine Greatsword: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29, for 2d6 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (2, 6) + 10 + 1 = 19 Adamantine Slashing damage.

Adamantine Greatsword, Crit confirmation: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25, for 2d6 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (5, 6) + 10 + 1 = 22 *ADDITIONAL* Adamantine Slashing damage.

Huh. That was honestly more effective than I was expecting :-) I still stand by my previous stance, though, since I usually won't crit with my iterative :-P

Was 2AM when I posted... and I figured post without map was better than no post at all. That said, it's a pretty simple layout.

Jethryk's opportunistic strike causes the beast to lose it's focus before his subsequent assault cuts deep again. The demeanor of the beast swiftly changes from annoyance to deeper anger...

Mi'Dre's claws are accurate, but he finds it beyond him to force the talons to form anything more than merely annoying thin lines of ichor leaking wounds upon the daemon.

Shendalyn and Albina to go.

Retcon of a sleep deprived and brain addled DM.

The look of anger intensifies as Jethryk's blade cuts even deeper on his shallow backswing. The wounds on the daemon weigh heavy upon it and it falls to a knee affixing Jethryk with a withering stare. Despite it's lifeblood seeping out, it seems strangely chipper "Well played... though when I see you again I'll drink out of your skull." With that it falls and fades slowly into black smoke. The northern daemon intones "Bother"

Screwed up DR accounting - Southern daemon is down. Northern is still chuffing along happily.

And Jethryk just became our savior.

They have DR 10? Yeowch...

Sorry for the delay, was unexpectedly busy for a Monday!

Albina calls upon her energies once again, this time to heal Mi'Dre's wounds. To Shendalyn, she replies, "Unfortunately, my gifts afford me no ability to control or banish these creatures, Master Shawn."

With a twist, there appear to be two of her, and her voice takes on an echoing quality.

copycat to create one mirror image of herself for 5 rounds as a move action, channel energy to give Mi'Dre fast healing 1.5 for 1 minute.

Albina put fast healing 2 on Mi'Dre last round... so I assume that's instead directed at another.
Shendalyn still to act.

Shendalyn smiles and taunts in the creatures native tongue.

With that shendalyn drops some more bull on the daemon before taking cover around the spiral.

Standard: summon celestial aurochs.
Move: move into cover behind the spiral. Not getting breath weapons again sir, no thank you.

Aurochs:

Smite evil

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29 attack
1d8 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20 damage

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17 Crit confirm
1d8 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15 crit damage

My bad, I thought I put it on Jethryk, for some reason. Shoulda exerted the non-existent amount of effort it would have taken to scroll up before declaring that. :) Second one on Jethryk, then. It's not like we are short of people what could use healing.

Shendalyn calls forth another beast of the celestial realm, though he feels a small resistance to his will as he drags it recalcitrant into the room. It has similar success as it's kin, driving it's horns into the ceustodaemon.

The daemon growls "I shall not besmirch Vetra-Kali's good name by rising to meet your insolence little one." before putting all of his bearish weight behind his blows this time...
Bite at Aurochs: 1d20 + 13 - 3 ⇒ (12) + 13 - 3 = 22 for 2d6 + 6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 3) + 6 + 6 = 16
Claw at Aurochs: 1d20 + 13 - 3 ⇒ (18) + 13 - 3 = 28 for 1d6 + 6 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 6 = 17
Claw at Mi'Dre: 1d20 + 13 - 3 ⇒ (17) + 13 - 3 = 27 for 1d6 + 6 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 6 = 13
...dispatching it with similar ease as he did the first, before turning the second claw upon Mi'Dre.

Back to you - at work so no map. I think it should be easy enough to muddle through without one though?

Jethryk hustles forward, and takes a swing at the remaining beast.

Adamantine Greatsword: 1d20 + 14 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 14 + 1 + 2 = 25, for 2d6 + 19 + 1 ⇒ (3, 4) + 19 + 1 = 27 Adamantine Slashing damage.

Jethryk's advance is checked by snapping jaws...
AoO Bite at Jethryk: 1d20 + 13 - 3 ⇒ (8) + 13 - 3 = 18 for 2d6 + 6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 1) + 6 + 6 = 15
...though he is lucky to avoid them and instead delivers another wicked blow.

I forgot to include the +1 damage from judgement for last round, so I think I did two more damage :p

Frustrated how little his claws are managing to penetrate the daemon's hide, while taking several nasty blows himself Mi'dre happily allows Jethryk to engage the foe, backing up a step to consider his options. The thing was too large for him to try and grapple, his claws were useless... that didn't leave many options available to him. Focusing inwards he falls back on one of his lesser employed abilities, hoping he can manage to overcome the creature's robust health as he belches forth a cloud of noxious vapours.

Change judgement to +1 AC, Noxious Breath, DC 15 fort save or be sickened for 1d4 ⇒ 4 rounds.

Mi'Dre, your claws aren't useless - get back in there :-P

Jethryk certainly won't stay vertical after a full attack, so we need to take it down, fast.

A hit from another Auroch, as well as a full attack from you, should take it down. Now, to put that in character...

Jethryk frowns when he sees Mi'Dre attempting to back off.

"Don't you dare! Get back in there and finish the job, or so help me, my spirit will haunt you until Groetus' consumes the Boneyard..."

The claws are doing 1d4 damage per hit after DR :p Just trying some other options.

Heh. *I* know you are, but from Jethryk's perspective, he just rushed over to help Mi'Dre, and then saw Mi'Dre immediately respond by backing away from the fight :-P

and burp!