"Do we deal with the spirit first or rescue its prisoner?" Toni asks the group.
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Talon charges up and grabs Rasgraton by the collar and attempts to drag him to safety. When Rasgraton doesn't move as much as an inch Talon stops and stares down at him in disbelief. He reaches down and tries to gently shake the big Oread awake. Placing his hand on Rasgraton's forhead and feeling nothing but lifeless stone he drops to his knees with a sob, "Ah lad, forgive me. I was too late and the buggers sucked you dry." He remains kneeling on the cold stone floor sobbing, tears running down his face into his beard.
Gilderoy just stares at the stony form in front of them, his hands shaking. "I hate bugs...I hate them..."
Walking slowly over to Talon, he puts a hand on his friend's shoulder. "He's gone. And we...must continue until we finish the task that was started." The slow speaking of the sorcerer hides anyone who is not looking at his face. Those who see his face can see the slow fall of bitter tears.
"Ay, the children are still missing." Talon will heave himself to his feet and angrily wipe the tears from his eyes. "Just rest here a while laddie, I'll be back."
"Watch yourselves if that ghostly bastard stops playing. Music calms stirges so if the music stops we may see a bunch of them."
What have you gotten yourself into this time Thran? You had to be a damn fool and check out the haunted prison all by yourself didn't you? Now your chained up by this madman for gods know what reason and worse then that you have to listen to that awful organ music! Has that thing ever been tuned?
He raises his head from feeling sorry for himself and sees a female warrior, a dwarf warrior, an orc warrior, a young girl, and a thin young man.
What is this here now, a tour group? Perhaps the boy and girl are related and they hired these mercenary's to walk them through the haunted prison. Well if that's the case maybe they will jail break me and I will tell them they want no part of this adventure! I don't care how much money they paid their muscle! I just gotta keep quite so maybe they can sneak up on this guy and get me out of here.
Thran sees our heros just as described. Thran has also been chained up here long enough to know two things. Which are these:
Gabbi falls over the fallen body of and starts to cry "He's stone, I know of any magics that can bring him back."
"We can mourn our fallen later," Toni says, trying not to expose any emotion. "Right now, there's someone who needs our help...and those girls to think of."
"Toni is right, justice first. Come now, take up arms and strike down the monster." Gur charges ahead to face the new threat.
O-tay! On the 'harrowstone' map you will now see a large room (the room beyond T1.) I flipped Talon and Toni upside down and don't know how, and can't turn them back right side up, so you two will be fighting while standing on your heads I guess. Sorry. Gur is running toward the Piper (that big ghost on the left side of the map. That thing he's sitting at is an opulent Organ.) And our new hero is trapped there in a cage in the center of the room. No need to roll initiative or perception. This is obvious combat pbp:) Gur your charge does not count as a round 1 move. You have full actions available.
START COMBAT
ROUND 1
Actions available for
Gur
Gild
Talon
Gabi
Ras
Antoni
Monster
Seeing Gur head for the ghost, Toni heads for the cage, looking for a way to free its occupant.
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You see a rusty lock. Looks like it would go with a large skeleton key. DC25 break.
Talon will turn over and move forward.
Seeing Gur head for the ghost, Toni heads for the cage, looking for a way to free its occupant.
[dice=Perception]1d20
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Thank the gods your here! I can't take much more organ music. I would have plunged a dagger in my own own ears days ago except for. The man rattles his chains at his savior.I am Thran Torkund by the way, and you are just simply beautiful!
As toni reaches for the lock she hears a rattling. And not just Thran's chains. The entire cage shutters, and then rises up into the air supported by it's own coiling animated chain appendages. It lashes out with those appendages at Toni and attempts to trip her:
VS 17 Plop. Toni falls down!
At that same moment the Piper at the organ hammers the keys and a horrid dissonant chord blasts from the most massive of pipes...
The terrible sound paralyzes Gild and Talon (as the hold person spell). You can still speak, but can't cast any spells. Then the Piper of Illmarsh rises from the organ, which continues to blow the terrible chord, and moves toward Talon...
.
.
.
ROUND 1
Actions available for
Gur
Gild (who can only make witty jokes)
Gabi
Thran
Antoni (has a standard action remaining but is on her butt)
Time for some.
Countersong (Su): At 1st level, a bard learns to counter
magic effects that depend on sound (but not spells that
have verbal components). Each round of the countersong
he makes a Perform (keyboard, percussion, wind, string,
or sing) skill check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard
(including the bard himself ) that is affected by a sonic or
language-dependent magical attack may use the bard’s
Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after
the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves
to be higher. If a creature within range of the countersong
is already under the effect of a noninstantaneous sonic
or language-dependent magical attack, it gains another
saving throw against the effect each round it hears the
countersong, but it must use the bard’s Perform skill
check result for the save. Countersong does not work
on effects that don’t allow saves. Countersong relies on
audible components.
Thran sings as loud as he can to negate the organ. The song is sung in Draconic if you are familiar.
The Piper of Illmarsh glares at Thran. Shut up you fool! This is EXACTLY why I chained you up in there if the first place!!
Gild balls his hand into a fist, opening it again with a flourish as though he were covering himself with a powder as a magical barrier forms over his skin.
The young man then books his way around behind the pillars, knowing that this craziness will only end when the organist stops playing.
Gur double moves to help flank the ghost with his scythe drawn.
AoO miss
Gabi can tell us what she does Round 1 when she posts later.
round1 Summary,
-the ghost played the organ and tried to paralyze you all but...
-Thran starting singing in draconic, which helped a lot. Pissed the ghost off though.
-Gilderoy, empowered by the song, shrugged off paralysis and cast mage armor, and moved to a better spot.
-Gur ran up on the ghost ready to kill kill kill.
-While all this was going on, Antoni tired to free Thran but the Cage came alive and tripped her. She got up dodging the slam attack from the cage.
END ROUND 1
START ROUND 2
Actions available for
Gur
Gild
Gabi
Thran
Antoni
Talon
MONSTERSSSS!!!
Talon nods his appreciation to the stranger, "Thanks lad, I thought I was bear bait for a moment there."
He'll take a 5'step and designate the ghost as his ranger focus +2 for the day
"Stand back, Mr. Torkund," Toni warns as she brings her sword around to attack the cage.
;
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Talon's blade slices through thin air, right through the creature. His sword chinks down on the stone floor. Then he remembers:
Keep singing 2 of 9 used
"Aw crap."
He'll drop his greatsword and quickdraw a +1 ghost touch arrow to use as a dagger. (improvised weapon -4 to hit, damage 1d4+3(x2)).
Gur attempts to slash this ghostly apparition with his scythe.
Knowing the haunt siphon won't work on a powerful haunt she moves closer waiting for Gur or someone else to hit.
Gilderoy books it, focused on nothing more than getting into position to fry the enemy.
"When I say the word, Talon, get out of the way. We'll be seeing in a minute if ghosts fry!"
Sweat has begun to drop off the young man's brow. Bruised, battered, and his clothing on the border of being ruined, the corpse pale sorcerer appears as though he's ready to reap his revenge on all the beings causing the group & the town such immense pain.
Gur does hit, and the being reels. As Gabi opens the siphon there is a spiritual wind that begins sucking at the Piper's being. He turns away from you and begins clawing at the air, his eyes grow big as saucers. Finally the haunt siphon is full and Gabi caps it. The ghost turns back around, angrier than ever...
Monsters turn!!
The chains reach into the cage itself and wrap around Thran's neck. [ooc]A CMB attack VS Tran's CMD -dex bonus because of the shackles! If successful I do not think the bard could sing until he wrestles his way free. . It is choking you!!!
The piper raises his arms high into the air. The organ music get's louder, a blasting hornlike horror of a sound.
Toni, Gabi, Gur and Gild are ALL PARALYZED! Funny jokes only...
END ROUND 2
START ROUND 3
Actions available for
Gur (jokes)
Gild (jokes)
Gabi (jokes)
Thran (needs a CMD check to wrestle free of the chains.)
Antoni (jokes)
Talon
MONSTERSSSS!!!
"This is just really getting old! Someone smash that organ!" Gild yells at, truly and deeply frustrated at his lack of mental strength against the "music."
there is my CMB
Talon growls, "To hell with you."
He'll quickdraw an undead bane arrow and attack.
Thran wrestles the chains free, all paralyzed chars are free again and can take actions.
The ghost looks weak. The Scythe slash and the haunt siphon seemed to have their expected effect.
Gilderoy's hands are wreathed in a sickly green flame, his eyes growing hard as he stares at the ghosts. Stepping around to keep his friends out of the effect, the young sorcerer lets loose a wave of fire.
The piper of Illmarsh ia a haunt. I don't think he get's saving throws. Instead, he's incorporeal, meaning half damage from this particular kind of spell.
Piper: AAAAhhhhhh!!!
As the haunt fades the Organ music finally ceases. The chains animating the cage fall limp and Thran's shackels fall off (cage is still locked tough). Gabi now has a full haunt siphon too, though I've no idea what one does with such a thing.
You have banished THE PIPER OF ILLMARSH one of the five terrible haunts of harrowstone.
congratulations.
Talon picks up the various weapons he dropped during combat. Glancing at Rasgraton's stony visage, "I can't say I feel much like celebratin'"
Toni whacks at the lock with her sword until it finally gives, taking careful aim each time.
Six hard blows later, Toni manages to bust the lock off the cage and opens the door. "I reiterate my request for a sticky-fingered thief."
Ahem. I have been know to have sticky fingers.
"Good," Toni says bluntly. "Then we are fortunate to have found each other. I have no idea how long you've been here and I am sure you'd like nothing more than to leave, but we must ask for your help. Two children were abducted and brought to this place. We need to find them. We have also lost a friend of ours. Will you help us?"
I would truly love too really. But I really need to leave to tell professor Lormiar what is going on here then I will come right back.
"Ah...well, you see...Would someone else like to tell him?" Toni asks, clearly uncomfortable.