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Before 42 can finish his spell, the ooze-mist is cut/pummeled down by Sue and Exiel.
The chest next to the pallet is unlocked and contains a few changes of clothes, as well as a scroll of age resistance.
Apart from the door you came from, there are three more doors. One leads West, two others lead South. The Southward door closer to the West hangs open on bent hinges and bears huge gashes on its splintered surface. The other 2 are locked, but open with the same key that you used to open the door you came in by.
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"That looks rather nasty, Alden. Sue, would you be able to see if there's anything you can do to help him? I myself lack the aptitude, but I have some magic that may help you in that endeavour."
Exiel casts heroism and guidance on Sue, then calls forth Lucien.
"Lucien, you're a bird, perhaps you can offer some perspective from the point of view of an eye-pecking avian?" he says with forced levity.
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42 aid where he can. 42 then picks up the scroll of Age Resistance and passes it to Exiel. "This may also help Alden, since he is somewhat past his prime now."
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Exiel looks at the scroll doubtfully.
"If I read the scroll, the spell will get cast on me. Alden will need to be able to read the scroll himself if he is to get the benefit of it. Unfortunately, that's just how the spell works."
He channels a little more positive energy into himself, then takes a deep breath and points at the battered door.
"That door looks like it has something interesting going on beyond it. Shall we take a look?"
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Exiel nods. "Thanks, 42 and Sue. It's been a long while since I've been this tapped out of resources. This place is really taking its toll on us."
Exiel expends a few charges from the wands, then turns to look at the doors. When they're ready to go, he will cast shield on himself before proceeding through the broken door (assuming no one has another preference).
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42 looks at the broken door, "I know what you mean. I feel like I've been sapped of most of my vigor and left with half of what I usually am. I'll be glad when we can get out of this place" He fondles the rune stone that the Venture Captain gave the group. "I might not be the all powerful magus that i was when we came in here. But, I'll give them hell until we are out of here." He says as he points his scimitar at the broken door. "Once more into the breach dear friends?"
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As you head down the passage, you see light pouring into the passage from around a right-ward bend. Two deep booming voices are having a discussion in the room beyond. From the language, tone and volume, you suspect they may be giants much like the one you fought in the first tunnel you travelled through in this place.
Unforunately, although the light from Constantin's ring allows you to see in the darkness, it also announces your presence. One of the voices suddenly becomes noticeably more agitated, and you hear a heavy thudding footstep.
As you get around the bend in the passage, you see the remains of a giant wooden statue, carved to resemble a stooped and ancient beldame, lying broken and scattered across the floor of this chamber. A set of massive iron double doors stands in the Western wall, their faces engraved with a procession of humanoid figures. At the top of the doors, the figures are young women in the bloom of youth, but as the parade continues down the doors, the figures age, turning into pregnant matrons, stooped crones, and finally, at the bottom of the doors, into capering skeletons that vanish into a gaping hole in the ground.
Before the large iron doors are two massive giant figures, massive greataxes held ready.
Initiative Order - Round 1
42
Alden
Frank
Exiel
Sue
Frodo
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42 rounds the corner, holding his Scimitar, and sees the two big Uglies. "Good day Gentlemen, Would you be obliged to let us pass freely?"
42 is ready to cast Scorching Ray
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One of the giants bellows at 42 in a foreign tongue as he slams a heavy fist on the large double doors behind him. He then lumbers forward. He moves slowly but his strides are large, and he covers the ground between himself and 42 rapidly, but not before the magus nails him twice with scorching rays of fire to the chest. The rime-covered flesh blisters and cracks at the sudden heat, but the behemoth endures the pain and swings his massive greataxe at 42.
Alden pulls 42 out of the way, though the giant's swing is half-assed and you get the impression that it would not have penetrated 42's borrowed armour even if Alden had not intervened.
Initiative Order - Round 1
42
Alden
Frank
--------------------resolved
Exiel
Sue
Frodo
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The first giant takes a swing at Exiel as he moves in.
It looks like he is just about to get past Exiel's magical shield, but Alden pulls him out of harm's way before the blow connects. Exiel responds with a stab at the giant. The giant avoid the forward-thrust, not realising that Exiel was aiming to attack with a back-pull using the hook on his lance, and he hollers in pain as Exiel's hook gouges a good amount of flesh from his side.
Sue casts a spell from her wand and enters the fray, though with Exiel having moved where she had intended, she adjusts her trajectory to find a place at his side.
The second giant comes charging up towards Exiel and swings with his greataxe as well.
Once again, Exiel is saved by Alden's intervention.
Initiative Order - Round 2
--------------------resolved
42
Alden
Frank
Exiel
Sue
Frodo
42 and Alden are up.
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The giants roar in alarm as the ball of fire explodes behind them and washes over them.
The confined area provides little cover to hide behind for the large creatures, and they take the full force of the blast. They bellow in agony as more of their rime-covered flesh blacken under the heat, and the first of them collapses to the ground.
Initiative Order - Round 2
42
--------------------resolved
Alden
Frank
Exiel
Sue
Frodo
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Alden gets ready to aid his fellow. Exiel sinks his lance into the giant's thigh and Sue swings furiously at the giant but is only able to connect once.
The giant roars furiously. With 42 out of his reach, he decides to go for Exiel.
Exiel's shield shudders as the giant's battleaxe rapidly smashes against it twice, but it holds and keeps the giant's axe from sinking into his flesh.
Initiative Order - Round 3
--------------------resolved
42
Alden
Exiel
Sue
Frodo
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Alden will take a move action to use Authoritative Command, yelling out the weak spots on the giant and helping his allies land their attacks.
He will then take another total defense action, giving his allies +11 AC against up to three attacks.
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The giant falls to the combined assault by Sue Basilbottom and Exiel Jaeger.
There is not much to loot from the giants unless you are interested in trying to use oversized greataxes.
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"Sounds like this giant caused quite a stir when he pounded on those double doors earlier. There's some commotion behind those doors. We should probably go in ready to fight a small army of giants or some ridiculous ally of theirs..."
Exiel will cast mirror image and corruption resistance on himself, then just before opening the door, he will cast divine favour and have Lucien cast protection from evil on Exiel from his ioun stone before changing into tattoo form.
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Exiel gives his battle cry and flings the doors open.
Beyond the doors lies a vast natural cavern that is drowned in darkness, lit only by the light from Constantin's ring, though the light only reaches far enough that you can see that the cavern extends further to the South beyond what is illuminated by the ring and your low light vision.
To the South-West, you can see the edge of a ring of towering black basalt menhirs surround a great gaping pit torn into the cavern floor. Spiraling runes etched in white chalk cover the faces of the standing stones, which are painted with what appears to be fresh blood (as experienced Pathfinders I take it that you've seen enough freshly spilt blood to know it when you see it). The bodies of two frost giants lie on the floor outside the ring. A border of countless skulls, both human and animal, surrounds the pit. A break in the border forms an entrance leading to the edge of the pit. There, a flight of stone steps carved into the perimeter descends into the abyss. The air above the pit seems to waver and ripple as if from heat, though there is no discernible change in temperature.
Slowly circling the perimeter of the stone ring trots a fierce-looking centaur carrying a great warhammer, his hirsute body drenched head to hoof in blood. He sneers at Exiel as he finishes an incantation, and all four of you feel a wave of evil energy wash over you.
If you are Alden or Sue, you each take 14 points of damage for being a pair of goody-two-shoes and are sickened for 3 rounds. A DC 19 Will save negates the sickened effect and halves the damage.
If you are 42, you take 7 points of damage for not caring that much about the world, DC 19 save for half damage.
If you are Exiel, you take 25 points of damage for liking to play overpowered races, and are sickened for 3 rounds. A DC 19 Will save negates the sickened effect and halves the damage. So basically you take 13 points of damage since you can't fail this save.
Initiative Order - round 1
--------------------resolved
Exiel
Charlie
Sue
Alden
42