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Kalum considers carefully. Abadar was not renowned as a merciful god - if this were a criminal enterprise, he was duty bound to end it. On the other hand, Abadar did allow making peace - peace being better than war was, after all, one of his major 'friendly' arguments with Gorum.
"Peace!" he says confidently, striding forward with outstretched hand.
The gnoll chokes as Vanedar grips his neck, hunching and avoiding Vanedar's eye contact, plainly submissive. "Yes, yes we go. Of course, but-"
Cut off by Kith's declaration, the gnoll's eyes widen. You can practically hear the disbelief. Dandy and puppies kill flying beast? No, must have been warrior. Looking up to Vanedar, the gnoll continues his groveling.
"Slayer of Flying Terrors, we run from it, hide here. Rune on door kill Tarket, we put body over cliffside, hide. Go down hallway..."
An involuntary shudder spasms across the gnoll's body, shaking Vanedar's hand...
Vanedar releases the gnoll, shoving him back slightly. "Speak! What else do you know about this place?"
The gnoll coughs, rubbing his throat. "Up passage to left, big cave. Filled with rocks and water. Rocks and water come to life, rock dog and water fish. Kill Snarls and Peck. We run."
"Other side, to right, stairs go up to room like a volcano, hot with lava. Fire horse and air bird attack us there. Nefter died. We run."
"Middle passage, we no go down. Too many dead to risk anything else."
The gnoll looks to Vanedar, a glimmer of hope crossing its canine face. "All I know. You make safe, we trade bad story in good faith. Go now?"
Kith shrugs. Might as well. Less bother that way.
Vanedar just growls, nodding quickly, His knuckles whiten on his axe as the gnolls pass through.
"Let's get going. Right-hand rule."
The beasts described what sound like elementals. I believe we are looking for something that would be found deep would it not?
Regarding your purpose, the important text:
“The object I require is a large gemstone with a series of shifting hieroglyphs glowing within it. If you can read the hieroglyphs, you will note they represent a number that appears to be counting down. Keleri’s text refers to this gemstone as a ‘countdown clock,’ but other than the rumors of it being hidden in Tular Seft’s tomb, we know little about its specific location within."
Right, on our way, Zeva says picking herself up off the floor. I dont like elementals. Hard to kill and they dont much like talking. Not to me anyway.
Kalum steps aside to let the gnolls past. "Onwards it is!"
Are we going with a specific order? Maybe Zeva first for trap spotting? I will follow closely.
Day 6, mid-morning
The surviving gnolls, now merely a remnant of their previous tribe, make their way from the tomb, and you venture further in. Shortly after the hidden entrance, the tunnel bends sharply northeast, and you pass a stairway made of rough-hewn stairs leading down into the darkness. The sounds of water running can be heard beyond where your eyes can see.
Staying to the main pathway, you encounter a fork in the passage, and cut to the right, this time finding another stairway, this one leading upwards, cutting again to your right, and made of red and white tiles.
The stairs emerge onto a small landing before an almost spherical room. This chamber appears to be a tribute to air and fire, with a high, domed ceiling and bowl-shaped floor. Small lava flows trickle from the walls to collect in a pool below, from which a column of smoke pours up to roil against the ceiling above.
Round One
The temperature rises drastically as you approach the room, becoming uncomfortably hot. As you step into the room, the very stuff of the room coalesces into creatures. Among a lava stream, 20 feet in front of Zeva, a burning horse with spines along its back rises. Flying, to your southeast, a misty vulture forms...
Zeva
Air Elemental
Kith
Kalum
Fire Elemental
Vanedar
On the map, the red oval is the fire elemental, the white circle is the air elemental.
Zeva is up!
Kith racks his brains to think of whatever he would know about elementals.
"Damnation!" Kalum sighs "Another flying creature. I'll focus on that, I suppose."
I knew it, blood and guts, I hate fire! Zeva says pointing in their direction as she draws an arrow and her bow. After letting an arrow fly, Zeva hustles out of the way of the others so they aren't bound up in the doorway.
Not sure if Zeva gets any sneaky damage against elementals. :sad face: Not sure if there is really anyplace to stand not on a ledge, so if there isn't Zeva will withdraw from the room into the hallway.
Round One
Zeva's arrow punches into the fire elemental and instantly turns to ash, but not before the goblin has retreated into the hall. The Air Elemental surges forward, and as it closes, the air around you whips into a frenzy; blowing your hair and clothes about. The elemental stops just beyond the edge of the ledge, 10 feet above you. A strong gust of wind punches into Vanedar, busting the barbarian's lip and rattling the Gorumite's brain.
Zeva
Air Elemental
Kith
Kalum
Fire Elemental
Vanedar 5
Kalum pushes through his friends, coming to the very edge of the ledge to glower down at their enemies.
With a grunted word he calls up the Wrath of Abadar's, and flings it at the fire elemental.
1 action: Left, left, left-up
2 actions: Directed greater channel fort half DC 18
Kith, as a starting move hurls a chunk of fallen masonry at the fire elemntal
Round One
The fiery horse ducks under Kith's flying rubble, charging forward and leaping onto the ledge effortlessly. The elemental vibrates as Abadar's wrath runs through it, and then a tendril of fire shoots from the elemental, lancing into Kalum, and lighting the priest's clothes on fire...
Zeva
Air Elemental
Kith
Kalum 17 + 8 persistent fire damage
Fire Elemental
Vanedar 5
Vanedar hefts his axe and screams "Gorum!" His voice echoes through the cavern, even over the sounds of battle.
He chops down on the fiery horse twice, frosty breath mixing the flames of the elemental.
Stepping a little closer Zeva switches out weapons to the close quarters variety and prepares to re-enter the fray.
Spending all actions on switching out and shifting.
Round 2
The Bold may act:
Zeva 7
Air Elemental
Kith
Kalum 17 + 8 persistent fire damage
Fire Elemental
Vanedar 5
The air eagle slips backwards as easily as it moves forwards, a gust of wind buffeting Zeva, blackening the goblin's eye, as the eagle hovers just out of reach...
[
Two acts to cast
Phantom Pain
Pain wracks the target, dealing 1d4 mental damage and 1d4 persistent mental damage. The target must attempt a Will saving throw.
Success Full damage, but no persistent damage and the spell ends immediately.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Failure Full damage, and the target is sick 1. If the target recovers from being sick, its persistent mental damage ends as well and the spell ends.
Critical Failure Per failure, but the target is sick 2.
Heightened (+1) The damage increases by 2d4 and the persistent damage by 1.
Kith reaches out to the seemingly more dangerous fire with his occult powers and forces it to feel pain.
1 action: Try to put out fire
2 actions: Directed greater channel damage: fort half DC 18
Kalum whimpered, calling upon Abadar to save him from incineration - and when that didn't work he called upon Abadar for vengeance upon the Elemental!
Round Two
Smoke rises from the fire horse as Kith and Kalum's magics wrack it. Three quick tendrils of fire shoot from the creature, striking at Zeva and Vanedar. Only the first lands, lighting Vanedar's prodigious beard on fire...
Zeva 7
Air Elemental
Kith
Kalum 31 + 2d4 persistent fire damage
Fire Elemental
Vanedar 17 + 2d4 persistent fire damage
plus
Realizing how far she stepped in Zeva commits to fighting the burning mass of living fire, hissing and growling the whole time as she summons the courage to stand the heat.
Assuming I can't backstabe elementals so 1d6+2 not included in results above
1 action:
2 actions to cast Heal 2, on himself.
Kalum's voice starts to go hoarse as he desperately prays around the pain - this time for Abadar's healing blessing. Burned flesh reknits - but the fire still burns.
Vanedar ignores the flames. They are the least of his worries right now.