|
The elf's lightning bolt disrupted Nella's casting of silence, and the cleric loses the spell. She follows up with another.
The elf sorceress chuckles and forms air pistols with her thumbs and forefingers, blowing away the smoke before holstering them. "Spell duel, eh? Which of us is Voldemort and which a hapless muggle? Just hand over the key, why don't you?"
Lancyn
Fuzzfoot
---
Elf
---
Brayne
Nella
Caller
---
Half-Orc
---
Kulga
|
|
Caller of the Eastern Storm bestows a necromantic curse upon the elf thug. "My eyes! I can't see!"
The half-orc can't resist the urge to approach Brayne. Unable to defend himself, he passes by Lancyn, Caller, Fuzzfoot and Nella, before coming to a halt before the half-orc barbarian-oracle.
Map & Images
Lancyn
Fuzzfoot
---
Elf
---
Brayne
Nella
Caller
---
Half-Orc
---
Kulga
|
|
The paladin swings his sword with such power, he misses the half-orc.
But when Lancyn steps up to the blind elf, he doesn't miss her.
"You cad! You'd strike a blind woman?" The elf screams.
The half-orc can't resist the urge to approach Brayne. Unable to defend himself, he passes by Caller, Fuzzfoot and Nella, before coming to a halt before the half-orc barbarian-oracle.
Map & Images
Lancyn
Fuzzfoot
---
Elf
---
Brayne
Nella
Caller
---
Half-Orc
---
Kulga
|
|
As the half-orc answers Brayne's summons, Caller swings *whap!* Nella swings her staff, but whiffs.
Kulga can't hit the half-orc either, even after he stops in front of Brayne.
Fuzzfoot tosses a bomb at the blind woman, *kaboom!* The elf collapses in the flames, unconscious. The halfling toasts her demise with a curative draught.
The half-orc throws down his bow and raises his hands in the air. "Sheesh! I surrender already."
As the combat resolves, a 60-foot-tall construct crawls out from the ground, destroying a few nearby buildings in the process. It looks almost like a gigantic suit of plate armor, and its left arm terminates in a cannon-like weapon.
In a metallic voice, it declares but thereafter only stands, stares at the world, and reacts to no commands.
Having lost control of his bowels and bladder, the half-orc pleads for his life. "Look, we're professionals. I'd rather spend some time in prison than betray our employer."
Each of the half-orcs had three +1 flaming arrows (4 total left), a potion of cure moderate wounds, a potion of divine favor, a potion of shield of faith, and an elixir of hiding. They also had masterwork chain shirts, masterwork composite longbows (+2 Str) with 20 arrows, masterwork falchions, and 26gp each.
The elf sorceress had a scroll of fly, a scroll of gaseous form, and a scroll of levitate; she also had a masterwork longbow with 20 arrows, a spear, a cloak of resistance +1, a ring of protection +1, and 375gp.
|
A little fed up herself with the antics of the mercenaries, Nella does what she can to stabilize the ones still alive (gagging the elf if need be) and then storms over to the conscious half-orc.
"What he said! We are trying to help protect this city and you have the gall to try and slow us down," she agrees, sticking her finger in the half-orc's face. "You and your 'employer'! Now I want to hear who sent you and why! How did they even know about Gulgamodh in the first place and how did they know we'd be here looking for him??"
|
|
Nella's able to stabilize the elf, but the other half-orc is already on his way to the Boneyard.
Brayne, Nella, and Caller play bad cop-bad cop-bad cop.
"Okay, I admit that trying to steal a giant statue wasn’t our idea; a man hired us, his body covered in burn scars and smelling of unguents—a man we know as 'Torch.'"
You take your prisoners back to the Grand Lodge for further interrogation by Society specialists.
Then you report to the Sapphire and Diamond Sages that you successfully awakened Gulgamodh and fended off the thugs.
"Well done, Pathfinders. Gulgamodh will no doubt be a fearsome defender of the city," Tahonikepsu congratulates you.
Amenopheus nods. "Get some rest while you can. Who knows when the bells will sound the next alarm."
|
|
Having dealt with the chaos that ensued from the Black Echelon’s attack, the Pathfinders return to the Grand Lodge.
The sound of brass signal horns echoes across Absalom, warning the city that the enemy onslaught has begun. Sergeants of the First Guard shout warnings to attend the walls, when suddenly a second warning sounds. A messenger brings news of a second attack: “An enemy fleet is approaching from the south!” A strange mist is rising in the Flotsam Graveyard, and dozens of ships with tattered sails approach Absalom’s harbor with long-dead marines on board.
Back at the Grand Lodge, Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus addresses the Pathfinders: “You and the factions you represent have greatly helped our city; however, the worst is still to come, and Absalom needs our help! We must fight the enemy on land and at sea. Those of you who choose to bolster Absalom’s defenses against the demon-flesh army attacking from the Cairnlands to the north, report to Captain of the First Guard, Rothos of House Vastille. Those of you who choose to fight the undead armada, report to Captain Sevana Kinhan of the Wave Riders.”
|
Fuzzfoot also takes a breather and gets some healing use out of his wand.
If no one wants the cloak, Fuzzfoot will put it on. He will also hold all of the scrolls and potions that no one else claims. If anyone can use a long bow and arrows, though, there is plenty to replenish your stuff.
"Honestly, I am afraid my bombs won't be much use against demons, but if you don't want to swim, I am happy to give it a go. I have some holy water and some cold iron pellet grenades. Those will work, won't they?"
|
|
As you approach the upscale Petal District, in the distance, a brass horn sounds a warning signal. A moment later, a Captain of the First Guard shouts, "Ready for impact!"—a command that guards relay up and down the wall.
A dark swarm of thousands of strangely misshapen creatures charges, throwing themselves against the stone walls and clambering over each other to reach the top. Despite many volleys of arrows raining down and boiling oil poured on them, the stubborn fiend-flesh creatures press on. In multiple places along the ramparts, soldiers of the First Guard have to draw their swords and engage the creatures in melee. Here and there, groups of nightmarish creatures spill through the line of defense.
Thousands of creatures stitched together from strange fiendish flesh swarm the area, and despite the First Guard’s stalwart defense, small groups of the creatures stubbornly manage to slip onto the wall. It’s up to you to deal with them.
Atop the walls to the northeast, you see two lurching mash-ups of rotting flesh, jagged bone, and coarse hair, humanoid monstrosities reeking of death and decay.
Atop the walls to the southeast, you see two quivering piles of tumorous flesh, creatures leaving trails of slime as they hungrily search for sustenance.
Once atop the ramparts, the two stitched-together humanoid monstrosities move along the walls and down the stone steps.
2 medium creatures to the northeast
---
Fuzzfoot
Lancyn
Kulga
Caller
---
2 large creatures to the southeast
---
Nella
Brayne
|
|
Fuzzfoot calls up on the power to give everyone a boost of speed (+10' move rate for this encounter), and then racks his brain for what to do with these things.
"Those other things are hungry fleshes... large-sized oozes. No, really - that's what they're called? I didn't make it up!"
Fuzzy rushes forward, mixing up the ingredients for a quick bomb, and throws it at the yellow tinged ooze-beast. "Let's see if this can kill them."
|
|
Nella calls out a warning, "The creatures to the northeast are carrion golems. Certain spells and effects function differently against them. Gentle repose causes a carrion golem to become stiff and helpless ; animate dead causes the various parts of the golem’s body to shudder and tear ; and any magical attack that deals cold or fire damage slows a carrion golem."
Fuzzfoot taps the team's accelerator, giving everybody a temporary boost to their overland speed. He recognizes the carrion golems and the oozes. "A hungry flesh is an ooze, so it's immune to all mind-affecting effects . They're blind--but have the blindsight special quality)--with immunity to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight. They're also mmune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning. They're not subject to critical hits or flanking, and they don't take additional damage from precision-based attacks, such as sneak attack."
Then the halfling moves toward the southeastern wall and tosses a bomb at the yellow hungry flesh.
Caller of the Eastern Storm calls upon the Green Faith's aid and moves toward the carrion golems.
2 carrion golems to the northeast
---
Fuzzfoot
Lancyn
Kulga
Caller
---
Yellow Hungry Flesh
Red Hungry Flesh
---
Nella
Brayne
|
|
Lancyn seeing that the golems are going to advance from the North East he will step up near to Caller sword at the ready and taking a moment to study the golems he will concentrate on the one with yellow tattered clothes and determine if it be a being of evil or not.
As Lancyn draws near he begins to hear the melodic voice of a bard singing a battle hymn within the battlements. Its words seem to ring true of battle and victory. The noticable tell tale signs of inspiration seems to flood over the Pathfinders.
|
|
A Pathfinder bard nearby provides some timely inspiration, filling your hearts with courage.
Having slipped the elf sorcerer's ring of protection +1 over her pinky finger, Kulga advances toward the yellow hungry flesh, studying her intended target as she moves.
Lancyn follows Caller of the Eastern Storm to the northeast, focusing his paladin powers on the yellow carrion golem he saw descend from the city walls. He detects no evil aura emanating from the construct, but there's also a building in the way.
From atop the wall to the southeast the pair of hungry flesh slide down the stone steps, their amorphous bodies conforming to the narrow staircase, leaving a thick slime trail in their wake. The yellow ooze comes to a halt in front of Fuzzfoot and Kulga, the red one right behind it. The creatures are covered with diseased tumors and monstrous growths.
2 carrion golems to the northeast
---
Fuzzfoot
Lancyn
Kulga
Caller
---
Yellow Hungry Flesh (-7)
Red Hungry Flesh
---
Nella
Brayne
|
|
Deciding that the strange ooze-things seem to pose the bigger threat, Nella hustles over to stand next to Brayne before conjuring up another ghostly glaive to strike at Yellow!
Spells
3rd - Daylight, Dispel Magic,
2nd - Communal Protection from Evil,
1st —
0 (at will) — Create Water, Detect Magic, Guidance, Stabilize
Domain Spells
3rd - Suggestion
2nd - Aid
1st - True Strike
|
|
Feeling inspired by the nearby bard's battle-song, Nella holds high her divine focus evoking a glimmering glaive of spiritual that strikes the yellow hungry flesh. Its tumorous flesh shudders from the force of the blow, but none of the pus-filled cysts and monstrous growths burst.
Like a half-orc emerging from a Calistrian bathhouse, Brayne wraps himself in a dark towel and swaggers closer to some hungry flesh.
The carrion golems lumber toward Caller of the Eastern Storm and Lancyn. You smell them before they get within 30 feet of you. Their foul stench is gut-wrenching!
Red Carrion Golem
Yellow Carrion Golem
---
Fuzzfoot
Lancyn
Kulga
Caller
---
Yellow Hungry Flesh (-14)
Red Hungry Flesh
---
Nella
Brayne
|
|
Heaving up his lunch, Caller of the Eastern Storm withdraws from the foul-smelling flesh golems.
Kulga lays into the yellow hungry flesh with shield and axe, hammering the mass of tumors and growths to a gore-oozing pulp.
Red Carrion Golem
Yellow Carrion Golem
---
Fuzzfoot
Lancyn
Kulga
Caller
---
Red Hungry Flesh
---
Nella
Brayne
|
|
Fuzzfoot throws a bomb at the last hungry flesh. The explosion scorches its hide and its bulbous growths sizzle like bacon on a skillet. The halfling realizes that the fire suppresses the creatures ability to regenerate.
Red Carrion Golem
Yellow Carrion Golem
---
Fuzzfoot
Lancyn
Kulga
Caller
---
Red Hungry Flesh
---
Nella
Brayne
|
|
Fighting back the foul stench emanating from the golem Lancyn swallows what bile rose in his throat.
"What foul scourge brought you forth to this battlefield today?!" Lancyn bellows at yellow garbed monstrosity while also assessing its will.
Seizing his opportunity to stop this creature the paladin lashes out with his Longsword.
|
|
Swallowing bile and concentrating on the yellow carrion golem with his paladin's gaze, Lancyn detects no aura of evil in the horrid construct.
Lancyn delivers a powerful slashing blow to the stitched-together flesh with his longsword, splitting nectrotic marrow and sinew.
Red Carrion Golem
Yellow Carrion Golem
---
Fuzzfoot
Lancyn
Kulga
Caller
---
Red Hungry Flesh
---
Nella
Brayne
|
|
Nella mentally directs her ghostly glaive to move and strike at the Red pile of flesh and takes a quick, shuffling step to the side and produces her trusty wand. She waves it in an arc, attempting to encompass all of her companions with it.
"Probably the best investment I've made to date," she laughs.
______________