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Thael never could figure out how Emil got animals to do whatever he wanted--it wasn't magic, but something else.
He nods and steers clear of the area. "If you say so," he says, though he keeps spells at the ready, just in case.
The wizard responds to Caspan. "I do think we should disable ti ballista before we leave this place, but for now I believe we should prioritize moving quickly. They are unlikely to utilize it on us," he says.
Wren just wanted to let the kitty. She’d love to have an animal friend like Emil made so easily. But as this one could tear her apart, she moves away and listens to him. She smiles at the animal as she moved away. Maybe one day, she wished.
Emil's word is accurate and the cougar doesn't pounce on you as you move past, but it still stays vigilant and watches your every step.
Pushing into the room to the south, you find broken blades and rent breastplates—all in desperate need of repair—lie in orderly stacks near a warm, glowing forge. A mostly disassembled suit of plate barding stands on two sawhorses in the western corner of the room. Two doors exit this room: one to the northeast and another in an alcove to the east.
As Caspan moves in, he finds three enemies waiting for him. In the far corner, hidden behind barrels is the hobgoblin archer from earlier. A more immediate concern however, is a large brawny female goblin goblin standing adjacant to a squat, reptilian monster that has eight legs, bony spurs jutting from its back, and eyes that glow with pale green fire.
Wren casts Haste to get the party started!
Regarding the ballista, Emil observes quietly, "Might be useful if'n we end up fightin' a dragon 'r usin' the fort as a base."
Emil tries to get a glimpse of the lizard, concerned it might be some kind of magical beast rather than just a large animal. Not knowing much about arcane things, he instead looks for indications it is in fact just an animal.
He motions Pila to back up with him and then casts spiritual weapon so that he can attack the enemies without being up front. He directs the first arrow of force from a replica of Erastil's bow at the goblin.
Selde unloaded arrow after arrow at the female hobgoblin thanks to Wren's magic.
Basilisks live in nearly any terrestrial environment, from forest to desert, and their hides tend to match and reflect their surroundings—a desert-dwelling basilisk might be tan or brown, while one that lives in a forest could be bright green. They tend to make their lairs in caves, burrows, or other sheltered areas, and these dens are often marked by statues of people and animals in lifelike poses—the petrified remains of those unfortunate enough to stumble across the basilisk.
Basilisks have the ability to consume the creatures they petrify, their churning stomach acid dissolving and extracting nutrients from the stone, but the process is slow and inefficient, making them lazy and sluggish. As a result, basilisks rarely stalk prey or chase those who avoid their gaze, counting on their stealth and the element of surprise to keep them safe and fed. When not lying in wait for the small mammals, birds, and reptiles that normally make up their diet, basilisks spend their time sleeping in their lairs, and those brave enough to capture basilisks or hide treasure near them find that they make natural guardians and watchdogs.
HP 57/64
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 17, CMD 23 (+2 vs. dirty trick; +3 vs. trip); 25% chance to negate criticals
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +3 (+1 resistance bonus to recover from a continuing effect)
Unbreakable Survivor (9 hp) 0/1
Martial Flexibility 1/6; knockout (DC 17) 0/1
Effects: Deflect Arrows 7/10, haste
Unsure exactly what the creature with the glowing eyes is, Caspan decides it's probably more of a threat than a goblin, and sets out to solve it the best way he knows how -- with his fists. Imbued with Wren's spell, he puts them to use, pounding the thing in the face over and over.
Emil's weapon hits, though just barely, injuring the goblin. Thael's spell hits, but it isn't able to push the creature back nor is it able to knock it to the ground.
All of Selde's arrows land and do some massive damage to the goblin, but it seems to have a resistance to her arrows and good portion of her damage isn't reflected in the creatures wounds.
Thael's body turns to stone before he can relate the dangers of the creature to his companions. Fortunately for the party however, Caspan seems to be unaffected by the gaze attack and makes short work of the creature with four solid strikes that pummel it into the ground.
The creature strikes out three times at Caspan, barely missing twice and connecting only once with a claw. . From the far side of the room, the archer behind the barrels sneaks in a shot that embeds into Caspan's bicep.
HP 48/64
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 17, CMD 23 (+2 vs. dirty trick; +3 vs. trip); 25% chance to negate criticals
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +3 (+1 resistance bonus to recover from a continuing effect)
Unbreakable Survivor (9 hp) 0/1
Martial Flexibility 1/6; knockout (DC 17) 0/1
Effects: Deflect Arrows 8/10, haste
"Wait your turn!" Caspan calls to the archer as he swats away the arrow before turning his attention to the nearby goblin . He takes a step in toward the archer, but keeps his attention turned on the goblin.
Back facing something with just two legs, he knocks it to the ground and then starts kicking.
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When Wren saw her friend turn into stone, she made a point to not look at any of the enemies. She’d heard rumors of such types of creatures before, but she’d never actually encountered ken. She moved to the back side of Thael’s stony corpse, using it as cover from the archers.
Taking care to not look at the enemies, she casts Bless, helping those braver than her to try and finish the bad guys. ”Keep me updated,” she called out.
Emil identifies enough of the beast to know to look away before meeting the creature's gaze. Too late he sees that Thael was affected by the beasts horrid magic. He hopes Erastil can provide a spell to reverse the effect. Then he remembers there is a way to reverse the process with the blood of the beast, but he waits to focus on that when the fight was over.
Emil spins as he moves, pretty agile for an old farmer, until he gets into the room with Caspan, grateful that the basilisk is dead or dying.
He finds the space a little cramped for the best use of his scythe, but his spiritual weapon fires another force arrow at the goblin, unhampered by the close quarters.
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"THAEL!" Selde shouted as she rained arrows on the large lizard.
Selde's arrows penetrate into the body of the basilisk and prove too much for it to handle. Blood pours from its body as it collapses on the ground, bleeding out.
Nearby, Caspan trips the goblin and lands one follow-up punch, but both don't do the damage he'd like to see. Emil scythe misses, but the magical weapon not only lands a strike, it seemingly doesn't seem affected by the extra defenses of the creature.
The goblin stands up in front of Caspan and tries to bite the brawler, but misses. The archer lobs another arrow towards Caspan, but he misses as well.
[dice=Arrow!]1d20+6/dice]
Emil makes eye contact with Caspan and then looks to the far side of the goblin, hoping the brawler picks up on the hint to flank the goblin. Emil delays his attack until Caspan attacks, hoping together they can finish this guy off.
Emil can't remember ever seeing a goblin attempt to bite someone in combat, so he begins to wonder if this might be something else in disguise.
[Add +2 if Caspan moves to flank.]
If this finishes off the goblin, Emil will direct the SW to attack the Hobgoblin archer (move action). Otherwise the SW attacks the goblin.
For the SW attack roll, see Option 1 spoiler.
Wren delays, still using stony Thael as a cover from whatever was turning people to stone.
HP 48/64
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 17, CMD 23 (+2 vs. dirty trick; +3 vs. trip); 25% chance to negate criticals
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +3 (+1 resistance bonus to recover from a continuing effect)
Unbreakable Survivor (9 hp) 0/1
Martial Flexibility 1/6; knockout (DC 17) 0/1
Effects: Deflect Arrows 9/10, haste
Caspan moves around the goblin, and continues trying to beat it into a bloody pulp, knocking it to the floor and kicking it again.
With the basilisk down, Selde turned her attention back to the goblins. Now desperate to end the fight as quickly as possible to tend to her brother.
"Basilisk is down!" Emil calls out as the steps over its body to give room for Pila join the fight. "And 'ware this thing," he adds, swinging his scythe at it again. "It's too tough ta be a goblin!"
He takes another swing with his scythe and the force bow of Erastil fires another arrow at the 'goblin' as well.
Pila tries to bite the 'goblin.'
Emil's words are on point. As the party begins to focus their fire on the "goblin", it quickly succumbs in a serious of blows from Emil, his magic and Selde's arrows. The creature falls to the ground, transforming into a four-legged canine beast with slender front limbs that look like hands more than that of an animal.
With the creature motionless on the ground, only the hobgoblin behind the barrels remains. From behind the covered wood, it fires another arrow at Caspan, but misses again.
64
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 17, CMD 23 (+2 vs. dirty trick; +3 vs. trip); 25% chance to negate criticals
Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +3 (+1 resistance bonus to recover from a continuing effect)
Unbreakable Survivor (9 hp) 0/1
Martial Flexibility 1/6; knockout (DC 17) 0/1
Effects: haste
Forgetting his plans to deflect any arrows coming his way , Caspan rushes over and scrambles up on top of the barrels, shoving the remaining hobgoblin to knock him over.
At finally hearing that the stoning threat is done, Shel begins making her way toward the scrum, really to support if needed.
Emil walks toward the hobgoblin, anger smoldering in his eyes. He directs the bow of Erastil to show the begger what the lord of the bow can do with the sacred weapon and sends another arrow of pure magical force at him. Pila stalks closer, on Emil's heels, ready to pounce if directed to.
After the arrow punctures the enemy and then vanishes, leaving a bloody hole, Emil says, "Mebbe ya'd like ta save yer skin in exchange fer tellin' us a bit about where yer buddies are stationed?"
At finally hearing that the stoning threat is done, Shel begins making her way toward the scrum, really to support if needed.
The hobgoblin does not concede and fires another painfully poor shot at Caspan that the brawler simply swipes away. Laying on the ground beneath him with magical weapons attacking him and Selde attacking from across the room, it's only a short time before his futile attempts at survival are quashed.
The fallen hobgoblin has a fervor juice, smokesticks (2), thunderstones (2, +1 chain shirt, composite longbow (+3 Str), mwk light pick, mwk, longsword, cloak of resistance +1, backpack, belt pouch, blanket, flint and steel, holly and mistletoe, mess kit, spell component pouch, tindertwigs (5), trail rations (5), waterskin, 11 gp
The not-goblin barghest is wearing a strange bronze, serpentine bracelet.
”What are going to do about poor Thael?! I’ve never seen a creature that could do that before. That’s so scary,” she inquired of the group.
"Wren," Father Emil calls out as he looks down at the many-legged creature that turned Thael to stone. "Do you recognize what this beast is? We may be able to help Thael if we can identify it properly. I jus' know it isn't an animal."
Know. Arcana
As the last foe fell, Selde leapt off Nur and ran to her statue of a brother. "Thael!" She screamed as she attempted to tend to him.
"You want to what? Pour its blood on the elf? That seems pretty gross -- probably get him disinterest, like when you drink bad water -- but I guess he's stoned already, so ... can't get any worse?"
Caspan shrugs and pushes his favorite assmar aside so he can wring the corpse out on the elf-statues. "Sorry, Selde, you don't want to get any of this on you, or you'll probably get disinterest too. And that girl of yours probably won't like that if you start defenestrating blood!"
Wren stakes two big steps back, watching Caspan throwing blood all over everything. She hoped Emil was correct and this would help Thael, but she couldn’t be a part of it.
As Emil predicted, pouring the blood over the stoned elf causes the stone skin to transform back into flesh once more. The process takes a couple of minutes to restore him completely, but when they are done Thael's flesh looks normal once again (except of course for the fact that it is covered in blood that is).
Selde gave her brother a tight hug, leaving most of her front slick with blood. "Don't scare me like that!" She chided in Elvish.
"Well, that's a new look for you both," Caspan observes with a shrug. "Maybe you can just march in, disrepresent yourselves as hobgoblins and ask them all to leave."
"Let's go deal with the building across the courtyard next," the brawler suggests.
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Thael blinks and then shouts. "It's a basilisk! Don't look at its--oh," he says as he realizes what happened.
He can hear his grandfather's chastisement for his stupidity, his slowness to react. He returns Selde's hug tentatively, not realizing all she had gone through.
"Who knew what to do?" he asks, realizing he's coated in the monster's blood.
Heading back outside, you sneak across the courtyard quickly to the building on the east. Pushing on the door, you find it locked, barred or otherwise blocked and it does not budge.
"Probably someone locked themselves in there," Caspan says. "Want me to break it down?"