Arbaro gleefully grabs a fruit and heads up.
Brag follows the others taking fruit for himself as he goes.
"Sounds like a good plan Thurl," Lem says while grabbing a fruit.
Then proceeds to head up the path
As you near the steps before the Cleansing Chamber, you hear a voice cry out, "Human flesh, my favorite!" and three arrows come flying out of the second story balcony at Bragoleb.
You see a ghoul with bows and arrows crouch and ready to fight you off from the walkway above near the doors to the upper story of the Cleansing chamber.
Round One
Bragoleb is up
"Duck! We are under fire!"
Bragoleb detects evil.
Then he launches a volley of arrows at the ghoul.
Adamantine Longbow Point-Blank (+1), Rapid-Shot (-2), Deadly Aim (-2, +4 Damage) Attacks
"That's some sudden silver!"
The ghoul hisses and then launches another volley of arrows at Bragoleb in retaliation.
Longbow + Point Blank + Favored Enemy - Rapid Shot
"Corpse Kitty, cut up my shish kabob for me!" the ghoul shouts. A undead cat leaps from the balcony.
The cat leaps too far, however, and lands behind Arbaro before biting into the oread.
Round Two; Ghoul AC 20+4; Cat AC 20
Seeing Bragoleb's plight, Lem is enraged and runs forward to the cleansing chamber looking for a way up.
Round 1
HP 73/73 + 14 temp
AC 20,22vs medium +
Rage 16/18
Bragoleb detects evil.
** spoiler omitted **
Then he launches a volley of arrows at the ghoul.
Adamantine Longbow Point-Blank (+1), Rapid-Shot (-2), Deadly Aim (-2, +4 Damage) Attacks
[dice=Attack | Longbow - 1] 1d20 + 16 + 1 - 4
[dice=Attack | Longbow - 2] 1d20 + 16 + 1 - 4
[dice=Attack | Longbow - 3] 1d20 + 11 + 1 - 4
[dice=Confirm Crit? | Longbow - 3] 1d20 + 11 + 1 - 4
[dice=Damage | Arrow, Regular - 1] 1d8 + 6 + 4
[dice=Damage | Arrow, Regular - 3] 1d8 + 6 + 4"That's some sudden silver!"
Round 2 | HP 54/54 | AC 18 | Lay on Hands 6/6 | Smite Evil 3/3 | Arrows 28/40 | Spells: 1st - 2/2; 2nd - 1/1
Feeling the pain and annoyed at the new holes in his clothing, Brag attacks again. Sensing the cover may impede his shots, he is more careful aim true.
Adamantine Longbow Point-Blank (+1), Rapid-Shot (-2)
Critical hit is not confirmed (barely), but all three arrows hit.
Another 30 points of damage to the evil one.
Round 2 | HP 39/39 | Advice 14/17 | Awaken Divinity 6/6 | Ki Pool 5/10
Thurl's voice calls out, inspiring his companions, "We shall defeat these foul ghouls!"
Thurl then charges after Lem into the chamber.
Inside, Lem and Thurl find two more ghouls lying in wait at the entrance. They bite at the halfling as he tries to run into the room.
Round 1? | HP: 59/61 | Judgements 2/2 | Spells 1: 5/5 2: 1/2 | Perfect Strike 3/4 | Gravity Bow Wand charges 22 | True Strike 1/1 | Blood Scarab 0/1
"Look, I don't want to swing a dead cat, but I will see what I can do about spreading it around a bit."
Arbaro grimaces in pain as the Blood Scarab around his neck digs in.
"Two more ghouls in here, I'll get them!
Lem moves a bit further into the room and swings at the ghoul.
round 2
Lem continues his assault against the 2 ghouls.
If there is a living ghoul, Lem heaves Quaker with a flourish
rage 15/18
AC 20+2vs medium +
HP 73/73 +7 temp
Corpse cat gets an attack of opportunity on Arbaro.
After a quick bite at the oread, the cat is torn to shreds like a stuffed doll from Arbaro's arrows, its bloody tufts of fur floating down the cliff like grotesque snow.
Lem whacks one but they are still standing.
Round 2
The ghoul archer screams, "Me-OOOOWWWWWW!" as Arbaro kills his animal companion. He fires three more shots at the paladin before slinking back out of sight.
Longbow + Point Blank + Favored Enemy - Rapid Shot
The two ghouls on the first floor move away from Lem. The one out of his reach scales the ladder to the second floor and disappears out of sight. The remaining ghoul 5' steps towards Thurl and attacks him. "Dwarf patties on rye are my favorite, but have you ever tried de-hairing one? You always miss some and those curly strings get caught in your teeth for days. Days! What I'm saying is, thanks for shaving yourself prior to dying."
Party is up
Lem pulverizes the ghoul that attacked Thurl into inedible mincemeat.
Party minus Lem is up.
"These ones are more hardy than the first batch I think, but don't seem as deadly"
Seeing bragoleb fall, "The Get in here if you need to Arb!"
Round 3 | HP 39/39 | Advice 13/17 | Awaken Divinity 4/6 | Ki Pool 5/10
Thurl takes a moment, focuses his Ki into his body, making him faster and ladder to the next story. Upstairs, he sees the undead archer and swings his fist at the threat.
"unghhh..." Brag closes his eyes for the last time.
Round 2 | HP: 53/61 | Judgements 2/2 | Spells 1: 5/5 2: 1/2 | Perfect Strike 3/4 | Gravity Bow Wand charges 22 | True Strike 1/1 | Blood Scarab 0/1
Arbaro bellows in pain as he takes an arrow to the shoulder for 6 damage. Seeing his friend fall, he shouts to his companions.
"Bragoleb is down! I am very sure he is dead!"
Arbaro runs to where he can see the enemy, either leaning over the edge of the railing or shooting up the ladder, if he can.
"AAAhhhh!!!"
Arbaro is very upset at the sight of his dead friend.
As Thurl pops his head above the ladder, the ghoul takes a bite out of the monk.
Thurl ignores the fresh blood flowing from his scalp (and the paralysis) and delivers a blow to archer, who reels, but still stands.
Arbaro tries to shoot through the slats,
While only one arrow gets through, it sticks into the archer's femur and he collapses, dead again.
Round 3
The ghoul takes a full course dinner of attacks at Thurl.
Party is up.
rage 14/18
AC 20+2vs medium +
HP 73/73 +7 temp
Lem ascends the ladder and strikes at the last visible ghoul.
Round 3 | HP 15/39 | Advice 12/17 | Awaken Divinity 2/6 | Ki Pool 5/10 | AC +4
Thurl focuses his Ki into his reflexes to allow him to dodge the attacks by the lone remaining ghoul and yells down to Arbaro, "There's only one left, Lem and I have him!"
Thurl then attacks the ghoul with his fist and says, "You cannot infect me monster."
Lem is able to smash the ghoul before Thurl even has a chance to finish it off. Brag lays dying.
The upper room of the cleansing chamber is littered with cast-off clothes, scraps of paper, and burnt-out incense. Bowls of blood and polished bones in the shape of urns and bowls lay on the table to the west. Markings cover the walls as well, written in Necril, the language of the undead.
BRAGOLEB!"
Lem runs down a bit more slow than usual, unable to help but feeling as though something must be done.
Thurl runs back down to Bragoleb and pulls out his healing wand, calms himself, and gestures at Bragoleb's limp form on the ground.
Arbaro, realizing that his friend is not dead dead, just mostly dead, cast stabilize on him, unless Thrul got there first.
Just unconscious. He heals from 0 hp. So now Brag has 19 hp.
Brag regains consciousness. "Thank you friends for healing me. ... You could have removed the arrows too, you know," he says, while smiling and pulling the arrows out of his body.
Brag realizes that Thurl has used the last 3 charges on the wand (CLW). He reaches into his gear and pulls out another wand (CMW). He uses it on himself.
"Are you ready to continue Bragoleb? You had us worried there."
"I am ready. Let's see if there are any more ghouls above."
Brag pulls his stealth hood up and move with great stealth.
Before exiting the room, you hear the voice of your deity whisper in your ear to search the room and bodies first.
The 2 ghouls have
potion of greater magic fang, potion of inflict moderate wounds, tanglefoot bag; Other Gear leather armor, mwk light crossbow with 20 arrows, 204 gp
potion of greater magic fang, potion of inflict moderate wounds, tanglefoot bag; Other Gear leather armor, mwk light crossbow with 20 arrows, 204 gp
And the archer has
+1 elf-bane arrows (3), +1 seeking arrows (2), potion of inflict moderate wounds, wand of greater magic fang (12 charges); mwk studded leather, mwk composite longbow with 50 arrows, 42 gp
"I'm going to check these guys for useful items and such. Maybe one had a wand to replace the one we burned though."
"Looks like they did some writing with their own blood. That has got to be capital 'E' Evil. Yeah, they really did not like Irori for some reason. Some guy called First Hunger. Anyone heard of him? Maybe his brother Second Breakfast? Sounds like he's just right up the way here."
[b]"I think we should cast some spells to aid us, then head straight up there. We can read the rest on the way down if we need to."
Thurl looks to Bragoleb and coughs up some blood, holding the deep gouges delivered by the ghoul upstairs and says, ”Oh my, you had us worried Bragoleb. We need to prepare better for the next fight. That shouldn’t have been that easy for them to get us down...I could also use some healing...”
Thurl searches the bodies and notes the relevant items, grabbing the wand and the 2 potions of greater magic fang as well as the coin. When Arbaro mentions the writings, Thurl insists on staying and researching what is going on here.
Thurl pours over the writings, trying to put pieces together. As he reads, he mumbles to himself and is pretty unresponsive, gasping in horror at the contents and shaking his head. When he finishes, he says, ”This monster! Apparently, this First Hunger is recently arrived here.”. Thurl glances at Bragoleb, this arrow holes in his clothes and continues, ”He hates all humans and elves and wants to kill them all, and seems to especially hate the Swaying Lantern Monastery. He’s the ‘father’ of the ghouls. We must end him! Hopefully it’s not to late to save the Elder. Let’s go ahead and eat that fruit, who knows what this thing has up it’s sleeves.”
Thurl pulls out a wand and casts Mage Armor on himself and readies his wands to cast shield and greater magic fang on himself when they are ready to go into the next building. His skin also thickens as he casts barkskin on himself.
Brag does his thing with the CMW wand on Thurl.
"My apologies friend, I should have healed you first."
Brag offers a silent prayer to his deity in preparation for smiting the evil First Hunger. "Let's make today the last time First Hunger is every hungry again."
having had a few moments to alleviate fatigue, Lem plows forward alert and ready for arrows this time.... maybe
"I'm ready, let's go get this second wave of hunger or whatever he's called."
Leaving the Cleansing Chamber, you hear movement in the next building. It is the largest at Kir Sabal, and is obviously the central monastery of the retreat, where any religious services would be held. There is a single, closed door before you. In the front of the monastery is a balcony, accessible from the inside of the building (though you could jump/climb over if you wish), and windows on the second floor (but on the south side, not directly over your heads).
Thurl stops everyone once he gets a good look at the monastery proper. in a low voice he says, "I have my Rope of Climbing. Perhaps we can climb onto the roof or through one of the windows without this 'First Hunger' noticing. WE may even be able to make it over to the other side of the building. I'm not sure."
"Perhaps two could climb and enter unsuspected, while the other two of us create a disturbance by entering the main door with noisy, brute force. Do you think they can see us if we split up?"
The roof is 30 feet up, but the top 10 feet are a sloped wooden slant. The wooden is weathered and worn but in good condition. Both the roof or the nearest two windows are reachable via Thurl's Rope of Climbing.
The only windows are out the front face of the cliff, so no one could see you until you came in a window or the balcony or the roof (depending on if those are occupied, trapped, magicked, or not).
I'll do whatever you guys decide. I just want to get in there.
Thurl responds to Bragoleb, "Yes, that sounds like a good plan. How about Lem and Arbaro climb up to the window and we go in the front? Whoever goes, they should try to stealth if possible."
Thurl pulls out his rope, has it knot itself to ease climbing and then directs it toward the nearest window on the second floor.
When A and L begin climbing, B will move to the door and begin banging on the door and demanding in a loud voice, "Show yourselves! Let the foul First Hunger come out and eat something he won't enjoy. You have desecrated this monastery and must now receive your judgment."
This should buy them some time to gain the window. When they reach the window and begin to enter, we can kick down the door.
Arbaro casts Gravity Bow on his bow, then attempts to quietly climb.
Lem begins his ascent up the wall toward the window.
Brag begins his loud onslaught on the door. BANG, BANG, BANG!
"In the names of all the deities you have openly desecrated, open this door and surrender. Your judgment is upon you."
BANG, BANG, BANG!
Thurl looks up at Arbaro and Lem climbing up the rope, waits a moment for them to get to the top of the rope, casts Greater Magic fang and shield on himself, and checks to see if the door trapped and/or locked.
The sounds of movement from inside the monastery go quiet. You hear a hesistant voice respond to Bragoleb's righteous fury say, "Uh... no?" from behind the door.
Lem looks at the doors and shrugs at Arbaro.
If Arbaro has a similar reaction,
Lem gestures at the chosen door and waits for Arbaro to get into position nearby.
Lem opens the chosen door.
Arbaro points his bow towards the West door and is ready to fire if anything ghoulish is in the other room.