|
Prince Uspid's smile turns sour as he grinds his mis-matched teeth together. "She needs to be killed." He says will all seriousness. "She is becoming a problem. Kill her and I will make sure you get your stamp."
Vinas scans the prince and is a bit surprised. While Vinas knows that the tooth fairy fey are inherently evil in nature most don't put off an evil aura.
Vanyan watches the fairy and believes that it is being very truthful and sincere. It really wants it's mother dead.
Vinas nods in agreement, but refuses to commit. "Come, let us meet this reginal figure."
As they leave the room, Vanyan wants to make one thing clear.
”Just to be clear, I’m not a murderer, no matter what you might think of the Pathfinders, I never went in for the cold blooded murder thing. And especially if we’re about to be judged by Pharasma, I’d like to keep my soul extra clean, thank you very much,” Vanyan notes.
He will follow Vinas upstairs, still not committed to accept the murder contract.
Aishe too follows Vinas, but he's uncertain, "I mean she's his own mother, right? This is weird, right? I don't understand the fey. His followers didn't see anything wrong with the request. Maybe she's a tyrant."
Still speaking with the Prince.
Help me out with this Stamp thing? If you want me to be a bounty hunter for you - i have to know if there's a stamp thing I have to keep up to date. I'm bad with record keeping.
He gets his answer and turns to join the rest as they head "up" to where the displaced Queen is.
|
|
Uspid produces a key and hands it to one of his minions, who flutters forward to deliver it to you with a snaggletoothed grin. "This will unlock the door to the gatehouse," the prince says. "You can use the ladders there to get to the top level, then cross the bridge to my mother's chambers. And you can tell her I said, 'Please die painfully!'"
Help me out with this Stamp thing? If you want me to be a bounty hunter for you - i have to know if there's a stamp thing I have to keep up to date. I'm bad with record keeping.
The Prince becomes easily confused. "You want stamp to leave you said?" He looks to one of his minions for a way to make a pantomime into the action and the minion only shrugs as they believe it to be little more than a language barrier.
*****
You head back downstairs to the door that Aishe had a bit of difficulty unlocking. Inserting the key it clinks open with ease. This room contains the remains of a wooden table and two chairs, as well as a ladder leading up. Of more immediate concern is the creature present- the long, sinuous skeleton of a large snake, its head a humanoid skull with a snake's jaws. As soon as you open the door, it begins to slither towards you!
This is a Necrophidius. Despite its sinister appearance, the snake-like necrophidius is not an undead creature. Rather, it is a magical construct built from the skeleton of a giant snake and then mounted with the skull of a humanoid creature. Fangs are cemented into the jaws of the skull, after which the entire creation can be brought to life by a series of obscure and expensive rituals—these rituals are traditionally well guarded by those who discover them.
As a mindless construct that requires neither food nor sleep, a necrophidius makes an excellent guardian, and its innate stealth allows it to slip up on the unwary undetected. In certain areas, the necrophidius is commonly employed as an assassin, able to disable its quarries with its dance of death or paralyzing bite before disposing of them in a gruesome manner—as long as the assassination doesn’t require any particular intelligence to carry out. Particularly macabre creators might even construct the creature from the skull of a friend or loved one of the intended victim in order to magnify the horror of the assassination, leaving much of the flesh on the skull so the victim can recognize its source. This flesh rots eventually—only freshly crafted necrophidiuses have this grisly feature (although regular applications of gentle repose spells can keep such a morbid decoration fresh for a much longer period of time).
Although a necrophidius is mindless, it can follow the simple commands of its creator. These can include commands to lie dormant until some specific condition is met or to follow and kill an indicated target to the exclusion of all other activities.
A typical necrophidius is 10 feet long and weighs 200 pounds.
Aishe (15/16; heroism)
Tessenarin (13/13)
Vanyan (15/15; heroism)
--------------------------------------------------------
Skeletal Snake
--------------------------------------------------------
Vinas (23/24; 1 NL)
Atium (21/24; raging 25/28; Cha Dam 1; heroism; 2 NL)
Round: 1
Conditions = Heroism (5/60m)
Weapon Equipped = Crossbow
Silver Blanch, Cold Iron Bolts = 10/15
Normal Bolts = 4/5
Crossbow: Attack: BAB +2, Dex +3, Masterwork +1 Damage: +0 (crit 19-20 x2)
Melee: Attack: BAB +2, Str +0 Damage: +0
Grit = 1/2
Aishe hollers, ”I dunno if this is his pet or hers, but it’s an abomination!” He fires even as he steps back (5’ step) worry lining his face and reloads.
(point blank, heroism) (point blank)
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Round 1, Init 14
Know (Arcana) -
Vanyan pauses for a moment while he tries to identify the creature.
"A necrophilious! Of course!" Vanyan chimes in happily. "It's not quite undead, but not really alive. You'll want to use...uhm...lemme see if this works."
Vanyan throws a stone at the snake thing...
to hit;
blunt magic damage;
to hit;
blunt magic damage.
...then pumps his fist as it hits.
"Yeah, you'll want to use something blunt to hit it lest your blade or arrow pass through the bones. Like your slave-made porn-star, Aishe. Or *WANK*'s forehead," Vanyan concludes.
Or *WANK*'s forehead,
Oh don't you worry your dainty little toes, I am coming and I'll bring some pain to this snake.
Tessenarin looks at the creature.
He frowns when Vanyan says blunt weapons and hangs back.
|
|
Vanyan recognizes the snake monster for what it is. A Necrophidius is resistant to all forms of weapons unless they deal bludgeoning damage. Vanyan also knows that they do a dance of death by swaying back and forth, dazing those around it.
Aishe's bolt snaps into the bone, though it doesn't seem to deal any damage to the skeletal structure. Tessenarin hangs back, unsure what to do as he just stares at the creature.
Vanyan sends a stone into the necrophidius' head, rocking it back. Still rocking the snakes slithers into the doorway and begins to sway in a mesmerizing circle.
Aishe (15/16; heroism)
Tessenarin (13/13)
Vanyan (15/15; heroism)
--------------------------------------------------------
Necrophidius (-7)
--------------------------------------------------------
Vinas (23/24; 1 NL)
Atium (21/24; raging 25/28; Cha Dam 1; heroism; 2 NL)
Will
rounds
”Oh yeah...it has this danc—” Vanyan’s voice trails off as he is nearly mesmorized, but heroically recovers. He drops his longspear and draws his morningstar.
”Draw it out so we can surround it.”
Round: 2
Conditions = Heroism (5/60m)
Weapon Equipped = Crossbow (loaded), morning star
Silver Blanch, Cold Iron Bolts = 10/15
Normal Bolts = 4/5
Crossbow: Attack: BAB +2, Dex +3, Masterwork +1 Damage: +0 (crit 19-20 x2)
Melee: Attack: BAB +2, Str +0 Damage: +0
Grit = 1/2
vs DC 15 or be dazed
Aishe, recognizing this could be the end, draws his morning star, steps back up (5’ step), and swings!
(heroism)
"Tessenarin, what are you doing? The fight's this way! Do you want my morning star? I'm not very good with it..."
"What in the... the...."
I'm not at all happy about... What? What?
Heroism DC 15
What was I trying to say? Oh, I'm not happy with having to kill off someone's mom. But a Bonesnake... I have no qualms with that!
Shakra Bull!
P/A Heroism Rage
Attacking with Battle Axe. Atium doesn't have a care about Damage Reduction. He has a philosophy of just hitting it harder.
I guess I have to do something.
Tessenarin drops his bow and moves while drawing his axe.
and scores a solid hit. an someone try to wake the others up?
|
|
Vinas goes into a dazed state as Atium's axe glances off of necrophidius hard bone as it chips a few open ribs away. Aishe's morningstar cracks some of the wood and mortar on the wall.
Tessenarin moves in with his own axe, slashing into the brittle bones. Following his own advice Vanyan draws his morningstar. The Necrophidius hisses and lurches quickly at Tessenarin's neck.
Tessenarin jerks back, feeling a strange black ichor ooze into his vein.
Aishe (15/16; heroism)
Tessenarin (8/13)
Vanyan (15/15; heroism)
--------------------------------------------------------
Necrophidius (-25)
--------------------------------------------------------
Vinas (23/24; 1 NL; Dazed until round 7)
Atium (21/24; raging 25/28; Cha Dam 1; heroism; 2 NL)
Out of the way! out of the way! Let Vinas or myself get a clear whack at it.
Atium delays until there's movement by Aishe or Tess -unless he's paralyzed.
Please put me at the end of the round.
Vanyan delays, waiting to see if he needs to drag Tess out of the way.
”Remember when I suggested we should let it out so we could surround it?”
Vinas answers Atium by drooling a bit.
Round: 3
Conditions = Heroism (5/60m)
Weapon Equipped = Crossbow, morning star
Silver Blanch, Cold Iron Bolts = 10/15
Normal Bolts = 4/5
Crossbow: Attack: BAB +2, Dex +3, Masterwork +1 Damage: +0 (crit 19-20 x2)
Melee: Attack: BAB +2, Str +0 Damage: +0
Grit = 1/2
Aishe takes a thump at it, before stepping back 5’ to make room for the better fighters.
(heroism)
Atium sees some movement by Aishe, and it allows him to see out of the corner of his eye that Vinas is wobbling, swaying and has a glassy look to his eyes.
Atium snaps his full attention back to the bone snake.
Nevermind about Vinas...
Tessenarin yells in pain as the bone snake bites him and feels it inject something into his veins. He yells out in more pain and grits his teeth.
"Do..... Not..... Let..... It.... Bite..... You...."
And with that he takes another swipe with his axe.
And manages to connect again!
|
|
Vinas continues to drool as Atium pushes Aishe aside. Aishe swirls his morningstar threateningly through the air while Tessenarin's axe finds a home. Though most of the force is absorbed by the bone.
Aishe (15/16; heroism)
Tessenarin (8/13)
Vanyan (15/15; heroism)
--------------------------------------------------------
Necrophidius (-28)
--------------------------------------------------------
Vinas (23/24; 1 NL; Dazed until round 7)
Atium (21/24; raging 25/28; Cha Dam 1; heroism; 2 NL)
Moving into position- being overly aggressive to both friend (Aishe) and foe alike. As he moves his way around the battlefield, nudging a dazed Vinas as he moves by and Atium snorts like a bull at Aishe. Almost body blocking the man to get out of his way.
SNORT!
He gets into position against the snake and swings hard against the beast.
Still raging 2/8
Round 2
With no place to move forward, Vanyan moves up and pulls the dazed Vinas back a bit.
"Come back here," Vanyan's noodle arms struggle to move the man slightly out of danger. "Didn't I mention not to watch the dance? I thought I did."
Vanyan moves around to shake Vinas out of his stupor, slapping him gently on the cheek, and checking his pupils. When that doesn't seem to wake him, he shakes and jams his lightbox, eventually calling forth a stream of cold water (about 4 gallons, head to toe drenching) to douse the man and shock him to recover.
"C'mon, snap out of it!" Vanyan worries until the man wakes up. "Anyone have any smelling salts? Vinegar? Some fresh excrement?"
"Vanyan, would you please use the healing wand on me? That attack by the Necrophidius feels serious."
"Vanyan, would you please use the healing wand on me? That attack by the Necrophidius feels serious."
"Sure, after I get Vinas moving again."
"What? What the blazes? Thank you. I apologize for my lack of vim." Uninjured beyond his pride, Vinas is ready to advance.
Seeing that Vinas is restored by his quick thinking, Vanyan nods to himself.
”Ayep, you’re welcome!” Vanyan replies as he begins to search the snake’s area for loot or clues about who created it.
Perception
If nothing is found, he will follow the party up the ladder.
Aishe smiles as Atium smashes the thing, pleased with the groups efforts. ”I feel we had some luck there, a very dangerous beast. Do you think this was the Queen’s pet? If so, she’s even less wholesome than I thought.”
He puts his morning star away and grips his loaded crossbow tightly. He too looks around the room briefly.
(heroism)
Eventually, he looks at the ladder uncomfortably, hooks his crossbow to his belt, and begins to climb after the others.
With the opponent dead, Atium seems to calm down gradually.
He still wields the axe, but stomps his right foot down a couple times.
An uncontrolled and impulsive action.
He gnashes and grinds his teeth together, with his lips curling up and back. Clearly showing everyone the window the Toothfairies created. But, additionally revealing how his two "Canine teeth" are sharper and jagged than most normal humans.
If others get near "his personal space" in the following 15 seconds as he cools down from the battle, he rebuffs them with flexings of the muscle and says. Give me room. Give me room. Don't go crowding me.
******
Waiting for the others to look ove the room, he gives props to Tess for his strong and fierce fighting against the snake. Using an Axe like a true champ.
Good work there Tess.
He slings the axe on his back and starts up the ladder.
|
|
Finding little in the room outside of the strange skeletal snake creature locked within the group heads up the ladder one by one.
Except for a long weapon rack against the south wall, this room is bare with another ladder leading further up at the eastern end of the room.
Aishe (15/16; heroism)
Tessenarin (12/13)
Vanyan (15/15; heroism)
Vinas (23/24; 1 NL; Dazed until round 7)
Atium (21/24; raging 25/28; Cha Dam 1; heroism; 2 NL)
Vanyan goes over to examine the weapon rack (with Detect Magic).
"Weapons. My da tried to teach me about them, but I never had any proficiency. I learnt some, but never enough to be good. Or talented, like Vinas or *WANK*. I learnt enough to know that I was never going to be able to fight well, but I learnt enough to get by," Vanyan says as he examines the rack.
"My da took me into town once. Not the Coffer, a real town. And he gave me some good advice. Do you know what he told me? He told me at this one particular place, 'They all cost the same, just pick one,' that's what he said. And it was good advice."
If nothing else, Vanyan will follow others up the other ladder.
"Adamantine, huh? That's nice."
After the weapons have been sifted through, Vanyan is ready to follow others up the next ladder.
Aishe checks for any bolts, and seeing none in decent shape she shrugs. "Yes, that is a very nice hammer." he adds, though it does not appeal to him per se. Might be a good trade up from his morning star, but there are likely those who could use it better then he.
|
|
Several hair-thin wires are stretched across this room near the ladder leading up. These wires catch the weapons racks and all of the weapons contained within, violently tossing them all over the room as they cut and bash into each of you.
Aishe (10/16; heroism)
Tessenarin (2/13)
Vanyan (7/15; heroism)
Vinas (16/24; 1 NL)
Atium (14/24; raging 18/28; Cha Dam 1; heroism; 2 NL)
"What in the bloody?!" Vinas tries to get his shield up in time, but to no avail. Once the weapons stop he cautiously looks over his shield. "I hope that was worth it. I'm bleeding pretty bad."
AUGH!!! What?!
He asks Vanyan for a toke of the wand.
Vanyan climbs down the ladder to tend to his injury, knocking himself for missing the trap.
"You know, we should have asked King Tooth about all this," Vanyan shakes his head grumpily. He's used to taking wounds, but he'd like to be smarter about it.
CLW
|
|
This long room atop the gatehouse has several narrow arrow slits to the north and south. Each is 2 feet high and only a few inches wide. The room is bare except for a ladder descending from an alcove at the room’s eastern end. A low door stands in the center of the north wall, with a small, square window at the typical eye level for a human. The window is inset with a small metal grill, which has been stuffed with humanoid teeth.
Without warning, a strange canine-like beast suddenly appears, leaping to attack! Its claws scrape against Atium's armor, but it hits with its bite and grabs a hold of his neck!
Malice oozes from this stout, hunched predator. A ruff of dirty feathers adorns its hairless, muscular body just below its crocodilian skull.
This is an Esobok, Psychopomp. Esobok's are the blunt and vicious predator caste of psychopomps. They patrol as feral hunters, hungry for undead flesh. Though as outsiders esoboks don’t have to eat and draw no sustenance from this behavior, the spark of undeath is a feast for their every sense, and they pursue and ravenously consume undead creatures given the chance.
Mortals rarely see these otherworldly hunters, and only those steeped in the ways of death know of their existence. They hazily creep into the edges of living mythologies, appearing as torturers of fallen souls or delivering a gnashing end to mortals. In truth, esoboks show a curious neutrality towards petitioners. Only the living— and even more so the undead—catch their eye, while the truly dead have little to fear.
Esoboks are stout, physically impressive specimens, with dog-like bodies and the girth of rhinoceroses or hippopotamuses. Their bodies are bald, aside from a thick collar of oily feathers at their necks, but bear distinctive spots, stripes, or patterns that identify individuals. Even among psychopomps, there is speculation regarding how to differentiate between male and female esoboks, or even whether they have physical sexes. The typical esobok stands 3 feet tall at the shoulder and nearly as wide, and weighs upwards of 300 pounds.
+ Grab
Vanyan (15/15; heroism)
-------------------------------------
Canine beast (Grappling Atium)
-------------------------------------
Tessenarin (2/13)
Aishe (10/16; heroism)
Atium (12/24; raging 16/28; Cha Dam 1; heroism; grappled)
Vinas (16/24; 1 NL)
Round 1
"Oh, look out!" Vanyan cries way too late. "It's a..."
Know (Arcana)
"One of them different esobok 'pomps! Not sure why it's mad at us though. We're not dead nor souls!"
Vanyan near blindly hucks a magic stone at the beast.
to hit; (cover)
magic damage.
hp: 15/15
AC: 16/14/12
Saves: F1/R2/F6
Eyes: bugged
Smite: unused
Panache: unused
|
|
Vanyan knows that an Esobok is resistant to most forms of weapons unless they are forged with adamantine. Able to pounce on their prey an esobok is able to wrench a creature's spirit free from their body, instantly destroying undead or paralyzing and severely injuring the living.
Vanyan's stone hits but doesn't seem to hurt the psychopomp at all as it bounces off of the muscular body.
Before much of you can react, the psychopomp tears at Atium's spirit, trying to wrench it free from his body! His body lurches in pain as a large bluish wisp tugs free from his body, though it still seems anchored within.
Vanyan (15/15; heroism)
-------------------------------------
Esobok (Grappling Atium)
-------------------------------------
Tessenarin (2/13)
Aishe (10/16; heroism)
Atium (12/24; raging 16/28; Cha Dam 1; heroism; grappled)
Vinas (16/24; 1 NL)
Not so good with the will saves.
Heroism DC 14.
He instantly goes stock still. The Pulling of the jaws not exactly doing physical damage, but spiritual damage.
It's a good thing that everyone in the party know... Atium's got lots of spirit.