Coral steps up and attacks the one who struck Kendren.
It was crucial to take down the remaining black knight before he could strike again, seeing the horrific damage inflicted on Kendren. Damian tries to do just that.
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Kendren grunted in pain as the evil infused sword nearly eviscerated him. Bringing his shield hand close to his chest, he called upon Sarenrae's mercy to heal his wounds before retaliating in kind.
The last knight is overcome and quickly taken down without sustaining any further injuries.
A quick search of the fallen foes finds much of the same: potion of barkski, +1 full plate, +1 light steel shield, +1 longsword, javelins (4), lesser talisman of arrow protection, lesser talisman of danger sense, silver unholy symbol in the shape of a skull, wooden holy symbol in the shape of an upright rapier on a red field: x3
You are surprised about the length of the stairwell you are descending. You estimate that travel somewhere between eight to ten normal flights of stairs down before the stairs finally come to an end.
This room is adorned with thousands of tiles covering the walls, floor, and ceiling. The tiles form mosaics depicting the story of a warrior woman garbed in crimson robes fighting a host of undead. A dented gold brazier with a lotus petal motif rests at the chamber’s center. Steep stairs ascend to the north, and two archways to the south open into a large cavern. A hall to the east ends in a pile of rubble from some long-ago collapse
The sister is breathing hard when they finally reach the bottom. "No one properly assumes how much effort going down steps can be." she says, without even thinking about how much effort it will be to go back up.
Lola grabs the potions, but foists the heavy items onto their bulky companions. Looking at them, she distributes them to the party members who don't have powerful amulets already (including herself).
Lola breathes in after jogging down, "bueno para usted, Sister. Excercise helps clear the body and mind of the hobgoblin that can be intrusive thoughts." She smiles slightly as she looks around.
"Let's make sure we heal Kendren before we proceed."
Coral helps inventory the gear, though nothing really calls to her. The holy symbols of Arazni (she assumes) are... sad, she supposes. As are what she takes to be the mosaics of Arazni below.
Bad things happen to good people and we don't get an answer to 'Why.' They just do.
She looks around the room some more.
Damian's knees are on fire before they reach the bottom of the stairs, and the older man leans against a wall to rest for a moment, also breathing rather raggedly. He looks around the mosaics in the space, appreciating the artistry during a brief moment of respite and thinking with fondness and not a little melancholy at how much Maria would have loved to see this.
Down 40.
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Feena was relieved the fight was over. It was brutal but quick with their enemies going down without any major losses on their side. Yes, Kendren was hurt badly but at least he was still standing. Feena considered the talismans and asked, "What does the arrow one do?"
When they reached the bottom of the long flight of stairs Feena went to Sister Cloodes and reached out to help steady her as she caught her breath. It was definitely a lot of work to walk down that far but it had to be done, and she worried about just how bad it would be for the Sister to go back up again.
Damian, Lola and Isabet all confer the stories and mosaics featured around the room. They agree that these are telling the story of the Battle of Three Sorrows, which ended in Arazni's death and therby crushed the moral of the Kinights of Ozen. Damian further elaborates that the gold brazier tha was once used to burn offerings here hasn't been used in centuries, but was used for a rite of protection. When checked for magic, you find it radiates a faint aura of abjuration.
The gold brazier is merely plated with gold, but with a great deal of scraping, you could recover 300 gp in gold flakes. Scraping away the gold will expend the last of the brazier’s magic (if it has not already been expended).
After searching thoroughly, Coral feels confident there are no immiedate traps in this area. There is a corridor that heads east briefly, but becomes evident it collapsed long ago and is blocked.
To the south, two opening leads out into a terrace above a plaza, with a lake and crystalline bridge visible in the distance.
"I think burning offerings in memory of Arazni would be the honorable thing to do. Scraping away the gold on the brazier would seem most dishonorable.
What can we sacrifice? Some of the items that the Seal-Breakers had, perhaps?"
If nobody objects, Coral will take one of the talismans and burn it in the brazier.
The sister is catching her breath, giving Feena a gratiful smile for the support when Coral brings up the option of sacrificing to Arazni. "Cayden will tell you he isn't a jealous god, but in some ways aren't we all?" she rubgs the tankard just a little. "At least where his chosen are concerned at least. I'll stand a little ways back, so you all can be blessed." then pats Freena on the arm and moves away.
Coral places the talisman in the bazier and a moment later smoke briefly forms an image of a warrior woman donning armor. The smoke image proudly nodes once before dissipating, spreading outward into the room.
This seems to expend the last of the lingering magic in the brazier.
Isabet pokes her head into the room and asks "Are you done?"
Nodding in approval at Coral's suggestion, Damian stands close to the brazier with head bowed as their companion performs the ritual sacrifice.
The Sarenite then takes some time to heal Kendren, and makes sure to establish a life link with all those who would be in the vanguard.
Coral is a follower of Iomedae, and the relationship between Iomedae and Arazni is... complicated.
She mourns the loss of the Red Crusader but believes that Iomedae proved more than a worthy successor.
She accepts the blessing with bowed head and is ready to go.
Kendren was a knight of Sarenrae, and Sarenrae's hatred of undead warred with the loss of a fallen servitor of good. Still, redemption was possible. Perhaps Arazni could be redeemed? Her undeath was not her doing, forced upon her, and he was sure Sarenrae would wish her redemption. He remained for the offering, silent, with head bowed.
Feena stood and watched as the blessing was burned remembering Azrani as she was when they met and considering what she could be again if things worked out right. Maybe there would be something she could do if she became powerful enough. Phoenix blood flowed through her veins, however diluted, and maybe there would be a way for her to channel that to let Azrani be reborn anew. It was something to think about at least. When the burning was completed, she felt the protection wash over her and smiled sadly as she sent a prayer to Sarenrae to help guide her and find a way for her to one day help Azrani be reborn whole and alive once more.
The temple’s cool red-marble threshold gives way to a timeworn terrace washed in briny air. Veins of ashen gray run through the stone underfoot; condensation beads along the edges and patters down to the dark lake beyond. Four clay statues of a crimson-robed warrior-Arazni as the Red Crusader-stand like sentinels along the balustrade. Two other plinths are nothing but collapsed heaps of clay; on one, you can still see the cruel, fresh gouges of tools.
Below, a ruined plaza sprawls between tiered sanctuaries; to the south, a narrow crystalline bridge arcs across the black water toward a needlelike tower. Faint, perpetual flames glow in distant sconces, spilling steady light over peeling paint and rose-gold inlays on the statues’ armor.
As Kendren steps to the head of the stairs down to the plaza, the terrace seems to hold its breath.
Hairline cracks race across the nearest statue’s face. Gemset eyes kindle. Clay flexes like muscle. One after another, four guardians shiver free of their stillness, drawing thin rapiers. A quick, shimmering magical surge washes over each and you notice enhanced speed in their limbs.
They pivot in unison, regarding you with implacable purpose.
Beyond, the lake laps softly at stone. Your attention is closer however, as the keen points of four rapiers level as the red queen guardians advance.
Lola starts a lively Candombe, as she snaps her fingers in a beat to a music she starts to sing, ”statues! Come, a predictable fight with no horror and no tricks. ¿A refreshing endeavor for us, sí?”
Once she’s sure everyone can see her and hear her, she vanishes.
Despite the lively movements of Lola, Damian feels nothing but sadness as the living statues turn menacingly towards them. "We truly do not wish to fight you! We are on the same side!" he calls out, an undoubtedly futile attempt.
Resigned, he plants his feet and calls upon his goddess's favour to strengthen his bow arm and speed his arrows.
Coral takes a step and stabs at a statue, hoping to neutralize it.
Once the sister orients herself, she moves into the middle of the rear defenders and casts a spell of teamwork, something muttered about making the dream work, but the pessimistic sister is probably not thinking of a nice cheery dream when she muttered it.
Seeing Coral's move to intercept one of the statues, Kendren moved up next to the spot she vacated, striking once at the statue before turning to guard her flank from the others.
Feena hesitated at attacking the strange statues as she isn't sure what they are or if they will even attack them for sure, though it certainly looks that way. She does look at them trying to determine what they are though so they can deal with them if they have to.
Coral lands two strikes against the statue, the stone resisting some of her attack. She deals significant damage to one of the creatures, but it still remains animated until Kendren delivers the killing blow and sends pieces of rock tumbling to the ground at their feet.
Feena knows that Graven Guardians, crafted and painted to resemble Arazani's favored servants. Graven guardians are inexorably tied to a specific deity’s faith. While unintelligent and thus lacking any real personality, a graven guardian has the ability to recognize fellow worshipers or minions of its deity and does not treat them as enemies unless they first attack. This recognition does not extend so far as to allow these worshipers (or those cunningly disguised as worshipers) to give a graven guardian new orders. As with all constructs, a graven guardian follows only the orders of its creator.
Weakness: Faith Bound (if possessing a symbol of Arazni)
Feena understood something about the constructs and called out, "Does anyone have holy symbols of Arazni, they will let us pass if we have them." She does not attack, hoping that someone has a means to let them avoid fighting the constructs so they can preserve their strength for the cultists.
Feena moves away as she calls out some advice to her team.
With one statue defeated, the three others shift into action against the party, defending their territory.
One steps closer to Kendren and attacks him twice with its rapier, missing both times. The one already attacks twice as well, missing.
The third statue curls around the corner into the room with the backline, stepping adjacent to Damian and burying its rapier into him.
Kendren shifts his attention to the two that attacked him, striking at the one before him from a defensive posture.
Coral moves up next to Kendren and attacks.
Damian hisses in pain at the wound, taking a careful step back to put some distance between himself and the stone guardian.
Since the battle is going well for them at the moment, Isabet conserves her spells and simply gives Damian a boost of luck to his attacks. "Just a little bit to the left, I think, dear."
Seeing how well they were doing so far Feena felt ti was best to conserve her magic for now and simply moved away from the last column to let the others take it down.
Lola protects the folks in the back by popping out of invisibility and stabbing with her spear.
Kendren stays in a defensive posture and lands 2 hits on Green, dealing heavy damage as chunks crack off the guardian.
Coral slides up to Kendren and hits the same statue, leaving the guardian now badly compromised, cracks spiderwebbing through its torso and sword-arm.
The two statues press Kendren together, each unleashing a full attack with their rapiers, but fail to land a hit against him.
Inside, Damian steps back and fires twice at Yellow, first arrow misses, but the second finds its mark while Sister Isabet uses Blessing of the Faithful to assist Damian.
Lola drops invisibility and spears the guardian inside with her twice. After he two strikes, the creature slides forward and closes on rather squishy looking Isabet, stabbing her twice with its rapier.
Feena repositions, conserving spells.
G: 10
Y: 17
B: 53
Kendren fends off the attack from this stone creature, then strikes out again at it, trying to break it.
Coral continues to attack the nearest construct.
If Lola doesn't threaten Green (hard to tell with the stairs), then Coral instead hits AC 34 for 19 damage, no Bewildered, and then AC 22 for 18 damage.
Coral is AC 28, or 29 vs evil.
"Here, you lumbering rock!"
Damian takes a step back and shouts at one of the statues, hoping to divert its attention from the cleric, just as he looses another volley of arrows at it.
Needing a clearer line of fire to help Feena moved, skirting past Damian and up a couple of steps to get people out of her way before chanting, gesturing, and sent a pair of scorching rays of energy at her target.
The sister makes a whomph like noise as she is stabbed, looking rather distressed be the whole bleeding thing "Hitting those without weapons is rude." she says as she steps behind the now visible Lola. For protection.
"Oh god of mine, please help these heroes save me." a prayer, if not a wonderful one takes effect giving them a burst of energy.
Lola takes the benefits of improved attack, and knowing about probable toughness of constructs, makes multiple strikes after stepping over.
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Kendren batters at the guardian below with another heavy blow, his sword breaking away more chunks of clay and widening the web of cracks already running through the construct. Coral immediately follows his lead, driving in with two sharp, efficient strikes that leave the statue reeling but still standing through sheer stubborn magic.
Across the terrace, Damian plants his feet and sends another measured volley into the guardian threatening the back line. This time both arrows strike true, the force of the paired shots punching through its stony defenses in a single punishing barrage. Feena slips for a clearer angle and hurls twin rays of fire; one flashes wide, but the second burns a molten seam into the construct’s chest.
Bleeding and very annoyed, Sister Isabet retreats behind Lola and calls on Cayden’s favor, a sudden rush of divine fervor washing over the party. Lola answers in kind, stepping into position and driving her longspear into the damaged guardian again and again, each thrust punching deeper into the fractures already split across its frame.
Though all three statues are visibly battered now, each one still stands, and the wounded guardians surge forward to continue their defense of the redoubt.
The two battered guardians below close on Kendren together, their movements eerily disciplined despite the cracks lacing their clay bodies. Blue first, rapier flickering twice in quick succession, but both thrusts glance harmlessly from Kendren’s guarded stance. Green follows a heartbeat later, trying to exploit the pressure from the other side, yet its blade fares no better, skittering off shield and armor as the paladin holds the lower approach.
Inside the terrace, the third guardian snaps around on Lola, its gem-bright eyes fixing on the spearwoman who nearly finished it. The first thrust slips past her defense and draws blood, but the second overextends wildly, the rapier point scraping stone as the construct’s momentum carries it off line.
Three red queen guardians remain standing, though each is visibly worn, cracked, and shedding chips of clay with every motion.
B: 51
G: 51
Y: 73
Lola just keeps hitting the last enemy.[/ooc]
Coral attacks Green. She will take the extra attack from Blessing of Fervor.
Keeping a wary eye on Lola's fresh wound, Damian continues to loose arrow after arrow at the constructs, trying to bring at least one of them down.
Kendren continued trying to batter down the remaining constructs.