Hells Rebels (Inactive)

Game Master Daniel Penfold 351

One of Valekar's arrows flies straight into Luculla and explodes, burning her terribly.

Luculla casts a spell on herself and disappears.

Block 5, back to you.

"Alright ugly, you're next!" Ryker taunts the Devil. Pointing for the outfield, he winds up his greatsword, steps up, and belts it with all his might.
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+1 Greatsword (IC, PA, ST) vs Devil: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 11 + 2 = 332d6 + 15 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4, 1) + 15 + 2 + 1 = 23
Confirm?: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 11 + 2 = 252d6 + 15 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5, 4) + 15 + 2 + 1 = 27 SUHWEEEEET BABY JESUS! 50pts if that confirms.
Study, 5ft step, SMACK!

As Adonara moves to one side, Kira notices for the first time just how much she's bleeding. <"Adonara! Are you okay?">

It's a stupid question. She's quite obviously not okay. So without giving the disappearing Luculla another thought Kira raises her hand in an invocation. Starsong, protect her!

Casting Cure Moderate Wounds on Adonara, which will stop the bleed effect.

CMW: 2d8 + 5 ⇒ (5, 8) + 5 = 18

With a mighty swing of his greatsword Ryker decapitates the devil, a surprised look crosses its face as it dies and the body then evaporates into smoke, being banished back to the Hellish realm from which it came.

Back to block 1

Damn, what’s that devil-kisser doing? Adonara’s mind screams as Luculla disappears. Spellcraft to identify the spell: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 Well, that’s no luck.

As Kira’s spell washes over her in turn, Adonara turns to her in a wide-eyed mix of relief and further consternation, “<I am now, thanks! But we’ve got to get the doors, if Luculla’s gone invisible!>” Though I guess if it’s a dimension door we’re out of luck to pursue.

The last she calls out loud enough to cut across Pellius’ singing, before racing back across the chapel and reaching behind her for the further door as she watches the last of Luculla’s minions enthralled by Pellius’ magic. With a clipped word of power, she enhances her whip in case any of the cultists try to get by her.

Double move: once to get to the doors, and then to close them – if she can do both with one move action, otherwise she’ll do the one in the space on the diagonal instead of directly behind her, so that anyone will have to squeeze past her with an Acrobatics check if they don’t want to betray their presence by opening the door. Swift to spend a pool point to boost her whip to +2 for a minute.

Adonara moves across to the doors and manages to close one of them.

Pellius continues to sing (inspire courage)

Back to block 3

spellcraft: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26

Valekar tries to identify the spell. On a hunch, he readies himself to cast glitterdust at the first sign of Luculla making her location known.

Valekar you can tell that the spell is invisibility.

Do you want to take any other action?

Valekar's hunch was that the spell is Invisibility. But she could have moved after casting it, so he doesn't know where she is. However, most actions she could take next turn will give away her location at some point in her turn, so he will cast *glitterdust* on where he finds her. But I think he can take a move action to seek for her with perception, so he will do that first and if that reveals her location he will cast the spell immediately instead of doing a readied action

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

Valekar you do not spot anything.

Luculla moves

Ryker, Adonara and Pellius you can all have perception checks with a +3 bonus. Everyone else can have Perception checks
Block 5, your actions.

Ryker notices the remaining cultist is in some sort of trance and leaves them be. Gotta be around here somewhere... We probably would have been roasted by anyone capable of just magicing themselves out of here completely.
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Perception (Bonus): 1d20 + 9 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 9 + 3 = 32
Delay or at least waiting if the perception reveals anything, it is the best he could possibly do!

Well, there’s no hope Ado will match that, but, for a laugh… Perception: 1d20 + 7 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 7 + 3 = 21

Adonara doesn’t quite hold her breath, but she does concentrate on making as little noise as possible, and pricks up her ears for what she can hear over her own heartbeat, ready to lash out with her whip if anything invisible comes too close.

Ryker you can see a slight disturbance in the air in the space next to Adonara, you think Luculla is trying to sneak through the open door. Adonara, you can sense somthing behind you.

You can both have attacks of opportunity with mischance.

more importantly, you can shout out where she is so that Valekar can hit her with a spell

There! Thought so! Adonara gloats, though she feels a bit like a puppy chasing her tail as she whirls at the something she feels behind her. Naturally, the tip of her whip swings around even faster…

Attack of opportunity: 1d20 + 8 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 8 + 1 + 2 = 29 Damage: 1d3 + 3 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 1 + 2 = 8 Miss chance, to beat 50%?: 1d100 ⇒ 39 Gah!

The courtesan spins like the trained dancer and holy warrior she is in what would be a textbook manoeuvre if she could see her target, but without a visual cue, there's just too wide a margin of error for her senses. Damn it!

"Valekar!" she shouts out, "A little behind and beside me, the door! If you've got an area spell, I can weather it!"

She cries out with a fanatic's unwavering conviction, trusting in her goddess' grace to see her through.
That, and Ado, now that I think about it, must absolutely love glitter. :)

Catching sight of something as he whizzes by, Ryker slings his sword low in hopes that he can catch her in the legs. Cursing as his blade catches only air, he spins with the heavy weapon before pulling it back to his shoulder and running for the door.

Pretty sure he's found the slightest of distortions, he swings again and hopes for the best!
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50% Sadness? (AoO): 1d100 ⇒ 10 Sadness :(
50% Sadness? (AoO): 1d100 ⇒ 77 :D
+1 Greatsword (PA, IC) vs Luculla: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 8 + 2 = 182d6 + 13 + 2 ⇒ (2, 3) + 13 + 2 = 20
Since it is Ryker's turn too, I've put in a regular round of actions in addition to the AoO. GM, no worries if that wasn't your intent! Assuming Ryker can't study what he can't see!

Ryker's first swing misses but his second swing manages to strike deep into the middle of the distortion and Luculla screams in pain.

Valekar you have a clear point to cast it if you want to cast your spell now.

Valekar casts glitterdust

10 foot radius but I think I should be able to cast it so that she gets hit but none of my allies do. DC17 will save or she is blind for 5 rounds

Even if Valekar can't squeeze us out of the radius of effect, Ado seems to have given consent to PvP and Ryker would ream him if he didn't make the tactically sound choice, even if it put his health/safety in danger ;)

Luculla will save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

Luculla screams as she is blinded and you can now all see where she is.

Kira your action I think, and then back to block 1

<"Nicely done Valekar!>" Kira cheers as Luculla reappears. She suspects with Luculla blind and the one remaining cultist still enthralled this battle is about to reach a swift conclusion.

With that in mind, rather than use a spell Kira instead loads her crossbow and fires it at the now-sparkly Luculla. They have no idea how much they have left to explore; better save a few resources for later.

L. Crossbow, Melee: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 6 - 4 = 13
P. Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

As Valekar’s spell picks out Luculla’s form, Adonara’s after her like something considerably worse than the hounds of Hell – what she actually is, a Calistrian with a grudge.

Closing as quickly as she can, she lashes out low with her whip in an attempt to take the cult leader’s feet out from under her. Adonara will keep the way clear for Ryker, but if she can, she'll stay within 5' too so she can make any attack of opportunity that presents itself. Trip attempt: 1d20 + 8 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 8 + 1 + 2 = 28

“<Give my regards to your bearded friend,>” she exults, confident that between whip and sword and bows the Ravens are about to send her quarry to her final reward.

Kira's bolt hits Luculla but bounces off her armour.

This is quickly followed by Adonara tripping her up.

Pellius, your action.

Pellius continues to sing and the cultist remains enthralled.

Valekar, back to you.

Valekar steps closer and then casts a spell into his bow before firing it at Luculla.

+1 longbow, arcane pool, inspired, spell strike, deadly aim, arcane strike: 1d20 + 9 + 2 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (19) + 9 + 2 - 2 - 1 = 27
cold iron, piercing, magic: 1d8 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 13flaming: 1d6 ⇒ 5 plus ray of frost, cold: 1d3 ⇒ 1

+1 longbow, arcane pool, inspired, spellcombat, deadly aim, arcane strike: 1d20 + 9 + 2 - 2 - 1 ⇒ (10) + 9 + 2 - 2 - 1 = 18
cold iron, piercing, magic: 1d8 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 14flaming: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Valekar's arrow flies through Lucualla's eye, killing her easily.

Happy to drop out of initiative as this point as cultist is still enthralled.

Pellius smiles and stops singing. "Well... that was... more bloody than I hoped for... but at least it is mostly finished." He looks to the enthralled cultist. "So, do you want to play tour guide for us? We have an opening for one and it even comes with the benefits of being able to walk away from this hole alive... possibly a bit richer, depending on how truthful you are with regards to traps and locks."

Adonara catches a breath as Valekar’s arrows fly past her with frightening accuracy and strike home. Not wanting to tempt fate after so brutal a battle, she stoops to pull Luculla’s body clear as soon as it stops twitching, and then closes the doors to the unholy shrine. If they’re going to be disturbed soon, at least that will give them a bit of warning.

With that, while Pellius eases the last minion from his thrall, Adonara hurries over, launching a questioning glance at him and the others. Whatever they decide, in the meantime she extracts the set of manacles that are rapidly becoming better friends to her than she expected. I really ought to get some more of these soon, she muses. Possibly magical?

She closes the manacles around the cultist’s wrists with surprising gentleness, but then, while Pellius makes his offer, steps behind the cultist and holds up her whip meaningfully in her peripheral vision.

Happy to help set up a good cop, bad cop routine. No points for guessing which role Ado's going for. :)

One devil-lover down. Kintargo's a better place for it. Ryker slings his sword across his back and gets to looting while the others play nice with the remaining cultist. Without a drop of magic in him, he just brings anything that looks remotely valuable to the center of the room and stands watch.

"Nice shot," he says to Valekar, offering him a nod of approval. New priority: Keep everything away from his fragile ass so he can fill them with more feathers than a goose.

"Okay, I'll co-operate, what do you want to know."

In any 'good cop, bad cop,' routine, Kira is definitely going to be the good cop. "Everything, really." She gently pats the cultist on their uninjured shoulder. "There was some talk about a ghost earlier, where is that? Why were you all here to begin with? Those are good starters." She considers the bloody decor around them. "I'm not sure which god you worship, but I am sure that you'll be of more use to them alive than dead."

She leans in close, voice oddly pitying. "And if I were you, I'd answer any question she asks." She gestures towards Adonara. "Because her god would definitely prefer you dead."

“True,” Adonara says cheerfully, stepping away from the prisoner and blowing Kira a kiss as she looks for a spot to make herself comfortable during the interrogation. Now that a moment’s peace has settled over the shrine, her mood improves considerably, not least because she knows that performing a combination of playfulness and threat can often usefully disconcert a mark.

“Who’s all here, anyway?” the courtesan floats, encouraging cooperation with Kira’s line of questioning as she herself drifts curiously toward the stage. In case the grateful – and unnervingly radiant – smile she directs towards Ryker and Valekar especially doesn’t make it clear that she expects finishing their bloody swathe will be necessary, she adds, “How many … were you?”

Upon reaching the stage, Adonara turns to face the remaining cultist more directly. She arranges herself decoratively (Oh, who am I kidding? ;) ) suggestively on the altar: her posture certainly not indicating anything as submissive as a sacrifice, but rather scorn for the current dedicatee, whose statue she partially obscures by assuming her focal position draping herself scandalously on the stone table in front.

“Don’t tell me you’re followers of the Pallid Princess,” she says dismissively, abandoning her first guess, after briefly giving the statue behind her a careless glance. “They’d love a ghost, and devils aren’t really Urgathoa’s style.”

Wow, lot of questions

"There were 6 of us and Luculla. We are, or rather were a cult of Mahatathallah.

c16: What looks like a set of old smugglers tunnels acessed through a well, we've never been down the well though."

"C9: These were Luculla's chambers. I think she protected the entrance with a trap."

“Don’t think I didn’t notice that,” Adonara purrs, nodding, as she listens to the cultist attentively.

“Hmm. Mahathallah?” she muses, once the sketch of the complex is complete. She tries to place her among what she knows about the powers of Hell. After some moments’ thought, she pronounces her largely scornful judgement on the four Queens, alluding wickedly to both their more vicious and more complimentary soubriquets within the Pit. “Shame, really. For so-called ‘Queens of,’ they don’t seem to know much about either whoredom or night work. Ardad Lili excepted, of course.”

A pause.

“But what to do with you, now?” Putting her hands together, Adonara props the point of her chin coyly on the tips of her first fingers. She enumerates several options. “It would be easiest to just send you to play with your Quean, if your soul could even hope to be rendered into anything beyond a lemure. I don’t really need another pet right now, though maybe Laria could look after you for me. Or I suppose we could just banish you from Kintargo, with the knowledge that you won’t be so lucky if you ever breathe a word about this place to anyone ever again. In either of the latter cases, do you think it would be best to keep you long enough to brand you?”

Despite the way she phrases the question, her glance flickers over the other Ravens, lingering on Pellius especially, wondering if he meant the bit about a tour guide.

Some OOC details in the Discussion thread. :)

Ryker gives Adonara his attention, waiting for a signal.
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Ryker isn't going to be upset either way. He thinks an execution is the cleanest way forward, but knows y'all like your elaborate schemes ;)

Kira leans back, biting her lip. This is the part she hates most. Killing people they were fighting was one thing. Killing people they weren't was another, and she doesn't really have the stomach for it even when she knows it's sometimes necessary.

"Personally I think we should take them along. An...insurance policy, so to speak. In case they were lying about anything." She's pretty sure the cultist is telling the truth, but she could be wrong. "Manacled, of course, so they can't stab anyone in the back and try to run."

She focuses her attention back on the cultist. "If you have told the truth about everything, then once we're finished I, for one, will vote to let you leave."

The rest of the Ravens have been around Kira long enough to know that she means both parts of her proposal, but won't try to stop them if they think an execution is necessary.

“Right,” Adonara says, getting languidly to her feet and letting herself down the front of the stage. Drawing her dagger, she raises it between them alarmingly as she stares the cultist down face-to-face.

Reaching up, she clips one of the bangs from above the cultist’s left eye, stowing it in one of the pockets on her belt. “It would be a shame to ruin a pretty face, after all. So let’s behave and make sure we don’t have to scry you after we let you go, shall we, sweetheart?”

With that, she turns abruptly away, and turns to other business. Seeing the pile of stuff Ryker’s pulled from Luculla’s body, Adonara extracts her wand and prepares to try to breach the cult leader’s sanctum safely. UMD, vs. DC 20: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

“How’s everyone feeling?” she tosses over her shoulder as she briskly juggles the various tools she needs to get into places people want to keep her out of. Anyone need healing?

Her confidence bolstered by a magical edge, Adonara tries to neutralize the trap she spotted on the doorway (to C9). Disable device, with Aram Zey’s focus: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 7 + 1 = 23

In case that's not good enough to avoid springing the trap, she'll use the spell's reroll and try again.

Although she tries her best Adonara manages to set off the trap. There is a flash of light and a blast sparks outward.

damage: 3d8 ⇒ (3, 3, 1) = 7

Reflex 17 for half- I'm assuming only Adonara was at the trap

Yeah, given that she’s still rather amateurish at this point, I think the others know better to stay back a bit. :)

Ref: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 The flash of the trap going off is chased by an inventive Elven curse and the sight of Adonara swinging herself back from where she ducked for cover.

"Not to worry. Everything's fine," she grits between her teeth, tossing her hair back into place. If anything, she sounds more annoyed at the damage done to her studied attitude of catlike grace than anything else. Prima donna that she is. XD

She stalks through the door, ready to turn the place upside-down. With her mood soured again, it's probably a good thing Luculla's already been dealt with.

On the other hand, the Lady in the Room loves an idiot, at least. I think that's Adonara at 0/3 for disarming a trap, but 3/3 for making her saves or dodging out of the way. Small mercies.

After the electrical explosion, Ryker cautiously follows after Adonara. Probably nobody left, but I'm not risking her going in alone. We'll hear the door if anyone comes through the other entrance anyways.
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Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

Kira glances around after Adonara's question. Everyone looked fine, but that didn't necessarily mean they actually were.

No one spoke up though, so she followed the courtesan down the hall. At a safe distance of course, which was proven to be prudent when the door exploded. "Are you okay?"

This room appears to be a combination bedchamber and personal shrine. A portable cot bedecked with furs and a feather mattress sits to the southwest, while to the southeast stands a small semi-circular desk on the top of which lies a miniature altar, a statuette of a skeletal woman with fleshless wings, and several books and scrolls. A wooden stand in the corner to the east supports a gold plated human skull, its top removed so that it can serve as a basin for what appears to be watered down blood.

Ryker you discover that the base of the statuette can be opened. Inside you find a scroll of raise dead.

Adonara surveys the contents of the room dubiously. She loves a bit of roleplaying (obviously!), and is a firm believer in setting the scene, but there is such a thing as taking it too far. Can she make a Knowledge (religion) check or the like just to make sure that, I don’t know, the blood isn’t cursed or (*shudders at the implications*) poisoned or something?

Regardless, true to her upbringing as a temple brat, she makes a beeline for the books and scrolls. Worse, as a Calistrian temple brat, her sense of shame centers around getting caught prying into someone’s diary, say, rather than in the mere fact of snooping. She puts her trained instincts for rapidly getting a sense of the contents of a book to good use.

Kira glances around after Adonara's question. Everyone looked fine, but that didn't necessarily mean they actually were.

No one spoke up though, so she followed the courtesan down the hall. At a safe distance of course, which was proven to be prudent when the door exploded. "Are you okay?"

“Okay? I’m fa-” –bulous? –ntastic? Looking up, she’s about to answer Kira’s question lightly, when she sees what Ryker’s found hidden in the statuette. Even from too far away to even begin to decipher the contents of the scroll in detail, the glittering ink, the dazzling illuminations, and the fact that Adonara’s been dreaming of getting her hands on such a thing for years painfully interrupt her train of thought.

Immediately, her eyes blink shut and her hands curl tight. Reflexively, she searches her mind for the nearest aiudara she knows of. If I can get there, and I sell my whip, or my diadem… She can’t help her racing thoughts, even as she feels Calistria's cool, quizzical gaze upon her. So to speak.

However achingly, Adonara steels herself to meet the test and trust in her goddess' grace. No, not yet. It might – I might – be of better use here. If, when all of this is done… Even when her eyes open again, her face as a whole closes as she springs tensely to her feet. “Like I said, I’m fine.”

She sweeps back into the main temple area, and considers what can be salvaged from Luculla’s body. She turns back to the others, her face still a stern mask. “I’ve burned through about half my spells for the day. With time, I could prepare something that might make the ghost easier, but, for now, shall we check some of the other rooms, and free those prisoners?”

Valekar watches the interrogation as dispassionately as Ryker until...

Adonara turns to face the remaining cultist more directly. She arranges herself decoratively (Oh, who am I kidding? ;) ) suggestively on the altar: her posture certainly not indicating anything as submissive as a sacrifice, but rather scorn for the current dedicatee, whose statue she partially obscures by assuming her focal position draping herself scandalously on the stone table in front.

Valekar raises his eyebrows as Ado captures his attention and his mind wanders from the current moment while his eyes do not... But after a few seconds he blinks, shakes his head and turns away to look at the cultist.

---

Trusting the others to search the room, Valekar stands watch near the door, an arrow at the ready.

Where do you want to go next?

Ryker looks up as he feels emotion jolt through the room. Whatever the Hell this scroll is, it's got people riled up... Unsure who got charged by the sight of it and even more so as to the 'why,' he stows it safely on his person and walks straight out of the room. Wouldn't be the first time someone tried to knife me for something I found without an explanation.

Pulling his sword and making sure his dagger is loose in its sheathe, he stops at the next set of doors. "To the extent that we can, we know this room is safe. Let's work outwards from here," he suggests, positioning himself to enter the nearest set of double doors, with his back out of easy reach of the others.
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Perception (Traps?): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Blue rectangle on the proposed set of doors!

Sounds good! Also, sorry, I know I get wordy. Anything fun to take off the dearly departed Luculla? On that note…

Feeling that she’s living up to the Raven part of the rebel group’s name quite nicely, Adonara gathers up the most interesting things they're able to pull off Luculla’s corpse, and heaps them into the bound prisoner’s arms. They don’t need their hands free to hold a bundle to themselves, after all, it will make it more difficult for them to try any funny business, and they might as well make themselves more useful while acting as tour guide as Pellius suggested.

“Don’t worry,” she coos, probably quite unreassuringly, “we don’t want the undead to eat you up.”

Taking her whip in hand once more, Adonara takes up position beside Ryker. Everyone suddenly seems a bit tense. Oh. Right. Remember, the others don’t know, and, except Valekar, perhaps, they’ll feel things differently.

Happy to follow Ryker’s lead about the place pretty much wherever, though I think we might want to avoid the rooms even the cultists did until we can rest up.

Adonara you are pretty sure that the blood isn't cursed.

The doors open into a wide corridor, heading east. To the northwest are another set of double doors. According to your captive this is an old gambling den containing some undead. On the northern wall are two smaller doors leading to old private rooms. The passage to the east ends at another set of double doors which leads to the gambling den containing the ghost.

No knife in his back yet, Ryker prepares to step into one of the private rooms once someone opens the door. "Clear these smaller rooms on our way to the gambling den. Not having a ghost on our rear if we can help it," he states.
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Just as Ryker says, little rooms on our way to the gambling hall? As a player I suspect nothing but some box text in the little rooms, but you never know!