Rush in and attack
boooooo
Weed rushes in an lays a nasty cut on Hajeck; Dardanius misses with 2 arrows; Tarvoth summons an elemental that extinguishes the flames slowly roasting the child; Turran misses with a blade stroke.
-19
Hajeck quickly turns to address the threat, still chanting, and attacks the party.
The three charred child-corpses rise and attack!
Turran
Tarvoth x2/Weed
Hajeck on Turran
plus each round
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/conditions/#Bleed
On Tarvoth
On Weed
Dardanius will keep firing on Hajeck:
Have elemental attack one of the dead children attacking Tavoth.
Use CLW wand on self and move directly behind Weed and Turran.
boo
-6
Is Blur still up? 1 min/lvl
Is Blur still up? 1 min/lvl
Yes.
weed keeps at Hajek
Is Blur still up? 1 min/lvlYes.
This means Bless should still be up as well right? +1 to hit
if bless is up then 19 to hit total
Attack!
-17 hp
Dardanius slams an arrow into Hajeck's chest; Weed misses; Tarvoth's elemental hits but the blow does no damage to the child-corpse; Turran misses.
-43
Hajeck switches and attacks Weed:
plus bleed each round
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/conditions/#Bleed
The two 'children' attacking Tarvoth ignore him and the water elemental, turning their attentions to Dardanius:
On Weed
-4/35 HP
Dardanius takes a step back and fires at Hajeck
On Turran:
-9hp
weed licks the blood off his hand after touching the wound....and strikes at the creature....as he says mmmmm Hajek...it taste delicious...would you like to stop and try some...its delicious.......
free action, use arcane pt. from black blade to give it +1 dam for 1 minute
use spell strike with ray of frost
-10 hp
Free action: be kind of terrified of Weed's taunt.
Free action: be kind of terrified of Weed's taunt.
All of this!
Dardanius is able to blast another arrow, fletching deep, into Hajeck's chest and she falls to the ground, quite dead. As she falls, her body shimmers and transforms into a small creature looking like a well-dressed and jewelry-bedecked fiendish gnome, its face mostly mouth and fangs.
The animated child-corpses fall lifeless once more. Whatever foul energies that powered them gone with the death of Hajeck.
weed looks around...and goes towards the children....trying to comfort them...shields the children fromm the lifeless corpses
cover the bodies...they need not see anymore
Now that the battle has perhaps paused, did Dar's Knowledge Religion yield results or no?
Dar releases the hanging child's corpse from the manacles and lays it on the ground carefully.
After Dar approaches the alter cautiously trying to see if the magic has dissipated:
Tarvoth, do you know anything about the magics at work here?
Tarvoth will detect magic and look around for anything of value or interest. Do the kids need healing? What about anyone else, who needs heals?
Please let me know if I can make any knowledge rolls for any additional info.
. on self
im down 9 and could use healing...but only if others arent worse off
Dardanius realizes as he releases the child's body that she is still, somehow, barely clinging to life. Blood oozes from multiple cuts and soft flaps of skin hang limply from where Hajeck was peeling it away from the body. Her feet are charred almost beyond recognition, and her breath comes in short panting gasps.
Dardanius thinks Hajeck was performing some type of sacrifice and transferring spiritual essence from the children to the statue.
Tarvoth detects heavy transmutation magics on the statue. None of the children (besides the one that was hanging from the manacles) need healing, but all of them will need some serious therapy or a memory wipe. Tarvoth spies a small locked chest next to where the bedroom furniture has been piled in a jumble. The jewelry on Hajeck's dead form appears to be of value (500GP). The statue with the ruby eyes also appears to be of value (750GP). The large dagger she wielded is of MW quality. Tarvoth can ask questions with associated appropriate knowledge rolls and the Mysterious Storyteller will impart information as appropriate.
"Dar can you tell if this statue is evil?"
"Weed can you check the locked chest and open it?"
Does Tarvoth know anything more about the disguise used by Hajeck? What does he know about fiendish gnomes? Are they a race of gnomes or regular gnomes corrupted by evil? Does he know anything additional about the ritual? Any additional information about he statue? Is there some sort of connection between fiendish gnomes and lycans or wolves?
[dice=CLW wand child]1d8+1
[dice=CLW wand Weed]1d8+1
"Dar can you tell if this statue is evil?"
"Weed can you check the locked chest and open it?"
Does Tarvoth know anything more about the disguise used by Hajeck? What does he know about fiendish gnomes? Are they a race of gnomes or regular gnomes corrupted by evil? Does he know anything additional about the ritual? Any additional information about he statue? Is there some sort of connection between fiendish gnomes and lycans or wolves?
[dice=know arcana]1d20+4
[dice=know history]1d20+4
[dice=know planes]1d20+4
[dice=know religion]1d20+4
[dice=spellcraft]1d20+4
I believe Turran also needs CLW or DC 15 heal as he was wounded with a bleed attack as well.
Tarvoth stabilizes the child, but she is still hideously wounded and in incredible pain. He thinks that Hajeck was not using a disguise but was a creature that was able to change its shape at will.
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rule s#TOC-Change-Shape-Su-
Tarvoth does not think it was any type of gnome but instead a legendary creature known as a Rakshasa.
Rakshasas are born on the Material Plane, but they are not of it. They possess the powers and shapes of fiends, but their fates are inexorably tied to the mortal world, and it is there that they seek to rule. The reincarnations of manipulators, traitors, and tyrants obsessed with earthly pleasures, rakshasas are the embodiments of the very nature of materialistic evil. After dying violent deaths, these spirits are so tied to worldly decadence and selfish concerns that they take shapes that better reflect the baseness of their lives and are reborn as fiends. Thus have sages come to know these beings as the “earthbound evils.”
Consulting a sage or doing research in a library would yield additional knowledge about these Rakshasa creatures.
Tarvoth thinks that the statue was/is being used as a conduit or portal to transfer life-force energy from the tortured children to some other recipient or place. The statue itself seems to hold some native magic, but you aren't sure how to use it or what specifically it is for. Tarvoth doesn't know much about Rakshasas (not many do) and has never heard of any connection between them and lycans or wolves.
weed checks the chest....and if he doesnt find a trap...opens it
Weed opens the chest and finds within what must be the grizzly trophies of the fallen werewolf leader. Mostly a collection of dried ears, fingers, and a few tongues. Mixed with those are 300GP worth of coins and small gems and some items he apparently couldn't identify: potion of heroism; scroll of see invisibility; a ring of spell knowledge 1.
is the fallen werewolf leader outside someone party recognizes...from carnival or town?
weed checks room for anything else....secret doors...etc
Dar will detect evil about the room, paying special attention to the statue and the remaining children.
Is there anything (non-violent) Dar can do for the injured child? To put her to sleep or ease her pain? Would more healing help? Or a heal check?
Once we are done studying the room (and confirming that the children aren't evil): Dar lifts up the charred child: Let's get these children back home.
No one recognizes the werewolf leader. Weed finds nothing else of interest in the room.
Dardanius detects significant residual evil on the statue and dagger, but does not believe either are inherently evil, just that great evil has flowed through them recently. The children seem fine.
Dardanius determines that a significant healing spell would have to be used (heal, regeneration, etc.) to fix the damage. As is, the pain will recede but the child will be hideously maimed for the rest of her life. You regret that you did not get here maybe just an hour sooner, you might have been able to save these poor defenseless souls.
The child whimpers in lingering fear and pain as Dardanius picks her up, but she and the rest of the children are ready to travel.
weed looks down in dejected resignation....a faraway looks in his eyes....fist clenched...then looks up and smiles strangely...let us give the two dead children a burial...we can do that at least...
weed looks down in dejected resignation....a faraway looks in his eyes....fist clenched...then looks up and smiles strangely...let us give the two dead children a burial...we can do that at least...
Three dead children.
Dardanius tells the party about the evil lingering in the objects.
Well, I'd rather bring the bodies back to the parents in stead of doing the burial ourselves. Of course, that is tactically risky. I defer to your judgment.
we could....im trying to spare the parents of the three dead children the horror...however...as you say Dar...we can bring them back...
Weed Smiles at Dar and slowy licks his lower lip.....
Tarvoth shares his knowledge with group.
"Let's get back to town, at least we can make some of the parents happy."
Weed, I don't intend to horrify the parents. But I'd spare them trekking out here to visit the graves or the further desecration of the bodies. If we cannot bring happiness, I pray we bring peace.
well said Dar
There isn't much if any bulk treasure to haul back. Carrying the child corpses is cumbersome, but they are just children, and a quick wrap of a blanket and some rope they are no more than hauling around an extra-heavy kit.
The party makes its way back to Belric and despite feeling that many eyes keep watch over you and the string of distraught children you have in tow, nothing interferes with your journey over a few tiring days of travel.
Your return to Belric is bittersweet. Although many families are reunited with joy and jubilation, for three famlies there is only grief and sorrow, while for another their is both joy and anguish as they discover the reality of their surviving but brutally mutilated daughter.
Sheriff Feldane rewards the party with 1,000 from the town council and thanks them for their services.
Level up.
well gentlemen...what now....i need to do some shopping i think...then im not sure....perhaps i would like to see what relation Hajek really had to the carnival.....im not sure
i believe i will pay the lady walder a visit....
I'd say tracking down this carnival should be our primary focus. I think Borvius was a villain. But I think we've been hoodwinked by the Carnival too.
"Hmmm, there's bound to be a bad apple or two in the bunch but I doubt the whole Carnival was involved, seems to me they treated us okay. But I'm willing to check it out if that's what the group thinks we should do."
Did the sheriff/town have anything else they wanted us to do?
That was supposed to be Tarvoth in the previous post.
Yes
Lol
Figured Tarvoth
Although ii wonder how far darkvisions reach extends
i would like to pay lady walders shop a visit and see if she has a ring of protection....and share with her what has happened anyone like to come along
Earlier, to Tarvoth: While I agree that they *seemed* to treat us well, I'm not sure How Hajeck could operate this way without them knowing. Perhaps the real Hajeck is in a ditch somewhere and this was an imposter? I am eager for answers.
After a pause, Though, I have come to appreciate this company's prowess. I am happy to continue to help the sheriff.
Later, to Weed: I'm happy to come with you to the widow.