Ironperenti's Rise of the Runelords Campaign

Game Master Ironperenti

The clean spot appears to be nothing more than just a clean spot. Thankfully, Camil's suspicions are roused and just before he gets to the two statues with glaives he notices holes in the floor and old blood spots on the flagstone just past them. He thinks the flagstone must be a pressure plate that causes something to come up through the holes. It might even activate the statues and cause them to swing their glaives.

Ehhh, good thinking on going slow. There's some kind of pressure plate up here. Camil crawls forward very slowly to investigate the trap's specifics and bypass it if possible.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27

Camil is pretty sure he has managed to jam the stone so it will not sink and trigger the trap. The rest of the room appears to be clear.

Camil will hiss to his companions, come on up, I've got the trap on the floor bypassed, we can cross it. he then does just that, and crosses the trap he's wedged in place.

Once across he'll check the northern door first, and then the southern door. [i]This is nerve wracking, worse than trying to pull to an inside straight when all the coin is on the table...[/b]

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19
Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

After Camil proves the trap is undone, Runt will follow. Actually, she is quite content just following.

"Good job, Camil. I'm not sure what we would do without your skills. We're right behind you in case we find whatever made the noise," Lavanor says.

Camil opens the door to the north. A wide stone ledge of red marble lines the curving walls of this room, which is well-lit by four burning skulls that sit in each corner. Three chairs rest in the room, and both stone ledges are covered with books, scrolls, teeth, bones, scrimshaw artwork, jars of deformed creatures soaking in brine, taxidermied animals and limbs, and other strange objects. To the north, a large round fountain filled with frothy blue water fills the room with the gentle sound of bubbling. Standing near the middle of the small room are a dark skinned young woman with a sour expression on her face, a large, slightly luminescent dog, and a beautiful woman with platinum blonde hair yet with a hideous, monstrous left hand.

The blonde woman looks at the dark skinned lady and says pleasantly, "You did say they were coming, Akyrie. Gog, kill them."

Out in the hall, everyone else hears the final command which is given with zeal.

Round 1
Runt, Isabella
Akyrie
Camil, Lavanor, Zandril
Nualia, Hound

Not sure what knowledge roll to make, but she has planes and religion if it applies: kn planes or religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Runt much prefers to let his summons do the dirty work for her. Peeking around the corner and seeing 3 enemies, she decides to try for multiple summons but only manages to sic summon count: 1d3 ⇒ 1 lousy primordial eagle right behind the blond woman.

to hit talon: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
damage, primordial: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
to hit talon: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22
damage, primordial: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
to hit bite: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Dang! I was hoping for at least three of them.

Having done her part she backs away to give the others a chance to engage.

"We got company here folks. Three of them and one of them is probably that demon girl."

Isabella lifts her sword, then lowers it slowly to the ground.

"Nualia?" she says. She shifts slightly, a look of concern crossing her face.

"What's happened? What brought... all this?"

Isabella gestures with one free hand. "Something... something awful must have happened to you. Please... talk to me. We aren't so different, you and I."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

FYI: Isbella has a big fat wall between her and Nualla. She will need to move 25' or so to get line of sight.

@DM - need an initiative roll for Zherxikas. Also, how do you want to bot Zandril? Are you doing it or one of us?

Poor Xikas, my apologies. I'll bot Zandril.

Round 1
Runt, Isabella, Zherxikas
Akyrie
Camil, Lavanor, Zandril
Nualia, Hound

1d20 ⇒ 14

I went to all this work to try to stay with the group and have us move as a team, and I still wind up stuck outside.

Someone just move me into the appropriate place, please?

In your defense the approach is a skinny little corridor with a bend at the end. Only two PCs had line of sight when we encountered them, Runt and Camil. Runt moved out of her position to make room for an archer, but there is a nasty choke point approaching the enemy. If you move to engage you are next to all three and deny anyone else from engaging. I decided to move you right in front of Camil but not so far as to put you in the unfortunate position of being next to all three of the enemies. The BEST move would be to hold back and let them come to us and make them move next to three of us (or two - not sure if that alcove has room or not), but from your role play, I thought that moving her up to talking distance made more sense instead of talking from behind a corner.

There's some strong RP stuff that I was hoping to do, since Isabella and Nuala are both aasimar who were raised in Sandpoint with expectations from the locals and suffered injuries that have left them with scarred midriffs. I was trying to play with some dramatic parallels. Of course if we fights, we fights. :)

She heard you, even if she did not see you. Fear not, I will work it in. Do you want to be where Runt placed you, in the very front? You could move up behind Camil and speak from just around the corner.

I'm fine with coming from from behind, Nualia might recognize Isabella's voice, and certainly once Isabella starts expounding on their shared Sandpoint experiences she'd probably know who it is.

"We seem a bit cramped in this hallway to fight. Should we back out to the statue room? Be careful, Isabella. She might not be interested in talking given that she's sicking her dog on us," Lavanor says as he pauses for the group do decide on a plan. His hands instinctively alternates between squeezing and then relaxing on the pommel of his sword in anticipation of combat.

I'm assuming Isabella did not move past Camil and have adjusted her position as such. It looks like Runt summoned the eagle and then withdrew to the larger room.

Let's assume Zherxikas moves to a position where he can see the door to the hall and readies an action to launch a force missile at the first enemy who pops its head through there. (Zherxikas, if you see this, feel free to change it).

Runt's eagle tears at Nualia and draws first blood. Akyrie, focused more on people than summoned animals, snarls and whips her hand in Camil's direction while saying an incantation. Two translucent darts leave her hand and slam into Camil (9 dmg). (Although it is not her turn, a little free action repertoire) From around the corner Isabella hears Nualia reply, "Sister, I realized my blood is tainted with that of the angels, as is yours. Join me against the lesser beings and with the Mother's help you too can start down the path of ridding yourself of the taint as I have."

Round 1
Runt, Isabella, Zherxikas
Akyrie
Camil, Lavanor, Zandril <==
Nualia, Hound

Wincing in pain from the magic missiles, Camil sees the wisdom of Lavanor's words, and begins to retreat, Isabella, lets back away, but keep talking. hopefully he's able to guide Isabella back toward the larger room.

He consumes a potion in doing so.

Longarm, increase reach by 5'

Let's assume Zherxikas moves to a position where he can see the door to the hall and readies an action to launch a force missile at the first enemy who pops its head through there. (Zherxikas, if you see this, feel free to change it).

His token hasn't been moved but it's current location doesn't match what you described. I don't want to back out of the hallway if he just walked into it.

No thats fine... sorry been a bit of a mess of a week

Kn Planes: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Kn Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

All her life she has focused her passions on the plight of the disfigured and monstrous looking minority, blocking out all the other horrific parts of the worship of Lamashtu, because that is all she knew. And challenging the prevalent thought would have been suicide. One learns to turn a blind eye when ones survival depends on it.

But now Runt, who has had a splash of freedom, has come to realize just how different her beliefs are than the run of the run of the mill Lamashtu priest.

Another bloody idiot ready to throw their life away and every other one near them to honor the Mother. What a waste.

Of course she is still not brave enough to actually say anything. Old survival habits die hard.

"Lesser beings? What brought you to this conclusion?" questions Isabella. "Throwing goblins against the people of Sandpoint in a cycle of endless waste, just killing each other? Why are you so keen on this? On renouncing our heritage?" she asks. There is genuine pain in her voice, a little fear - the quavering uncertainty that says if things had gone a little different, this could have been me.

She inches closer to try to get to where she can see Nualia, understand her, figure out how to reach the woman beneath the scars.

Lavanor nods at Camil as he moves back to the previous room. He's about to retreat himself, when he sees that Isabella seems intent on staying where she is to have a conversation with Nualia. Not wanting to leave her to fend for herself, he considers his options.

"I could go shut the door, but that would just delay us going in there. I could stand at the door and hope they come to me, but based on Camil's wound, one of them knows magic. I really don't want to just stand there and let them cast spells at me. I hope I don't regret this," he thinks for a moment and then sighs, resigned he has only one real option. "Change in plans," he yells over his shoulder at the rest of the group before moving into the room and attacking the caster with a mighty swing.

Power Attack (Akyrie): 1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (7) + 8 - 1 = 14
Damage: 1d10 + 5 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 3 = 10

I'm showing Zherxikas in the 3x6 room. If my movement of him did not work then it looks like someone else moved him.

Lavanor's attack glances off a near transparent field around Akyrie. Then Nualia swings in retaliation at the eagle and explodes the thing in blood and feathers while answering Isabella. "Your beauty is a curse sister. Others will seek you out for it and try to control you. Yet the Mother will give you the power to control them and rule your own destiny. Join me, or die!" she says starting off sweetly before splattering the eagle and then finishing with a terrible anger in her voice. The Yeth hound, meanwhile, rises off the floor and comes over the shelf at Lavanor. It snaps at him but misses as Lavanor's steps back.

Round 2
Runt, Isabella, Zherxikas <==
Akyrie
Camil, Lavanor, Zandril
Nualia, Hound

Runt hurries back to see what is going on and tries summoning eagles again.

summon count: 1d3 ⇒ 1

And once again she fails to take advantage of her superior summoning. The eagle appears in the same place where the previous one was slaughtered and lights into its victim, this time with a flanking bonus.

to hit talon: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 = 11
damage, primordial: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
to hit talon: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 3 + 2 = 18
damage, primordial: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
to hit bite: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 3 + 2 = 24
damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

I put Runt in the alcove. If that is illegal please adjust.

@runt: position is good.

The eagle gets in some nasty claws on Nualia definitely drawing her attention.

I messed up the mage's name since I did not reference it. It is Lyrie Akenja, apparently I merged them in my brain and came up with Akyrie. So, Lyrie is Akyrie when you see the switch. Or Akyrie is Lyrie, however you wish to look at it.

Copy that, I'm trying to let Isabella RP our way out of this since its character appropriate for her, and Camil's a gambler, not a hero...

"You were supposed to uplift people, not to hurt them! We were given gifts to rise above what happened to us, not to visit it upon others!" shouts Isabella. The corners of her eyes glisten with tears and her voice strains. "My body was savaged, like you! My home was lost, like you! Yet I was given a chance to bring life, even if I can never make it again! Why are you doing this? Why did you turn away and make yourself into a monster?!?"

Leaning her falchion to one side, she pulls up her chain shirt - even though Nualia can't see it from this angle, Isabella's traveling companions can - to show where her body is deeply scarred with angry red wounds that have left her barren.

"I did not give up my life to watch my sister fall into the void!" she shouts. "I lost my husband! I lost my womb! And it taught me that what matters most is the people I care for!"

"Fool, my body wasn't savaged. I made these marks in homage to the Mother. I can now bear her children. The taint you carry is weakness my sister (this she says with dripping disdain). I only seek to destroy those who would think they are above the Mother's children. I burned my father in that church, I killed the liar who said he loved me, and after I destroy you and your friends I will burn Sandpoint to the ground." At this point she sounds quite insane.

the talking is basically a free action, maybe a swift action if you get really verbose. You may still take an action as I have Nualia speaking out of turn, dramatic license and all. Even if Isabella does not want to strike at this point, she may heal those around her or provide other protections.

For those who cannot see the map, Lavanor has stepped into the doorway of the room where Nualia and the other enemies are. Runt has tucked herself into an alcove just south of Lavanor so she can observe the fight and Isabella is on the other side of the doorway across from Runt speaking to Nualia. All others are currently back in the trapped room. On his next turn Zandril will try to support but he will need some space.

Zherxikas is up.

"Now, see, I understand seeking to defend the Mother's children, but really? You do not see the hypocrisy of killing everyone else's children? Well, I do. Your whole lot is bat-guano crazy."

Hearing the ravings of a madwoman, he steps down the hall and casts glitterdust.

DC 17, cast is such a way to only get the two inside the chapel

The glitter dust explodes and covers Nualia, the eagle, and Alyrie. Nualia's hair just manages to keep the dust from getting in her eyes and the eagle's hovering movement keeps its eyes clear. Alyrie screams as the dust gets in her eyes and she takes a step back to avoid others.

Round 2
Runt, Isabella, Zherxikas
Lyrie
Camil, Lavanor, Zandril <==
Nualia, Hound

Dang lucky eagle.

Camil, seeing Isabella and Lavanor stay in the room, grits his teeth and advances, drawing his bladed scarf and attacking the hound from range. Listen to her Nualia, you were friends once, doesn't that mean anything?

Attack: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 3 - 4 = 11
I assume the hound has cover from me based on where I landed in the melee. If not, please add +4 to the attack roll.

Damage?: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Unable to follow Lyrie with the dog where it is, Lavanor takes his frustration out on the mutt.

ECB Power Attack (Hound): 1d20 + 8 - 1 ⇒ (11) + 8 - 1 = 18
Damage(S): 1d10 + 5 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 3 = 12

I had moved Zherxikas to cast the spell but it seems to have reset. I had him where Camil is standing. Is Camil good with moving one space forward? I have assumed this and moved you appropriately. There is cover due to the corner but it is partial at -2.

Camil's scarf does not make contact but Lavanor's sword does and it draws a yelp from the dog. Zandril moves down the hall toward the melee. He makes his way through the crowded hall and attempts to tumble past Nualia to get into the room. However, Nualia rebuffs him with a swift strike of her sword and he is forced to withdraw back behind the crowd.

Then she follows up with a sword strike at Lavanor and claws at the eagle with her monstrous hand. the Yeth hound fails to sink its jaws into Lavanor but Nualia lands a resounding blow (14 dmg). Then with her clawed hand she gives the eagle a good scratch (3 dmg).

Runt, Isabella, Zherxikas are up, right?

Round 3
Runt, Isabella, Zherxikas <==
Lyrie
Camil, Lavanor, Zandril
Nualia, Hound

Runt isn't much of a bowman so she can't contribute to the fight directly, so she settles into a trance and calls upon the forces of the universe she has learned to tap into, her hand resting on her holy symbol of Lamashtu, wondering if she could use something else. The last few months have been quite disruptive to her world view.

She focuses on Lavanor, figuring he is going to need this the most and provides some Inquisitor's Direction (Su) to him.

Lavenor is hasted until Runt's next turn. Remember that his AC and reflex ST is at +1 and all the other goodies that come with it.

The eagle, of course, does it's thing without being told. Dropping to the ground and hopping as it brings it's talons to bear, it focuses again on the blond featherless creature it hates for no reason at all.

to hit talon, flank: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 3 + 2 = 16
damage, primordial: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

to hit talon, flank: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 = 11
damage, primordial: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

to hit bite, flank: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 3 + 2 = 14
damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

The bird's talons come close but a new force slightly deflected its attacks and caused it to miss.

Isabella's had enough of this back-and-forth. She lets her chain shirt fall back into place and unleashes a bless spell to help tilt the combat in the team's favor. Even so, silvery tears glisten at the corner of her eyes, and as she grips her holy symbol she grips with it the wedding ring that hangs from the same band around her neck.

All heroes +1 to hit and damage

Zherxikas is up

Why damage? bless only gives +1 to hit. Unless I missed a prayer or something.

Gestures and an arc of flame leaps from his fingers towards Nualia and Lyrie.

burning arc, DC16, lyrie would only get max of half as the second target: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 2, 3) = 6

@Runt: you are correct, +1 to hit and to saves vs fear.

Nualia takes the brunt of Zherxikas' attack but Lyrie manages to avoid most of it now that she can see. Lyrie appears livid and points her finger at the only clear target and chants. A green beam extends from her finger and engulfs Lavanor causing him to sag a bit (-2 STR, 3 rds).

Round 3
Runt, Isabella, Zherxikas
Lyrie
Camil, Lavanor, Zandril <==
Nualia, Hound