The arrow sticks in the creature. As best as you can tell, it looks to have damaged it.
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Eldon loads the rapier with magic and drops the wand so he can use spell combat to cast arcane mark on his rapier, then he steps forward and delivers the spell on the ooze with a strike that draws a shinning E, only to follow with a normal attack.
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Master of Spells Sorrina Westyr frowns at the black veins running through Gallowspire’s walls. “Do you see that? That’s pure negative energy flowing through the walls. It’s strengthening every undead creature in all of Gallowspire. If we don’t do something about it, I shudder to think how tough our battles will be against Gallowspire’s strongest defenders. Let’s put a stop to it here and now!”
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Dekion stops and looks to see the creature Eldon was warning the group about drop from the ceiling.
"An ooze you say, and from afar?" he says, looking down at his sword and shield. He then looks at Eldon with confusion as the elf stabs the creature with his rapier. "Well which is it, melee or ranged?"
Not wanting to delay attacking while he switches out equipment, Dekion steps up to the ooze, swinging his sword extra hard, hoping that his armor will protect him.
Everyone starts wailing in, slashing through, or piercing into the ooze. It is clearly reacting in a way that indicates all of you have damaged it.
It also reacts by punching out a psuedpod at Eldon, but is unable to hit the agile elf.
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Zarnel drops his greatsword with a wistful sigh at Eldon's suggestion to remain 'afar.' As he moves forward to stand near Eldon, he unlimbers the adamantine lucerne hammer from his back. "This thing is not particularly Evil, is it? Either way, it serves the Tyrant's goals." As he sets his grip on the smooth shaft of the hammer, he focuses for a moment on the largest scar running the length of his left forearm.
"Abide No Evil!"
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Eldon moves her head slightly to avoid the pseudo-pod while he shouts "Sorry to confuse you, I wished to fight this one from afar, but I cannot do much at distance"
The elf repeats again his signature attack, focusing to avoid attacks from the creature, and marking another E on it "Take care, it has a 10 feet reach and acid immunity!"
Zarnel seems to have a personal grudge against this ooze, and slams down hard with his hammer, transferring some of the impact back into his own arms! But the damage to the creature is clear, as the ooze in one section turns to a puddle of acid.
Eldon, Dekion and Mylvwara all contribute to finishing the thing off, and Mun is sure he would have hit if only one of his comrades would stop getting in the way.
The spellcasters among your support staff have headed out for a special mission. Let's hope they return unscathed!
The ooze really didn't have any distinct heads, and it is still a big pile of goo - but no longer animate.
The walls in this room are lined with tarnished silver mirrors, some of which have been smashed to pieces. Reflections of reflections dance about in the dim light. The hallway to the south is crisscrossed with crackling black energies that block the entire passageway.
The wards created by the Whispering Tyrant are far beyond the capabilities for most mortal casters to dispel. They cannot currently be bypassed by teleportation. However, the lingering effects of the positive energy released when the Radiant Fire detonated have caused cracks to develop in the Whispering Tyrant’s otherwise masterful spellwork. The PCs can start to bypass the wards in the following ways. Each PC can participate in multiple methods, but can attempt only one skill check for each method.
Study and Manipulate the Wards: A PC can cast detect magic and study the wards to gain insight into undoing part of the wards’ structures. Make a Knowledge (arcana) or Spellcraft check.
Study a Mirror: Long ago, the mirrors here contained trapped souls. With the manipulation of the necromantic energies from the ritual below, however, something like an echo of these souls has returned.
Weaken the Physical Structure: The Whispering Tyrant, as a virtually immortal being whose entire existence is steeped in magic, occasionally overlooks mundane solutions to magical problems. In the case of these wards, he has anchored their complex structure to the walls of his prison, leaving them vulnerable. PCs can physically weaken the stone hallway itself to make it easier to disrupt the wards. With 10 minutes of work, a PC can attempt a Craft (stonemasonry or similar), Disable Device, Knowledge (engineering), or Profession (miner or similar) check, or a Strength check (DC 20).
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"Well done. Let's see what other wicked traps await for us" Eldon moves on, directing his dancing lights deeper into the complex.
At the sight of the mirror he looks his reflection, passes a hand over his bald head and offers himself a smile "Shall I hire a remove alopecia personal service if we get out of here alive?"
Eldon joins his kin on studying the mirror with detect magic before he goes in to try weaken its physical structure.
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As the team moves on to the next room, Zarnel retrieves his greatsword and stows his hammer. He pulls a wand out of his belt and touches the tip to the freshly inflamed scar on his arm.
In the hall of crazy mirrors, the angelic paladin seems at a loss for what to do. He watches Mylvwara studying the runes and energies and decides to help by breaking apart the stone junctures.
While studying the wards, Mylvwara realizes the wards can be moved slightly and manipulated. (1 pt) Mun just stares at her, wondering why he isn't seeing the same thing. Based on the success she had, though, Eldon takes a stab at it as well, and sees exactly that she means. (1 pt)
Zarnel tries the brute force approach, but makes no progress. It seems he is not proving to be strong enough. But in seeing what he is trying to do, Eldon tries a more subtle approah, and Mylvwara even more subtle. Unfortunately, only Eldon succeeds. (1 pt)
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"Well that wasn't so bad," Dekion says as the ooze turns into a puddle. He looks around the rest of the room before heading into the next room.
Following the others over to the wards blocking the passageway. Dekion studies the surrounding walls. Taking out his anytool, he fastens it into a crowbar and then begins to pry at the stonework but can't find the right spot to accomplish anything.
Disappointed he couldn't help with the ward, he walks over to take a look at the mirrors.
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Discouraged at his lack of progress against the structure, Zarnel turns toward Mun to see if he needs assistance. He watches his old friend begin staring into a mirror shard and for lack of anything better to do, he decides to do the same....
His friendship with Mun and Selune fresh in his mind, Zarnel sees a battle alongside them reflected in the mirror. Specifically he sees himself flying like a true angel across the rocky floor of a cavern. He swings around to the back of a dragon(!) as his skin turns black and his sword erupts in flames. The dragon's teeth snap at him but miss widely thereby exposing its long snaky neck. Zarnel's sword comes down true and severs the dragon's head! He then floats back to the rock ledge to rejoin his teammates, panting slightly at the exertion of releasing the hell-beast in his soul.
Zarnel's post
GM's description
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The last of their undead foes fall motionless to the ground. Who would have thought that their small size would have proven so deadly. He looked around, their frontliner and reliable Swordmaster and Paladin were weakened. The sorceror looked dead on his feet. He wasn't feeling that good either but he hadn't had his strength drained like them. All he were bruises and maybe a cracked rib. They hit hard!
Broker watches the scene unfold, and as horifying as the memories were, he notices that some of the worst things were not true to his memory. The sorcerer's eyes glow with an intensity he does not recall, and his movements become stiff and abrupt. The paladin smiles but his eyes are dead, making that smile look positively evil as he turns to cut the throat of the unsuspecting swordsman. This isn't how it happened!
Forcing himself to not look away, Broker starts to see a tiny pattern in the alterations of his memory, tiny but barely perceivable. A pattern, something more to use to confound these wards! (1 pt)
Likewise, Zarnel watches his remembrance, but again, there are difference from what he clearly recalls. The flames that lick his blade glow an unearthly purple with flecks so black that it looks like you could be sucked into each one, never to return. Unfortunately, he is too engrossed in the scene to realize the implications. (no point there - but good move keeping things going!)
Mylvwara continues to try and find weaknesses in the physical structure that Dekion made apparent. Pulling out a chronicle and perusing it, she has an "Aha!" moment, and then pushes just so on the fulcrum point of her tool, revealing some give! (1 pt - 20 was just what you needed there!)
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Catching a quick reflection of Zarnel in the mirror, a series of images prompted by their shared past rush past his mind. Waves upon waves of undead, evil rot in the very trees themselves, the shining image of an ancient paladin, fighting an ancient evil... and an unceremonious splash into water as the battle raged on.
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The strain of making sense from what he remembers and what he saw in the mirror unnerves the hardened mercenary for a moment. He shakes his head to clear it and looks to something more physical as he tests the structure with strength.
All the better to vent a bit. The paladin and Swordsman was stuffy to the point of suffocation but they didn't deserve that fate. Putting his should on to a pillar, he gives it a hard shove. His shoulder protests and he might have just sprained it but it was there for him to vent.
And the feat of strength is enough to do it!
As Broker pushes and you all collectively use what you have discovered, the wards weaken enough for you to pass through the hall of mirrors.
This room’s marble walls, floors, and ceiling hint at its former glory. Four statues of a skeletal figure dressed in ornate robes and crowned with a horned helmet stare menacingly at the wide bridge that crosses a bone-strewn pit.
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Eldon contemplate the scenes at the mirrors "Great fight Zarnel. I have never seen a dragon neck severed so recklessly. I hope you could made a nice armor of his scales"
Once they cross the hall, the elf looks cautiously at the statue to the east by firstly scanning it with detect magic.
Next, Eldon examines the early area of the room for traps and other details that might have escaped his first sight.
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Mun immediately pulls up as he and Selune enter the chamber. He joins the others in an investigation with detect magic, focusing on the eastern statue first. Noting the placement of the statues, Mun posits "That's just how I'd place them if I intended those statues to ambush someone on that bridge."
The statues do not radiate magic, but you suddenly see two robed figures on the other side of the bridge.
Silken robes drape this androgynous forms, providing only an outline of the body beneath. Claw-tipped tentacles emerge from the cuffs. Its face remains perpetually covered by a dark veil, and a trio of long, forked tongues periodically emerges from its rounded mouth and tastes the air around its thin lips.
You recall these creatures are resistance to all but good-aligned or silvered weapons (DR 5/good or silver) and immune to acid, death effects, disease and poison. They also have resist colr 10, electricity 10, and fire 10, and have SR 16.
in addition, you know they fly and cast spells (CL6) and have telepathy.
About this Daemon Type…
Venedaemons represent the concept of death by magic. While among the weakest of daemons, they possess a frightening aptitude for spellcraft, and given enough time, luck, or sponsorship by more powerful fiends, may rise to much higher levels of arcane mastery and personal power. As such, many influential daemons employ venedaemons as servitors and scholars. Ever eager to expand their knowledge of magic, venedaemons also enter into pacts with mortal spellcasters, offering knowledge in exchange for knowledge. Other times they mask their nature and explore the arcane secrets of worlds upon the Material Plane, infiltrating academies or exploring magical ruins, always in search of greater spells and power.
Personification of Death: Magic.
Preferred Sacrifice: A magic-user’s familiar, or some manner of arcane knowledge unknown to the daemon.
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Mylvwara's frown deepens, "Venedaemons: personifications of death by magic. Selfish spellcasters sometimes make pacts with them, perhaps the Whispering Tyrant did?"
She shakes her head not time for a lecture, relevant information for now, "They fly, casts spells and are telepaths. They have some resistance to weapons which are not blessed or silver. They are immune to acid, diseases and poisons, as well as death effects. Although not immune, they are resistant to cold, lightning and fire. They can shrug off spells at times as well."
Unable to resist, she quips, "Really, they have no redeeming features."
She looks around at her companions, Large space, flying foes, how ready are they for this?, and begins ticking off different options in her mind.
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"This is going to be painful..." Eldon sheathes his rapier and moves forward looking for cover while drawing his composite longbow "If they are casters, we better remain scattered"
Then facing the Venedaemons he shouts "Are you two the tomb designers? I have a couple improvement requirements to comment..."
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"Demons, you say? Well, they don't get much more Evil than that."
The paladin casts a spell unique to his lineage providing just a bit more protection against foes such as this before moving towards them. As he moves, he covers his eyes momentarily, touches his battered breastplate, and intones "See No Evil, Abide No Evil."
The bear steps in front of her master, instinctively standing tall to protect Mun.
Both creatures hold their ground and begin to cast spells. The first (red) targets Mylvwara.
The other caster (blue) casts something on itself.