"This is clearly an un-used portion of the lower complex, between that wall of carrion blocking it off and the swarm which would presumably attack gnolls as happily as us... but it was a secret door that got us in here; perhaps there is another such down here? First let us search for that." Omari starts searching the walls of the passage. As he does, he continues to talk "Also, Manuun, you missed an option - going out on the surface and entering the temple through the front door..."
5 rank +2 wis+2 racial
There is no further secret door found in the short passage between the room and the bone wall.
Once Swiper is recovered from the nausea, Roryx turns to Ohrmizd witha pat on his back - "Good joke"
Then he goes to check on Heshan, but decides to leave him to it.
"I would bet this is clearly an out of the way, not used entrance or exit - seems like a good bet for us to gain access. So I say we move in when everyone is recovered" - he adds, testing the resistance of the 'corpse blockade' - "With some elbow grease we can pull this apart"
It took a bit under a minute, but Heshan did eventually come to his senses.
"Let us hope the Carrion King does not live up to his name in his own spell as well," He spoke with a weary voice.
Ohrmizd makes a sign on his heart "Sarenrae protect us from all the death around us"
Then starts moving aside more and more dead corpses to clear the way forward "Let's do it then"
Roryx joins his companion in the effort, instructing Swiper to stay a few feet back from the gruesome task - "I have never seen you so hesitant before Ohrmizd - what is wrong?"
It is disgusting in smell, touch and sight, but in the end it is just digging through the blockage. Once you're through you can climb the bowl of death. The floor of this foul-smelling place is carpeted with an uneven layer of trampled carcasses and flesh and fur and bones.
A gargantuan but shallow pit filled with broken, rotting carcasses crawling with larvae and vermin dominates this area, leaving a ten-foot-wide walkway to the east and west. The bodies in the pit, mostly the remains of goats, cattle, and other animals, turn the pit into a roughly bowl-shaped depression, ten feet deep in the middle and nearly even with the floor along the edge. A twenty-foot-wide gap in the pit wall to the east opens into a carcass-lined tunnel. To the south, the ledge widens into a balcony overlooking the pit, while to the north the room curves inward around a concave ledge that supports a gigantic framework of bone and sinew in the shape of a nine-legged spider with a gaping maw. Much of its surface is stretched with the dried skins of dozens of different creatures.
Extending from the spider’s maw is a stone walkway that connects to the top of a twenty-foot-wide pillar rising from the center of the pit. Atop this pillar sits a tremendous and gory throne made of shattered bodies, stitched together with rope and lengths of bent metal to form a throne of bones and maggot-writhing carrion.
On top of the throne sits a giant gnoll, his eyes glowing red in the dim light. To the right behind him stands a menacing gnoll in fine dark robes. The gnoll on the throne is wearing a full plate and holds a greataxe. The axe is masterfully crafted, with a human skull at the business end and the sharp blades like ears. Red gems are placed as eyes into the skull.
"So you finally show yourself! And in your rightful place! I'll enjoy watching your death in the pit of Thkot Tal."
From the tunnel to the east emerges a gargantuan centipede. On it's back it has extensions like sharp blades that move quickly back and forth as the creature moves, making it effectively an oversized electrical hedge clipper.
"The first row of bodies was ok" Ohrmizd puts aside another body "But this second one. This is too apocalyptic even for my stomach, my friend"
As the group makes their way through and find the throne, Ohrmizd scowls "I would have though a King had a better taste for decoration and atrezzo"
Seeing the centipede coming, the Keleshite is fast to cast shield of faith and activate his protection judgement "This seems a difficult place to fight in. What is the best tactic here Omari?"
Omari replies: "Back, back into the tunnel - let's not give them room to all get at us at once!"
Roryx retreats to the tunnel, as suggested by Omari.
"Perhaps another time...." He reluctantly decided to follow the others out of the tunnel for the time being, casting Mage Armor along the way.
The oversized vermin comes scuttling over the floor of bones.
"Let's get out of here" - Roryx waits for his companions to retreat into the tunnel taking a long look at the gnoll on the throne, then follows them.
"Ok, buddy, I do not plan to engage that thing" Ohrmizd casts instrument of agony on his scimitar, then moves into the tunnel "Yet"
"Ok, you shot it, then move behind me"
"You called it Ohrmizd..." says Omari as he takes a parthian shot at the centipede. Then he legs it up the tunnel...
4 bab+3 dex +1 enhancement
+2 str +1 enhancement
Ohrmizd's arrow is deflected by the hard shell of the beast. Manuun adds a scratch. The monster comes closer and disappears mostly from sight due to cover.
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Roryx's actions are the same as before - he waits for his companions to act, but then he moves as far inside the tunnel as he can.
"Ok, guys, the thing is there still" Ohrmizd holds tight his scimitar "I can sense it"
The Keleshite holds the position to protect the others. He casts divine favor and activates his protection judgement "Sarenrae give me your favor, for the challenge ahead is inhuman"
"Damn, I was hoping to get the centipede to chase us in here... anybody got an idea to lure it out to get shot? An illusion or a summoned monster, maybe?"
"I can make it sparkle and create multiple images of myself. Oh, this might do it." Heshan moved his hands around and for lights flicker at the edge of the tunnel they had just entered.
"Keep backing up Orhmizd, I don't think either side wants to play today..."
Omari retreats up the tunnel, a shot at the ready if the centipede shows itself...
"Get over here and one of you have Madfang release the unchosen!" the carrion king orders as he gets up and moves away from his throne.
Roryx doubles back as it seems his companions are intent on picking a fight, zapping his wand for protection.
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He looked over towards the others to see their nods of approval. "Oh. So we are doing this after all. Well in that case..."
His hands swirled together around cube like shape as a flame formed inside. "You were saying when I could create fire. Now I can!" He sent the flame straight into the square and lit the area around in a ball of fire, hitting the bug and robed individual in the process.
"Um, well, I guess we are doing this..." Omari is a bit surprised, but he moves while calling upon Erastil's blessing and readying his bow.
Ohrmizd looks at the massive creature readying his scimitar. Feeling Manuun's magic he smiles "I feel a true hero now. This cannot go wrong"
Just at that moment, Heshan's fireball bursts into the room, Ohrmizd exclaims with jubilation "Yeah! That's it!"
"So you oversized worm, will you come here face us in your whole or will you wait there to burn like a barbecue?" he readies an attack in case an enemy approaches.
The cloaked figure evades the fireball, by stepping out. The huge vermin takes the burn and scuttles out of sight.
"Ha! Look how that worm burns!"
"Tik tok tik tok!" Ohrmizd shouts "Your clock is running out of time King of Cowardice! Keep hiding over the top of your pile of poo and you soon will have no one to rule over!"
Ohrmizd casts guidance on Manuun and waits for the ranged team to keep throwing the artillery at their enemies.
Heshan smiled as the magic washed over the creature... though less so when the hooded figure leaped out of the way.
"I do not think he is a wizard," Heshan replied. He now noticed that the others have retreated. "It seems like our foes have a plan of their own. Any ideas on what to do?"
"We keep defending our position and throwing them ranged stuff" shouts back Ohrmizd in the heist of combat.
The Carrion King joins the adventuring group in the tunnel and grabs for Ohrmizd. Also some more gnolls come into sight.
Omari promptly unleashes Erastil's wrath on the gnolls
and reflex DC 14 vs Blindness (1d4 rds), dazzled if they make the save
Ohrmizd is surprised by the dashing speed of the gnoll leader, but his reflexes kick in fast enough for him to deflect the gnoll's grasp. The man look eye to eye at him with a smile "Ah, good thing you decided to come pay a visit. Too bad the carrion stench came with you!"
The Keleshite steps forward and slashes at the oversized gnoll activating bane "There will be no war if Sarenrae's mercy can stop it!"
With his other hand, Ohrmizd raises his mithral shield, and Sarenrae reflects the scene with the light of the scimitar.
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"You look like you have something in your eye. Let me help." By that, Heshan means to spread shiny dust in the same area of the grease for all to deal with."
Roryx casts a protective spell which creates a number of illusory doubles of himself, and with a shrug moves ahead to join Ohrmizd.
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The Carrion King shakes off the glitter, grabs Ohrmizd, drags him back and pushes him out of the tunnel as prey for Thkot Tal. "Try your insults and empty threats on my pet."
The hungry pet thankfully takes the opportunity to take a bite and a tail sting.
One gnoll steps up and presenting an unholy symbol of rovagug, casts a spell on the Carrion king.