Roderick sees through the illusion, just in time to see Lya heal fung, who then kills the lancer! The serpentfolk caster darts around the corner, but not fast enough to avoid a peck from Fairbeaks! Still have a standard left, Roderick! I'm inclined to wait for you here because we're flying through these combats.
★★★
Serpent Slavers! Round 3
Faustus Shield of faith
——
Serpentfolk in Robes -47 HP, deaf
——
RoderickStandard action left
Fung -32 HP
——
Riding Lizard -3 HP, Charge Penalty
——
Theo
Fairbeaks
Lya
Lilybeth
Fairbeaks, in the meantime, has his predatory sights set on the fleeing serpentfolk. With an excited squawk, he rushes off after it, his long legs charging easily down the corridor to strike at his prey.
Theo takes out the riding lizard easily. Fairbeaks rushes down the corridor and lands another blow before tripping the caster! Inkell flies in and does some damage, too! The serpentfolk caster does indeed linge at the dragon, but misses, INkwell notices the fangs drip with potent venom.
★★★
I'd call it at this point but we're in a special and moving quick as a group, so you can finish the caster off here.
Serpent Slavers! Round 4
FaustusShield of faith
——
Serpentfolk in Robes -79 HP, deaf, prone
——
Roderick
Lya
Fung -32 HP
——
Riding Lizard -3 HP, Charge Penalty
——
Theo
Fairbeaks
Lilybeth [/b]
knowing full well his lack of mobility, Faustus looks at the lizard and Faustus, knowing full well this can never end well, grabs the reigns of the lizard and attempts to mount it.
ride, if needed:1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10
If successful, he will guide the creature as far down the hallway towards the serpentfolk as it can go.
Yes, the riding lizard is dead. It had only 15 hp total as a CR2 riding lizard and it was very lucky Roderick didn’t outright kill it at the start of combat. Faustus, please redo your turn (riding the lizard would have been amazing, too!).
★★★
Serpent Slavers! Round 4
FaustusShield of faith
——
Serpentfolk in Robes -79 HP, deaf, prone
——
Roderick
Lya
Fung -32 HP
——
Theo
Fairbeaks
Lilybeth
The caster concentrates, even deaf, to avoid AOOs and creates some light of her own: a rainbow of colors flashes in the dark!
Please make a Will save, Fairbeaks
DC 17 Spellcraft, Line of Sight to caster:
Color Spray.
She then stands and 5-foot steps back! This will trigger from Inkwell, possibly the axebeak but hopefully not, for her sake…
read after making Fairbeaks' save:
DC 18 will against COlor Spray. Fairbeaks is Stunned for 1 round. If it makes the save you have an aoo.
★★★
Serpent Slavers! The final round
FaustusShield of faith
——
Serpentfolk in Robes -79 HP, deaf, maybe dead from AOOs
——
Roderick
Lya Fung-32 HP Theo
Fairbeaks Will save needed, then read the spoiler. Lilybeth
Will save:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17Oh, so close! Missed by 1 Sadly, Devotion only affects enchantments, not mind-affecting illusions!
Fairbeaks staggers back from the flash of colored lights, shaking his head to and fro, stunned!
Theo hurries after his feathered friend, passing both Faustus and the axebeak, to confront the serpentfolk. He yells back in Tien for Fairbeaks to snap out of it... not that it does any good.
[Dice=Will save]1d20+2 Oh, so close! Missed by 1 Sadly, Devotion only affects enchantments, not mind-affecting illusions!
Fairbeaks staggers back from the flash of colored lights, shaking his head to and fro, stunned!
Theo hurries after his feathered friend, passing both Faustus and the axebeak, to confront the serpentfolk. He yells back in Tien for Fairbeaks to snap out of it... not that it does any good.
Theo double moves.
Theo is currently under the influence of fly, so 60 foot fly speed, so it's only a single move to get there!
Without saying a word, Faustus moves up and around the caster.
Provokes
Faustus has Step Up, so if she takes a 5' step back, he follows He also has Coordinated Distraction, which means the caster is at a +4 DC to cast on the defensive based on Faustus and Theo (who is treated as having the feat for solo tactics)
With nowhere for the caster to go (especially with feats like step up and distracting), the fight is over soon enough.
I'm just going to call the fight here. Ther's a lot of back and forth going on, but there is fundamentally nothing at stake since the caster is all alone and trapped. I don't want to end up creating a frustrating experience for players just to do the busywork of disabling a cornered caster who has less than 20 HP left!
★★★
The creatures have some treasure.
Lilybeth has Read Magic and Faustus has both Detect Magic and decent Spellcraft — enough to reliably ID basic and unexciting magic items, at least!
Caster gear:
potions of cure moderate wounds (2), scrolls of blur (2), scrolls of daze monster (2), scrolls of hideous laughter (2), scroll of hold person, scrolls of invisibility (2), scrolls of mirror image (2), scrolls of touch of idiocy (2), wand of mage armor (20 charges), wand of magic missile (20 charges); mwk dagger, amulet of natural armor +1, ring of protection +1, spellbook with prepped spells, 273 gp
potion of cure moderate wounds; mwk breastplate, javelins (7), mwk lance, belt of giant strength +2, cloak of resistance +1, 33 gp
★★★
As before, you have the opportunity to do some research here. You can use Craft (painting), Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (nature), Profession (clerk, farmer, scribe, shepherd, or stable master), or Survival to make useful notes on the creatures' anatomies.
male Human Chirurgeon 8 AC20(24)/T15(19)/F16/CMD17 |HP 67/67 | Fort:+11;Ref:+13;Will+6 |Percept.+12 | Init.+10 (1/1 mutagen: used bombs 11/15 used) wings 2/7min {heroism, cues, endure elements, shield, mutagen}
Roderick raises an eyebrow while he lights and takes a quick puff or two on his pipe.
Interesting development. I suppose these creatures will not mind paying a stipend for the inconvenience they caused us. Besides, they are not likely to need this gear at this point in their careers.
”That is correct, and to the victor go the spoils.” says Faustus. ”Lilybeth, maybe this book will be of use to you.
“Lya, why don’t you take the scrolls of hold person, since you are more likely to use them than the glaive you carry around. Fung, you seem the most hurt, take the potions before we have to get into our personal stocks. If no one minds, I will grab the ring for when my spell of shield of faith runs out. Someone should grab the strength belt and cloak, as well as the amulet.
“Lilybeth, my suggestion would be to use the want of mags armor on each of us, just in case we should run into anything incorporeal... being prepared can prevent unwanted deaths.
Female Human Conjurer 9 | HP 74/74 | Init+2 | F:+11 R: +9 W: +12
Lilybeth will turn the ceustodeamon back to a tattoo. (9-15)
After identifying the items Lilybeth says
"It's quite likely the daemon will be in the front line again, so I think beefing it up a little with the belt of strength would be smart"
Assuming the belt can be put on in a single round, she will get the ceustodaemon out, have someone put on the belt and then turn it back into a tattoo. (11-15)
Female Human Conjurer 9 | HP 74/74 | Init+2 | F:+11 R: +9 W: +12
Faustus Sulpicius Voralius wrote:
“Lilybeth, my suggestion would be to use the want of mags armor on each of us, just in case we should run into anything incorporeal... being prepared can prevent unwanted deaths."
"True, but there are only 20 charges on this wand, which is probably not enough to cover everyone preemptive for the rest of our mission. I suggest we cast it now on targets that will immediately benefit from it like Fairbeaks. If we get somewhere where it's likely to face incorporeals like a crypt or something we'll go wild and do everyone."
Together you manage to take some quality notes. Success!
Fung drinks a potion to top himself off. Still down 8 after the LoH.CMW:2d8 + 3 ⇒ (4, 1) + 3 = 8
★★★
You move on. Voices sound out further down the hall—the guttural and staggered ringing of human speech rather than the lilting hisses of snakes. Men and women—many of them malnourished and wounded but athletic nonetheless—stand over the fresh corpses of troglodyte minders while gripping stolen blades and makeshift clubs.
They raise their weapons, forming a protective ring around their leader — a powerfully built woman with a badly burned face and arms. Art on slide 1 She shouts at you in a language only Lilybeth and Faustus know.
Female Human Conjurer 9 | HP 74/74 | Init+2 | F:+11 R: +9 W: +12
Azlanti:
"We're not here to interfere at all, we're here to help! Do you need healing or maybe weapons? We looted more than we need from the corpses of some serpentfolk who attacked us!"
Diplomacy:1d20 + 22 ⇒ (9) + 22 = 31
Azlanti:
"Do you know other languages, not all my allies speak Azlanti and I'm sure they want to talk to you too"
She seems to relax, more at ease with someone who speaks the Azlanti language.
Azlanti:
Well met! I'm Uszanria. We could indeed use healing, and if it comes from the slavers' stash, all the better. Are you fellow slaves, joining the revolt?
They tense up but allow Lya to cast a spell. They also try several languages: Draconic, Thassilonian, and Undercommon. Draconic is probably the more common among this group.
She seems friendly now, but could use your help. And perhaps you can learn more here, as well.
Lya steps forward, speaking in Drconic. "We are explorers. We arrived via magical means to learn what we can. Gather around, and receive Shelyn's blessings"
Lya will channel once and lay on hands the leader once.
Channel:2d6 ⇒ (2, 5) = 7 LoH, grtr mercy:5d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 4, 3, 1) + (2) = 20remove last d6 if subject to fatigue and/or disease
male Human Chirurgeon 8 AC20(24)/T15(19)/F16/CMD17 |HP 67/67 | Fort:+11;Ref:+13;Will+6 |Percept.+12 | Init.+10 (1/1 mutagen: used bombs 11/15 used) wings 2/7min {heroism, cues, endure elements, shield, mutagen}
Roderick will also join in the conversation, speaking Azlanti, Thassilonian or Undercommon - whichever seems to be the most in use.
We are no friends of slavers. I have just finished a mission foiling a slaver operation, so in that regard we are allies.
Roderick will try to assess the group addressed by Lya.
As stated by my college, we are exploring and seeking information. What is this rebellion and has it already begun? What would you have us do to aid you?
Sorry for the silence. Ended up being out the whole day yesterday.
Fung looks back and forth at the conversations, not comprehending anything. To keep himself helpful, he flies up high slowly patrolling the area to spot any serpentfolk or lizardfolk that might be trying to sneak in.
”Uszanria, it is as my companions state. If you have use of these tools that we found, then use them to overthrow these serpentine oppressors.
“How did you become captured in the first place? Is not the Azlanti Empire the most powerful in the world? If not them, what of Thassalon and the Runelords? ”
Faustus is slightly confused by how these humans are in this situation.
”Aside from that, what can you tell us about the rebellion? Who is leading it, and how may we help?”
She nods at Roderick. Good. We are allies. However you got here doesn’t matter to me.She will continue to speak in Azlanti but one of you can translate.
She looks at Faustus, eying up a fellow warrior. We were captured in the serpentfolk wars. Our commander, general Krahnaliara Lac Suhn, was dragged away by the priests only an hour ago. He’s somewhere within their temple, about to be sacrificed to their vile god! We have to save him.
Sadly, we don’t really have a plan beyond “kill every serpentfolk we see..” Which has worked fine so far, and it’s a pleasant job too. She punches a bloody gauntlet into her palm. However, the scaled empire is known to use tricks — even mind-controlled humanoids — to get the upper hand. Be careful. It's good to know we've unexpected allies in this place.She is now helpful thanks to that check. Her crew looks heartened by this idea of unexpected allies, too.
She will take any supplies you offer her — they need it.
You have our gratitude. There are more of us, and as the revolt grows I will tell them yo look for your aid. These supplies, and knowing we've some other help down here, is a great help in of itself!
Marked a success for assisting the revolutionaries!
This is the second time you’ve heard about important prisoners being sacrificed. It’s time to break into the temple!
You move upwards through the miserable slave pits, which are now starting to echo with the sounds of battle and revolution! The courtyard, which is now clear, is passed easily — as are the once barred doors to the ziggurat’s interior. Slide 2 is updated to reveal this area.
Within the Ydersius temple lie many great treasures, as well as a caste of vicious priests dedicated to protecting them — as well as their humanoid sacrifices!
★★★
You hear combat ringing out in other area of the temple as the priests defend their sacred places. The serpentfolk here will be ready for you! e.g. they may be buffed.
You enter a shrine. Glowing coals warm the area and cast an eerie under-lighting on a towering, snake-headed statue that rises behind the altar. The reek of ammonia and rotting flesh fills the air and burns the eyes.
Behnd the altar is a serpentfolk dressed in the robes of vile sacrement; he wields a short sword in each hand and is surrounded by three images of himself.
In the room are two large-size cobras sharing rythhmically; then they see you coming down the hall they rise, hiss, and widen their hoods. They look ready to strike at a distance reach!
