Observing nothing unusual about the doors, Niu begins to open them. Two taut pustules ready to burst fall to the floor. One from the umbrella stand and the other from a rather large overcoat hanging on the coat racks. These mobile wounds scuttle on bristles of slick hairs.
Etgar
Donovan
Niu
Agnimitra
Round 1
Agnimitra 26/26 Donovan 27/27 Etgar 18+?/18+? Niu 16/16
Agni, Niu, Etgar ✔
red, blue
Don
Donovan lets out an unheroic sounding gasp.
Etgar looks aside at Don, choosing to let him think the gasp went unnoticed. He narrows his eyes as he tries to figure out what this new threat is.
Etgar knows these fetid oozes are called boilburn. They operate normally without sight, are immune to acid and burst when killed. They carry leprosy.
They are boilborn. Sorry about that.
They are tiny in size. Whew.
Hearing what Etgar has to say, Agni gives him 'the look' and says, "Did we really just upgrade from teeth pulling to leprosy?!"
She steps away from the one closest to her and flings a bolt of fire at it.
5-foot step
Standard Action:
The bolt hits the blue pustule.
Etgar grimaces. Looks like it. Try to stay a bit away if you can, and remember no acid...though...I don't think that's been a thing for us.
He steps back and stabs out with his spear at the enemy to their west.
Etgar spears the red boilborn.
Niu considers his options for a moment, sighs and pulls out a dart, throwing it at the nearer ooze. He is almost surprised that the ooze doesn't dodge out of the way, and then grimaces as it starts oozing pus.
The dart lodges in the taut creature.
Red and blue both attempt to move into Don's space. AoOs from Don and Etgar on either.
Don, Etgar (AoO) ✔
The red boilborn pops as Etgar destroys it. Acid is spewed in a 10 foot radius causing damage to everyone but Niu. Need a reflex and a fort from Don, Etgar, and Agni.
The remaining boilborn pops as Don destroys it. Niu once again is outside of the splash. Need another set of saves from everyone else. The acid splattered about the room does of acid damage.
Donovan stumbles back, his hammer clatter to the ground. As his hand reaches for his acid burned face it glows with a holy light.
Looking at the mess and burnt flesh, Niu covers his mouth and makes a retching sound.
"You all don't look well. How long till your skin starts falling off?"
Niu knows that leprosy is spread by victims of the disease through direct—even casual—contact. Leprosy results in skin lesions, extreme nasal congestion, and wounds that do not heal. A highly visible malady, leprosy can permanently disfigure. While leprosy can prove difficult to contract, few overcome the disease once infected. Suffering from a slow deterioration, particularly hardy lepers can remain quite active for years after first exhibiting signs of the disease. It is suspected that it takes weeks to show symptoms after being infected.
Will get you that bill when everyone has rolled for DC.
Agnimitra 07/26 Donovan 15/27 Etgar 13/22 Niu 16/16
Agnimitra 07/26 Donovan 27/27 Etgar 13/22 Niu 16/16
Don is resistant to acid. Corrected for that.
Hands on his knees Donovan sighs. "That was an inauspicious start."
Agni stands still, breathing through her teeth at the pain from the acid. "This. Place. Sucks." she complains through breaths, nodding at Niu for the minor relief.
Agnimitra 18/26 Donovan 27/27 Etgar 22/22 Niu 16/16
Thank you Niu. And...agreed...let's hope its not quite as bad as the last place.
Etgar heads back towards the doors that Niu was about to open, and he checks them to make sure they're not trapped.
The door does not appear to be trapped. Rather than swinging open, it is designed to slide into the wall using a small handle.
Etgar looks around at the party. Everyone ready? If no one raises a concern, he slides open the door.
As the door slides open, you are greeted by the smell of cedar, furniture polish, and old tobacco. The manor is made of dark wood throughout. The walls are covered with wallpaper and plaster. The ceilings are usually 10 feet high, although the ceilings in the grand staircase, greenhouse, and ballroom are all 20 feet high. Except for the exterior doors, which open normally, all of the doors in Nine-Eaves are sliding doors: they slide sideways into the walls when pulled by small handles. Furnishings are sturdy antiques, most made of ornately carved wood or wrought iron. Small lamps issue weak light, providing all rooms with dim light and deep shadows. The entire manor smells of cedar, furniture polish, and old tobacco.
A massive staircase of dark wood rises to the north, its maroon carpet pitted with age. The railings are carved to resemble ascending ghosts. The wall atop the stairs bears an enormous, looming portrait 6 feet wide and 9 feet tall. The portrait depicts a bearded older man with curling ram horns, hunched under the weight of a massive snail shell on his back. The figure bears a half grin, as though he knows a particularly delightful secret. A chandelier of iron and glass hangs down above the stair’s lower landing from the ceiling 20 feet above, its few lit candles flickering weakly. From the lower landing, three different sliding doors lead to the west, south, and east. From the upper landing, sliding double doors lead to the east and west—one on each side of the looming portrait.
Etgar sighs. Some day, we'll walk into somewhere with an actual reception desk. He raises his voice as he calls into the chamber. Anyone home?
Once again there is no response.
Donovan moves forward, "Do you think it is safe?"
"Of course not, but we have to go forward nevertheless. Maybe we should just go straight upstairs this time?"
"I'm more than willing to get this done and over with," Agni agrees.
Fair enough
Etgar looks into the corridor beyond, searching for any obvious tripwires, broken tiles, pitfalls, etc that could spell their doom, then passes through and heads up the stairs.
Etgar is pretty sure the area is free of traps. As he heads up the stairway, four flying creatures about a foot long with wingspans of twice that exit the chandelier. Knowledge (arcana) to identify.
Etgar
Donovan
Niu
Agnimitra
Round 1
Agnimitra 18/26 Donovan 27/27 Etgar 22/22 Niu 16/16
red, yellow ✔
Niu, Don
green, blue
Agni, Etgar
Etgar's shoulders slump and he hangs his head.
Figures...
Niu knows these creatures to be stirges. A stirge sinks its barbed legs into its victim and plunges its proboscis into the victim's flesh. It drinks blood reducing the vitality of the victim. They carry a multitude of diseases.
Red attaches to Etgar and begins drinking his blood.
Yellow does the same to Don. Each of you takes 1 con damage.
red, yellow
Niu, Don ✔
green, blue
Agni, Etgar
"Blood sucking Stirges! Squash them before they drink your blood!"
Niu grabs a dagger and attempts to stap yellow.
Donovan steps to the side and swings at yellow.
Two misses. Green and blue fly erratically above Don and Etgar attempting to get to their targets unharmed.
Don and Agni will get a swipe at green. Niu misses with his readied action. It never left a square that was 10 feet from Etgar.
Don, Agni AoO ✔
Agni takes a swing at the buzzing pests. "Still better than some of the other garbage we've had to deal with. This is practically normal, in comparison."
AOO
Don smashes the green stirge.
red, yellow
Niu, Don
blue
Agni, Etgar ✔
Agni steps away from the stirge and attempts to smash it to paste.
5-foot step
Standard Action