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Mandoo watches as Ugo runs off in the other direction. "Aaaand, that's why I prefer to carry stuff myself rather than trust it to animals" He had never been a big fan of domesticated animals; he found that with few exceptions, they couldn't be replied upon when the going got tough.
Hearing Redd's screams of horror, he wondered what her problem was? She hadn't even been touched by the explosion. Had she never seen giant ghost dragons rising from piles of bones being attacked by pimply exposed brains throwing fire bombs? "Pfft!" Having been a Pathfinder for a while now, nothing much surprised him anymore.
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Symeon gives a small look back at Redd as she starts screaming, worried she's been hurt so bad by the bone fragments to warrant the outburst and then freezes as he realizes that they are directed at him. He stands there for a moment, before tears start to well up in his eyes and he has to turn away, clearly hurt.
The Now-Skeletal "Dragon" whirls on Nal the multiple-toned voice roars, it's necrotic breath taking on a physical quality here, blowing some of the smaller bones from the pile with it's powerful enunciation!
A small whirring sound comes from behind as another of the shadowy illusions forms into some small flying construct and latches onto Olnik from behind. It grasps ahold of the bard's legs and arms moving them about freely. The dwarf/construct hybrid first jerkily tries to dodge out of the way of the bone shards.
The hybrid lands on the ground in a heap, bleeding, but the illusory construct does disappear.
Taking the brunt of the blast, Olnik collapses onto the ground, dropping his drum and dagger, his body suffering hundreds of tiny lacerations, which begin to bleed profusely upon hitting the dirt. Several feet away, tears flowing down his cheeks, Symeon's attention snaps to the dwarf, and rolling onto his feet, he begins racing towards his fallen comrade, his free hand reflexively digging into his med kit...
...Suddenly, as if stirred by the Dragon's breath, some of the bones in the pile shake, then slowly begin reforming, several larger pieces sliding together - - and a couple feet away, a pair of disproportionately large humanoid skulls come atumbling into the reconfiguration!...
...
Elsha w/ open (-10)
Nal w/ shortsword (-8)
Olnik w/ drum & dagger (dying 1, prone, dropped drum & dagger)
Dragon's Death!
Pile of Reforming Bones!
Mandoo w/ temple sword (-7)
Redd w/ open
???
Symeon w/ shortbow (-0)
???
...
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Redd reels in fear then suddenly gains composure soon after hearing her companions enter combat with the shadowy phantom dragon.
Their strikes and attacks seem to do no harm to the huge beast. Redd, momentarily speechless, does a 'duck and cover' as the phantom dragon explodes in a burst of bone shards.
Pelted with splinters and debris but unharmed, she looks up to see her friends injured, but, worst of all, Olnik is lying on the ground lifeless.
Redd screams in horror again!
Then she realizes that Olnik needs help. In a panic, she mutters a quick hymn to Chaldira and the words send a soothe-ing melody to the fallen dwarf. A silvery light momentarily shimmers around Olnik, healing some of his wounds.
Redd then steps a few paces back, away from the bones of the beast that begin to reform.
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Mandoo frowns as the strange creature that sounds like Olnik goes down in a shower of bone fragments. He's about to grab the dwarf and drag him to safety when the strange creature that sounds like Redd flies past him, does something that revives the strange creature that sounds like Olnik, and then flies back past him in the opposite direction.
Mandoo says loud enough for all to hear, "Dragon not real. Exploding bones are real. Must get away." He points a little behind him to where the strange creature that sounds like Redd used to be and says, "This far safe."
He wonders if he should grab one of his companions and drag them farther away from the bones, but as they're all conscious now, he decides it would be faster and easier if they moved away from the bones under their own power. Also, though he strongly suspects that the grotesque-looking creatures around him that sound like his friends were still in fact his friends, he wasn't completely certain, so perhaps putting a little space between them and himself wasn't such a bad idea either.
Seeing the horse moving quickly away, he thinks, "Captain Jorsal will get angry if we don't return the animal and the equipment. Might take it out of our pay. Better make sure it doesn't get too far away."
Getting to the horse, Mandoo grabs at the reins and tries to stop it from getting away.
Redd soothes Olnik's wounds while Mandoo prevents Ugo's escape , and Symeon springs into action quickly patching up Olnik as well ...
...Even more bones in the pile shake and slowly begin reforming, several larger pieces sliding together - - and a couple feet away, a second pair of disproportionately large humanoid skulls come atumbling into the reconfiguration!...
...
Elsha w/ open (-10)
Nal w/ shortsword (-8)
Olnik w/ drum & dagger (wounded 1, prone, dropped drum & dagger) (0 HP, then +5, +24)
Dragon's Death!
Pile of Reforming Bones!
Mandoo w/ temple sword (-7)
Redd w/ open
Pile of Reforming Bones!
Symeon w/ shortbow (-0) Actions upthread Pending until Turn
...
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"Ooooh, this is not good! Not good! Not good!" Realizing that a sword isn't going to hurt skeletons much, Nal switches it out for her light mace, wincing a little at its inferiority and different balance in her hand, and takes a swing at the conglomeration of bones that has begun forming beside her.
Nal shatters the Skull completely with her mace, opening an Energy Vortex of some kind into which the Dragon (and only the Dragon) begins to slowly, slowly, slowly Swirl Into, seemingly Against It's Will...
...meanwhile the re-forming bones continue to assemble nearly into Four Humanoid Shapes!
...
Nal destroying the Skull temporarily severed the Connection the Dragon Spirit had to the Material Plane. And while there were other ways to accomplish this, the Exorcism is now essentially complete, at least for the time being (you suspect the Skull will Reform over a protracted period, unless the Spirit's Unfinished Business is attended too). That said, there seems to be Resonant Energy in the Pile of Bones, meaning that in a matter of seconds they will fully assemble into Mindless Corporeal Undead, powered by that unleashed Resonant Negative Energy, until independently destroyed...
For the Long Term, tending to the Unfinished Business would be a matter of asking the Spirit what it needs, or trying to guess.
You are also free to ask One Question (tactical) about the assembling pile of bones (soon to be Mindless Corporeal Undead)...
...
...
...
...Horribly, the first stash of piled bones finally assembles into a pair of short-limbed boney skeletons with sharp teeth and claws and disproportionately sized-heads - which jump at first Elsha then Nal to attack!
Clawing at Elsha's backside once and Nal's backside twice , teeth chattering and head bobbing as if showing signs of... joy?.... in unlife!?!
...Meanwhile,
...
Nal destroying the Skull temporarily severed the Connection the Dragon Spirit had to the Material Plane. And while there were other ways to accomplish this, the Exorcism is now essentially complete, at least for the time being (you suspect the Skull will Reform over a protracted period, unless the Spirit's Unfinished Business is attended too). That said, there seems to be Resonant Energy in the Pile of Bones, meaning that in a matter of seconds they will fully assemble into Mindless Corporeal Undead, powered by that unleashed Resonant Negative Energy, until independently destroyed...
For the Long Term, tending to the Unfinished Business would be a matter of asking the Spirit what it needs, or trying to guess.
These small skeletons are resistant to physical damage that isn't blunt force, and their skeletal bodies act as an insulator against a few basic forms of elemental energy!
...
Elsha w/ open (-10, +4, -4) (16/26 HP), Elixir Fortufied
Nal w/ shortsword (-8, -1, -3) (6/18 HP)
Olnik w/ drum & dagger (wounded 1, prone, dropped drum & dagger) (0 HP, then +5, +24) Shield Spell, Soothe Steeled
Dragon's Death!
Green Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Purple Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Mandoo w/ temple sword (-7)
Redd w/ open
Pile of Reforming Bones!
Symeon w/ shortbow (-0)
...
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Mandoo grabs the reins and brings the horse to a halt. As he finally gets the animal under control, he looks around for a tree he can tie it to so that it doesn't escape them again.
He spots one not far away, takes the horse over, and secures it to the tree.
As he finishes with the horse, he hears the sounds of battle and turns to see several small looking skeletons attacking Elsha and Nal.
He then takes off at full speed back towards the group. As he runs, he notices the fire in the distance, "Uh oh. That doesn't look good. Sapphire will not be happy if we burn down the entire complex. Someone should go do something about that before it gets out of hand."
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Holding back the tears, Redd begins singing a hymn to Chaldira. The hymn about friends helping friends and strength in companionship.
This bolsters her resolve as she furrows her brow to get serious.
I'm a Pathfinder. Scary things happen. C'mon, Redd. Be strong! Help your friends!
She sees that she has a clear shot at a deformed skeleton wearing a purple ascot harassing Elsha and Nal. She points at a fist-sized rock nearby and magically sends it flying at the skeleton.
Mandoo ties Ugo down while Redd explodes a skeleton with a telekinetic rock...
...as the second pile of bones suddenly and fully assembles into another pair of short-limbed boney skeletons with sharp teeth and claws and disproportionately sized-heads and attack!
Clawing at Olnik's frontside once and Nal's frontside once , teeth chattering and head bobbing as if showing signs of... joy?.... in unlife!?!
...Meanwhile, the Alchemical Fire continues to at the outskirts of the clearing!
...
Elsha w/ open (-10, +4, -4) (16/26 HP), Elixir Fortufied
Nal w/ light mace (-8, -1, -3, -2) (4/18 HP)
Olnik w/ open (wounded 1, prone, dropped drum & dagger) (0 HP, then +5, +24, then -4) (25/37 HP)
Dragon's Death!
Green Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Purple Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Mandoo w/ temple sword (-7)
Redd w/ open
Red Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Blue Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Symeon w/ shortbow (-0)
...
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The shimmering aura of sound surrounding Olnik seems to burst as the creature strikes him, protecting him from the assault. The sound resonates around the area, continuing to bolster your morale for the battle.
Olnik stands up, his voice strong and commanding as he says to the others, "I've run into creatures much like this in the Gravelands ... Use blunt weapons, and avoid cold, fire, and electricity ..." At the memory, his voice gains even more strength and depth as he calls out, "Dragon Spirit! This is Olnik of the Shadowstone Clan of the Dwarves of the Five Kings Mountains. Tell me what you want, so that we can be done with these games."
the Dragon swirls around to face Olnik now it's multi-toned voice lending greater crypt to it's words, now whirling on Nal ...
...
Elsha w/ open (-10, +4, -4) (16/26 HP), Elixir Fortufied
Nal w/ light mace (-8, -1, -3, -2) (4/18 HP)
Olnik w/ open (wounded 1, dropped drum & dagger) (0 HP, then +5, +24, then -0) (29/37 HP) Shield Expended
Dragon's Death!
Green Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Purple Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Mandoo w/ temple sword (-7)
Redd w/ open
Red Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Blue Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Symeon w/ shortbow (-0)
...
Symeon races closely through the skeletons who do not react to his sudden sprint towards the fire...
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Okay, if f-f-fire isn't the tool for the job, maybe this...
The alchemist retrieves a batch of his unused reagents in one hand, and an empty, spring-loaded canister in the other. You're not sure what all of the components are, but the only recognizable ones are salts of some sort.
This all happens so quickly that you're not entirely sure if the item would hold together. Luckily, as soon as it seems "whole" he lobs it at the middle skeleton.
After he backs away to the outside the crowd to make way for bruisers, like Mandoo.
Elsha ghostbusts the skeleton completely, exploding into a burst of ectoplasm!
...
Elsha w/ open (-10, +4, -4) (16/26 HP), Elixir Fortufied
Nal w/ light mace (-8, -1, -3, -2) (4/18 HP)
Olnik w/ open (wounded 1, dropped drum & dagger) (0 HP, then +5, +24, then -0) (29/37 HP) Shield Expended
Dragon's Death!
Green Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Purple Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Mandoo w/ temple sword (-7)
Redd w/ open
Red Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Blue Skeleton! (formally pile of reforming bones)
Symeon w/ shortbow (-0)
...
the Dragon swats it's incorporeal claw "through" one of the remaining skeletal goblins, as if to crush it into dust, demonstrating it's annoyance with the gesture...
...while, completely oblivious to the Dragon's presence, that same skeletal goblin lunges at Nal once again, scratching with a single clawed bony finger ...
...
Elsha w/ open (-10, +4, -4) (16/26 HP), Elixir Fortufied
Nal w/ light mace (-8, -1, -3, -2, +8, -1) (11/18 HP)
Olnik w/ open (wounded 1, dropped drum & dagger) (0 HP, then +5, +24, then -0) (29/37 HP) Shield Expended
Dragon's Death!
Green Goblin Skeleton! (AC 17) (4/4 HP)
Mandoo w/ temple sword (-7) (12/19 HP)
Redd w/ open (15/15 HP)
Red Goblin Skeleton! (AC 17) (4/4 HP)
Symeon w/ shortbow (-0) (22/22 HP)
...
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As Mandoo quickly returns from tying the horse, he watches the little skeletons in action and realizes that they are not particularly impressive enemies. Nal seems more than capable of finishing off her skeleton without his help; the other one though, is about to strike at the fallen Olnik, so Mandoo moves in that direction instead.
His prior experience with such creatures suggests that his temple sword is not the best weapon for this job. Instead, he throws a combination front kick to the chest followed up with a turning back-kick to the head.
Having dispatched the little skeleton, he sees that Symeon needs help in battling the flames, and skirting the ghostly dragon, heads off to join the halfling.
Mandoo explodes a skeleton with his fists! It disassembles into it's component bones...
...
Elsha w/ open (-10, +4, -4) (16/26 HP), Elixir Fortufied
Nal w/ light mace (-8, -1, -3, -2, +8, -1) (11/18 HP)
Olnik w/ open (wounded 1, dropped drum & dagger) (0 HP, then +5, +24, then -0) (29/37 HP) Shield Expended
Dragon's Death!
Green Goblin Skeleton! (AC 17) (4/4 HP)
Mandoo w/ temple sword (-7) (12/19 HP)
Redd w/ open (15/15 HP)
Symeon w/ shortbow (-0) (22/22 HP)
...
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"It's not a real dragon. It's not real. It's not real." she tells herself.
With her bravery now in full swing, seeing her friends doing a great job of taking out the skeletons, and Olnik inspiring their courage, Redd bolts as fast as she can across the battlefield to the fire and helps Symeon extinguish the flames.
Thank you for stopping Ugo from getting away, Mandoo!
She shouts as she darts past.
Let's get this fire out, Symeon!
She starts kicking dirt on the flames to smother them.
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"Okay! I'll just take care of these two...by myself!" Nal isn't too worried about the little skeleton, but the magical dragon skull that started all this... That's another problem. Oh, well. One thing at a time. Stepping closer to the dragon skull with a small shudder, she takes a couple of hefty swings at the threat(s) beside her.
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Symeon takes a moment to analyze the blaze of fire and then takes to chucking some dirt on it in strategic places. Well now I know why this specific section doesn't have any vegetation.
As he flings the dirt, he starts to contemplate the physics of what he's doing and how much more efficiently he could be flinging dirt, and tries to change how he flings. [i]Wrist up, turn and then... flick. Like that. That should be a faster, more effecient launch.
He keeps slinging...
... before realizing that Redd was talking to him, causing him to jerk upright and drop all of the dirt he'd been holding. Blushing again he starts stammering, "Uh, yeah, let's, uh, hhhandle this, uh, fire."
Nal clobbers the remaining skeleton. Having shattered the Skull completely, and seeing the Vortex that doing so created slowly sucking the Dragon back to whatever realm it was temporarily freed from, she decides between two courses of action.
Elsha @ Putting Out Fire (??) @ ??
Mandoo @ ?? @ ??
Nal @ ?? @ ??
Olnik @ Questioning Dragon (Spirit Lore) @ ??
Redd @ Putting Out Fire (??) @ ??
Symeon @ Putting Out Fire (Nature) @ (20)+6 = 26+
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As he's running towards the fire, Mandoo turns slightly to watch Nal take on her skeleton. He wonders for a moment if she'll need his help, but that concern is quickly dispelled when he sees her pulverize the creature with a single swipe of her mace. Impressed, he thinks, "I was right. Nal can hold her own."
He continues running until he approaches the fire. From a safe distance, he sheaths his sword; takes off his backpack; pulls out the spade; and approaches closer to the fire. He starts digging furiously with the spade and clumps of dirt go flying onto the fire to try and extinguish it.
While Nal beats the Dragon Spirit back into the Ethereal Plane, the party rallies to extinguish the fire - it takes several minutes but they are otherwise quickly successful - only an area approximately several Tents in size burned away. Taking stock now, they rest a moment, then decide how to proceed...
One of the skeletons was carrying a small wand lined with skinny runes in what appears to be different languages, and in the pile a glint reveals some (very old!) silver scales from the dragon that still retain some of their lustre, and are probably of some value...
...
District Entrance @ 3 points
District Wall @ 3 points
Watch Tower @ 5 points
Amphitheater @ 3 points
Grand Plaza @ 2 points
Strange Clearing @ 3 points
Great Temple @ 0 points
1) District Entrance
2) District Wall
3) Watch Tower
4) Amphitheater
5) Grand Plaza
6) Strange Clearing
7) Great Temple
Elsha @ (Held: Open) Avoid Notice
Mandoo @ (Held: Temple Sword) Avoid Notice
Nal @ (Held: Light Mace) Avoid Notice
Olnik @ (Held: Drum and Dagger) Search
Redd @ (Held: Open) Scout
Symeon @ (Held: Shortbow) Search
...
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Once the dragon is back where it belongs, Nal notices the stuff on the ground. While everyone else is putting out the fire, which she assumes they can do easily enough without her help, she turns the wand over in her hands, trying to puzzle out its secrets.
"Huh. It's a wand of Comprehend Languages. Well, I suppose this'll make understanding the writing on the walls easier." Scooping up the dragon scales and stuffing them in a pocket for later, she rises and heads over to the group to inform them of what she found. "Anyone want to carry it? I mean, I could, but I have no idea what to do with it. Swish and flick or something?"
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W-well, that could have been worse. Elsha mutters, walking away from the burned area so he can sit down with his healer's kit. He takes medical tweezers out of his bag, and begins picking at the bits of exploded skull in his skin, wincing as he does so.
Mandoo, Nal, can I help you as well? He offers to his likewise-injured teammates.
Elsha @ Treating Elsha (10 minutes)
Mandoo @ ??
Nal @ Identifying Wand (10 minutes)
Olnik @ ??
Redd @ ??
Symeon @ ??
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I should go get poor Ugo. He's probably a little bit traumatized by what happened with the dragon and all.
Redd walks over to Ugo and gives him a few pats to calm him.
Hiya, Ugo. You okay, boy? That's a good boy. C'mon. Let's go back over with the others.
She unties the rope to the tree and leisurely walks him back over to the group.
She gets the survey maps out of her pack and takes a seat on a nearby log. She jots down more notes in the margins and makes any needed adjustments to the cartography of the area.
Upon hearing of Nal's discovery of the wand, her ears perk up.
Really? A wand of comprehend languages? I'm a bit fascinated with learning of other cultures and especially of their languages. I guess that's why I'm here. I would be happy to carry it, but, I believe Symeon is probably more experienced with arcane magic items like that wand.