"Let's get inside and out of sight." Commented the Green Knight.
He took a look around to see if there was any sign of them having attracted attention.
Then he hustled up the slope to the doorway.
Kellen shrugs, I'm shocked no one has come to see what that ruckus was, but let's go say hello. Shall we go left? he indicates the left door around the tripwire.
"As good a path as any," Levn agreed. "Bas, did you check the doors for traps?"
"No. I spotted the tripwire, did a quick round, but I was afraid you'll barge in and trip the trap. So I returned just in time to see a drake landing. Besides, I'm a warrior, not a trap finder."
He looks into a space for a moment
"I understand why you think I can, my people are expert trapsmiths...but I am a tribal champion, not a scout."
The group carefully made their way to the left door, giving the tripwire a wide berth. The thick wooden door opened quietly and non-explosively, revealing a 20 foot long hallway with a statue of the same bald man with a staff as on the huge tapestry in the entry hall.
A pair of double doors flanked the other end of the hallway. The ones to the south were closed like the one they'd just come through but the doors to the north were open. The group couldn't see just what was in the room to the north from their position at the east end of the hallway.
Before going any further, Daymar took a few moments to cast some spells. Using one of the magic rods from his pack, he wrapped himself in layers of magical protection. Once he was satisfied, he nodded and followed along with the others.
"Let me check the door." whispers Bas sliding toward the open door.
** spoiler omitted **
Bas realized too late that Kellen had been right- it had been odd that nothing had reacted to the noise of the drake just outside the fort's front door. As the stealthy kobold moved toward the door a pair of huge jaws clamped down on his leg, the enormous dog-like thing behind them becoming visible half a heartbeat after the fangs tore into his legs.
It's a little bit stronger than your entire party- stronger than the drakes you've been fighting. It can see in the dark and track by scent. It has a huge mouth full of fangs as well as tearing claws, and they're reputed to have magical abilities. Further information available based on check result.
Kellen sees the dog-like thing clamp its jaws on Bas, thinking quickly he dismisses the spiritual link he had to Daymar, and focuses the wrath of his ancestors on the creature, beseeching the spirits to weaken its defense....
Kellen could feel the huge ugly dog shrug off his curse. Whatever it was, this thing was strong.
Bas gasps as the creatures appeared, but bares his fangs at the thing
Reflexively he slashes across things snout, trying to dislodge it. He then goes into full flurry of attacks, cutting into the neck and trying for the eyes, biting over the snout, slashing with the tail from underneath trying to get to the neck.
OOC: all damage is magical slashing except the piercing bite
add 2 if barghest is denied dex bonus
add 2 if barghest is denied dex bonus
add 2 if barghest is denied dex bonus
add 2 if barghest is denied dex bonus
add to the second hit in case of damage resistance it is treated as a single damage roll
Assuming 22 hits, it is 30 damage plus 6 if it is denied it's dex bonus, if 25 hits it is 23 + 4
"Hmm" Daymar mused as the creature suddenly became visible, "a barghest. And it seems to have survived to achieve 'greater' status. I wonder if it's been bound here by a higher power, or whether we should be alert for goblins as well."
The elf stepped out of the line (and conveniently away from the door that would most likely burst open to reveal any ambushes from behind the group, should goblins actually be involved) and up beside Kellen, where he could touch all three of his non-kobold companions easily. Then he wrapped them all in magical protection.
Bas tore into the barghest's belly, teeth and claws tearing through the monster's thick hide.
The barghest returned the favor, biting and clawing right back at the rending kobold.
"They're shape-changers," Daymar warned his companions, "they can also use enchantment magics - though I believe I should have protected you from that - levitate, and use a limited form of teleportation. Oh, and they are deucedly difficult to knock down."
Round 1
"BAS! WITHDRAW! NONE OF US CAN SUPPORT YOU WHERE YOU ARE!" Thundered the Green Knight, watching helplessly at the tactical situation perfect for the enemy.
Levn shoots but misses as he tries to not hit Bas.
Kellen advances to Bas Bas, come to me! he calls out, channeling the energies of his people into his hands, and healing the kobold.
"Oh," Daymar said, almost offhandedly, "they're highly resistant to non-magical forms of damage, as well." Unable from his new position to see into the room where Bas was fighting, even if Kellen hadn't been standing in the way, Daymar instead simply muttered something in the Elvish tongue, and tapped the pocket of his Haversack. A scroll poked out of the flap, and he unrolled it, preparatory to casting from it.
"Withdraw back here to us, Bas!" Levn called, hoping the kobold had the strength to do so. If he could just flank that monstrosity... of course, first he'd have to ditch the bow.
Bas snarls at the creature, his nature and training pushing him to attack until one or the other is dead.
But he fought things on this journey, things outside his normal experience, giants, bullette, drakes...not one of those things reacted as he expected to his savaging.
And each time he expected it, he almost died.
But he cannot, but try to hurt the thing. He flips over and retreats back to the group. But at the best point of his turn he lashes down with his clawed foot leaving nasty gash on barghests snout.
Spend 5 stamina to apply boar style rend and get +1 to hit and +2 to damage
EDIT: oh, why I didn't to a tail flip to crit it!!
Bas snarls at the creature, his nature and training pushing him to attack until one or the other is dead.
But he fought things on this journey, things outside his normal experience, giants, bullette, drakes...not one of those things reacted as he expected to his savaging.And each time he expected it, he almost died.
But he cannot, but try to hurt the thing. He flips over and retreats back to the group. But at the best point of his turn he lashes down with his clawed foot leaving nasty gash on barghests snout.
[dice=Acrobatics to avoid OA]1d20+17
[dice=Claw]1d20+13+1
[dice=Damage]1d4+3+2+2d6
Spend 5 stamina to apply boar style rend and get +1 to hit and +2 to damageEDIT: oh, why I didn't to a tail flip to crit it!!
Bas nimbly escaped from the monster, leaving a deep, bleeding gouge in the dog-thing's face. Kellen moved up to heal the ferocious fighter, mending the worst of Basdemar's wounds.
The barghest took a look at the well prepared party, sneered at Levn at the front of the line, then disappeared from sight.
The Green Knight pushed his visor up.
"I don't like the looks of that narrow corridor. Any objections to go through the East doorway?" He asked his compaions.
"Did I mention invisibility? Day asked, conversationally. "They can turn invisible."
"So... what then? Just WAIT for it?" Snarled Alfric, wanting badly to take SOME kind of action.
"So... what then? Just WAIT for it?" Snarled Alfric, wanting badly to take SOME kind of action.
"Block the door," Daymar said, "and also be alert in case it teleports into this room to hit us from behind. I'll do my best to counter it."
Levn slung his bow and readied his sword, the waving belt clacking into place and merging seamlessly into a curved blade in the blink of an eye at the twist of his wrist.
"Stay alert," was his oh-so-helpful advice to the others, as he strained to pick up any sign of an invisible foe - a tapestry brushed by a passing breeze, the sound of claws on stone, even a bad smell - anything.
(+3 vs. traps)
Daymar quirked an eyebrow at Levn's advice - clearly, Daymar had already given that advice, if one was intelligent enough to understand what all of the information he'd given them implied.
Still, sometimes people needed things outlined for them, he supposed.
Which reminded the elf.
He stepped up behind Levn, to where he could see into the room Basdemar had escaped, pointed his fist at it, spoke a few words of power, and sent a glittering ball of golden dust shooting from his ring. The ball streaked into the room, leaving a glittery trail behind it, until it exploded and coated the entire room in golden, glittering dust.
The rain of glittering motes coated everything in sight down the hallway but there was no massive dog-thing to be seen.
Crap, its not in the hallway?? Kellen says, fishing out a wand and flicking it in the air, a soft, radiant glow suffesses the party, giving them a good feeling.
Bas looks around straining his senses
Daymar, it can only teleport where it can see? Or does it just need to know the layout of the building? It is hurt, I got it good. Will it regenerate?"
He motions behind Levn
"That is one place it could see from that hallway. If even that."
"You're right - it must be bleeding. Day, can we see the bloodspatter when it moves, or does it stay invisible?"
Levn kept his head on a swivel, trying to see everywhere... and listen.
Almost in answer to Levn's question, Bas noticed a trail of blood leading north through the open double doors into the room they couldn't see into from where the group was standing.
"They do not regenerate," Daymar said, "but they do have access to magical powers, and I would expect that it could find healing somewhere, I suppose. We had probably best not leave it too much time to itself."
"The trail is clear." Growled The Green Knight. "Let's Follow."
He moved up to the double doors to look north where the trail led.
Bas joins the knight at the front.
Kellen closes with Bas and Sir Alfric, spirits swarming around Bas and protecting him with their auras. Careful now boys, let's see where this thing is waiting for us. the shaman grips his spear in his hands, scanning even though he knows he won't be able to see the barghast.
A long oak table dominated the center of the large dining room through the open double doors. Three plain chairs flanked the table on either side, while an ornately carved wooden chair with red cushions dominated the far end.
Golden motes of light drifted lazily out from under the table near the chair at the far end, the barghest's attempt to hide defeated by Daymar's spell.