Protectors of Golarion (Wrath of the Righteous AP)

Game Master Sensen

Elyda, I'll allow you to apply monster lore whenever identifying a enemy, because I include their weaknesses and such in that check.

Thanks, Worldwound GM.

===

Elyda will delay until Verene's taken her action. Then she will go.

Momentarily pausing as she watched Thesius attack the lizard and Verene move north to free up the room around the lizard, Elyda took a 5 ft step, and, once again attacked the creature with her blade.

Longsword Attack on lizard: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Dmg, if hits: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Round 5 Midpoint

Verene steps swiftly away from the badly injured lizard, readying her crossbow, while her two companions step up and flail uselessly at the reptile with their weapons, not hitting it even once.

Meanwhile, in the adjoining room, the hooded traitor fires another arrow at Elliot - this time it finds its mark, slamming into his ribs and scraping his lung, leaving him coughing up blood. The woman snorts softly, apparently satisfied with herself. She steps into the corner, readying herself to attack again.
Bow Shot vs. Elliot, Point-Blank Shot: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 8 + 1 = 17
Damage, Point-Blank Shot: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7 Elliot is at 8 hp.

The lizard takes what little remains of its health and flees from the rest of the heroes, swerving and dodging any attempts that they make to attack it again - apparently, it has had enough of their attacks. Swiftly, it hides in the distant closet across the hall from the door.

Anevia and Aravashnial finally arrive at the barricade. "Good job -" Anevia begins, before pausing and looking around. "Wait, where's Elliot?"

Aravashnial looks alarmed. "Didn't he say something about an archer?"

Merixia and Elliot are up.

"Oh gods, she looks so much worse than the video game adaptation!" Elliot thinks, horrified at the spider-cat-humanish monstrousity firing at him, drawing blood this time. "Gah!" he cries, stumbling back just as the next arrow is loaded.

His mind raced as he had only seconds to live.

Almost out of spells - again. The woman had shrugged off his most powerful one like it was nothing, too.

Almost out of arcane energy too, because why not. Could he even fall back fast enough? And what was keeping the others? Surely they weren't losing against that lizard in a seven or so against one?

He glances back as he stumbles back into the main room and realises he could't hide from the shot even if we ran.

...However, all he had to do was buy time...

Gritting his teeth, he slams the door shut in front of him, and attempts to keep it shut, hoping this would sufficiently screw with the archer's plan of shooting him or the others.

5ft step back, close door as move. Ready action: close door again if someone/something opens it.

Merixia swears in Infernal and shoves her way past the barricades. "Hold on, Elliot, we're coming!" She runs through the next room, dodging the unconscious bodies on the floor, and halts next to the door.

Double move.

Round 5 Wrap-Up

Merixia rushes into the living quarters, where the scent of cooked meat mingles unpleasantly with burnt humanoid flesh. On the walls hang several leather tapestries with simplistic pictures of the locals hunting giant vermin, while in the north ten bedrolls of hide are arranged in a circle around the burning embers of a cooking fire. To the east, the bleeding lizard hides in what looks like a storage closet.

Most pressingly, however, is Elliot, who comes rushing out of the door to the southeast with an arrow sticking out of his chest and blood leaking from the corners of his mouth, slamming the door behind him.

I find the idea of Elliot and the archer fighting over the door hilarious, by the way.

Round 6

Thesius, Verene, and Elyda are up.

Thesius moves up to the doorway, opposite from Merixia. Seeing Elliot's wounds, he invokes his arcane powers once more to call upon healing for his comrade.

Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Round 6

Elyda moved swiftly behind her companions into the next chamber, careful of the unconscious body at the threshold, and, then moved around the edges to stop beside Thesius. (Move 30 ft)

Seeing no present danger inside this chamber, Elyda cast her spell, quietly calling upon the Lady of Valour to guide her next action/s. (Standard action: cast Guidance on herself)

Then in a quiet voice, she enquired of her companions beside the closed door, "What is waiting for us behind this door? And what of those two on the ground? Are they dead and do we need to finish them off before they rouse?"

===
Current Conditions and effects: AC 18 for 17 remaining rounds. Guidance - lasts 1 minute or until discharged.
===

It's Father's Day here and I may not be able to post again until late tonight my time or tomorrow.

Verene draws a bit of copper wire from her pouch, holding its points steady between two fingers as she chants. She gestures silently for Anevia and Aravashnial to follow, and moves into the room Elliot teleported into, keeping to the wall. Cast message targeting Elyda and Elliot, move.

"Elyda, the two fallen Forgotten warriors in this second room are still alive, though I think Elliot's fire sorely wounded them. It is technically possible they could regain consciousness from the color spray soon, but they show no sign of it as yet, and will still not be a threat for a short time after that. You can reply in a whisper to these messages if you choose, and I will hear," Elyda and Elliot hear, as though Verene whispered it in their ears. "Elliot, I included you so that you could direct us, if you have information to convey or a plan for what we should do, without alerting anyone behind the door to it. I'll include Merixia and Thesius next."

Is the formerly black-lined male forgotten child who fell down and was dying (as opposed to being killed outright) dead? He's not on the map anymore, and I need to remember to try to retrieve Verene's two bolts from him when this fight is over. She's starting with only six now, after all. She should also remember to ask Elliot for some of his mundane bolts and offer a few cold iron in return.

He was dying when last the party saw him, but he probably hasn't bled out yet. A real response post should be forthcoming in a few hours.

Round 6 Midpoint

As the group moves into the living quarters, stepping over the unconscious and badly wounded bodies of the two traitors who had greeted them mere seconds before, they are met with sudden silence save for their own soft words and the crackling of the fire in the pit to the north.

Thesius swiftly moves forwards and heals Elliot completely, the magical reconstruction of the aasimar's flesh shoving the arrow out of his chest, whereupon it clatters onto the floor. Elyda joins the trio, invoking the Inheritor's guidance to prepare for what will come next. A sudden clarity of thought and purpose arises within her, singing along her blood.

Verene moves forwards as well, sidling along the wall of the living area (and brushing the back of her head against a smelly leather tapestry). Calling upon her magic, she sends a whispered message to her brother and Elyda.

Anevia looks worried as she leads Aravashnial into the room alongside Verene, and she shoves one of the two wounded traitors out of the way, to ensure that he doesn't stumble on her prone body. The human woman keeps her bow at the ready, her eyes darting around warily. "We're in their sleeping quarters, now, Aravashnial. There's a door to our left, one straight ahead, where the lizard is, and one to the right - it looks like that's where the archer is."

Merixia and Elliot are up.

"Hmm. If that archer has any brains, they won't come to us. We'll have to go to them." Merixia looks back at Elyda. "Want to switch places? We don't need a repeat of the huecuva incident."

"//Elyda, the two fallen Forgotten warriors in this second room are still alive, though I think Elliot's fire sorely wounded them. It is technically possible they could regain consciousness from the color spray soon, but they show no sign of it as yet, and will still not be a threat for a short time after that. You can reply in a whisper to these messages if you choose, and I will hear,"// Elyda and Elliot hear, as though Verene whispered it in their ears.

In a low whisper, Elyda replied, "I will be mindful, thank you. If killing them is not acceptable, then I will tied them up and stuff their mouths with something so they cannot warn their allies."

Merixia looks back at Elyda. "Want to switch places? We don't need a repeat of the huecuva incident."

Elyda heard Merixia's question and nodded in agreement. In low discreet voice, so none beyond the closed door could hear, the inquisitor replied, "I can. Verene is concerned about the traitors on the ground. They will need to be tied up and gagged before they wake."

Round 6 Wrap-Up

The party continues their discussions, trying to decide what to do next.

Note that the only reason I'm keeping us in rounds is to keep track of buffs - if you want to take a breather, I can stop combat for a time and eyeball it, so to speak.

Round 7

Elyda, Thesius, and Verene are up.

Merixia falls back so Elyda can take her place at the door, glancing over her shoulder at the fallen cultists. "Hate to say it, but we should do something about them. The closest thing to law down here is Chief Sull, and he made it quite clear that he wants all the cultists dead." She hefts her sword. "I dislike executing helpless enemies, but sometimes it's necessary. Since they worship a demon lord and prey on civilians, Ragathiel's code demands their deaths in the absence of a sincere desire to repent or a court of law to try and sentence them. I can take care of it if you agree."

"While I find it unfortunate to spill their blood, I understand the prudence in such an act. Best we act quickly."

Thesius will move over and attack whichever looks worse, the a lump growing in his stomach as he takes the action.

Attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Verene nods silently, then casts her cantrip again. Message, targeting Merixia and Thesius this time. "Yes. It is unpleasant, but the only practical course of action," the other four hear in a whisper. "For the next twenty minutes, if one of you needs to say something that you don't want overheard by our enemies, you can whisper it and I will repeat it to everyone."

Since there is no sign of further enemies yet, she moves back slightly into the first room, preparatory to retrieving her bolts from the dying warrior, and potentially making sure of his death as well.

As two of her allies moved to the unconscious traitors to finish them off, Elyda moved to the closed door and leaned in closer; listening for signs of movement and attempting to gauge the enemy's proximity to the door. This would give her friends time to undertake the grisly task and then prepare to address what waited beyond the door.

Perception to hear how many on other side of door and how close to the door they are: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27
Stealth to remain as quiet as possible by the door so the enemy can't hear her: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

===

Current Conditions and effects: AC 18 for 16 remaining rounds. Guidance on Elyda - lasts 1 minute or until discharged.

Coup De Grace: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Merixia steps toward the other cultist. With a swing of her sword, she aims to lop off their head.

Coup de Grace: 2d10 + 6 ⇒ (6, 3) + 6 = 15

Elliot, in a kind of dazed stupor from being shot and then having Thesius pull the arrow out of him, is slow to respond to Verene's message. He thanks the bard silently and begins whispering to the other caster's magical message. "A spider-cat-humanoid with a bow. She was able to shoot and hide at the same time, somehow. Think I might have gotten lucky in finding here, but then she shrugged off the Color Spray! I didn't get a good look inside the room, but there was a door in the back. She could've fled away, or be circling around to us, maybe, if that leads back into the other rooms..." he whsipers back to her.

He doesn't comment on the discussion regarding what to do with the unconscious mongrelmen, but flinches slightly when they're executed.

Verene takes a moment to cast her spell on Anevia and Aravashnial this time, then repeats the gist of Elliot's words to all the other companions. From now on, assume she conveys to the other six whatever is whispered to her, but not what is spoken at a normal volume.

Then she examines the body of the male Forgotten warrior to see if her bolts may be retrieved to use again. 50% each, high good: 2d2 ⇒ (2, 2) = 4

Finding them intact, she pulls one out of his chest and the other from where it struck after barely glancing against his scaly shoulder.

Round 7 Wrap-Up

After some shuffling, Elyda and Merixia swap places, Thesius crushes the skull of one of the traitors (fulfilling one of Sull's requests in the process) and Merixia beheads the other.

Anevia gently lays a hand on Thesius' shoulder before stepping forwards. "Alright. Let's get ready, then. Elyda should probably head in first, ready to block any shots at her."

"I could conjure a creature to protect our rear, if you believe it wise." Aravashnial waves his staff, clonking it against a wall. He jumps slightly, startled.

Round 8

Elyda, Thesius, and Verene are up.

This is a bit more than a turn of actions, so if strict turn-taking becomes relevant again, we can assume the last bit happens at the beginning of her next turn.

Verene studies the downed Forgotten warrior for a moment and sees he is barely alive, and likely to die soon without medical aid, which no one intends to render. He is not conscious to feel any pain, but it is not more merciful to leave him with his chest crushed and his life slowly ebbing away. She draws her smaller dagger and cuts his throat.

Small dagger, coup de grace: 2d3 - 2 ⇒ (3, 2) - 2 = 3

"The last Forgotten traitor here is dead. I am coming back." The thread of her whisper in the others' ears sounds tired. She begins to walk back into the second room, cleaning the blood from her dagger and her two bolts on the hem of her robes as she goes.

Whoops, Merixia hadn't realized that one was still alive. She passes Verene on her way back to the door, offering the older woman a commiserating pat on the shoulder as she passes. The cleric stops behind Elyda, sword and spells ready.

Round 8:

Worldwound GM: Can Elyda still open the door from the side square she's standing in and move through it, as Elliot is currently standing in the square directly in front of the door?

====

Quietly, from her position near the door, Elyda quietly informed her companions, "All I can hear through the door is the soft crackiling of a fire and nothing more. This spider-cat creature is far stealthier than I expected or she has gone through the other door...I will open the door, move inside and take a look." Then looking to Elliot, she added quietly, "I will need to slip past you, if you can make some room for me."

(if doable)

Elyda, with weapon and shield on the ready, opened the door as smoothly as she could and then stepped over the threshold into the other chamber (15-20ft move - not sure how far she can go in as the other chamber is blacked out on the map at present. Please let me know, GM), quickly casting her eyes about the space, looking/listening for the threat.

Perception to locate the threat/s with Guidance bonus: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

===

Current Conditions and effects: AC 18 for 15 remaining rounds.

Thesius says a prayer for the fallen while he has a moment, but then readies himself for what is to come as he moves back to the doorway.

Round 8 Midpoint

You may, Elyda.

The lawbringer shares her findings with her fellows before opening the door and stepping into the common room - a small brass brazier hanging from the ceiling lights the room in a flickering dim light... but there is no sign of anyone else present.

Thesius returns to the doorway, only to find that his dancing lights have vanished in the meantime, while Verene finishes off the last surviving combatant with her dagger.

Merixia & Elliot are up.

Elliot steps aside quietly to let Elyda pass. "Be careful. She's pretty good with a bow. I know you're strong, but don't drop your guard," He says after her.

When Merixia moves up to cover Elyda as well, he quietly follows too, lingering at the back. "Though maybe I can offer a bit of assistance to help. If nothing else, if she wastes time shooting me, that's a mistake on her part," he grins wryly.

Move, ready daze DC 14 if an enemy comes into view.

Merixia follows Elyda into the room, looking around warily. That archer has to be around here somewhere. Well, in the meantime she can give Elyda a bit of divine assistance. She softly chants a simple orison, touching the aasimar's arm at the end.

Move and cast guidance on Elyda.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Round 8 Wrap-Up

Elliot moves forwards, his spell on the tip of his tongue, and Merixia gifts the guidance of the General of Vengeance to Elyda. Within the room, there are only two ways out that they can see - one is behind a door that reeks of carrion, and the other is a hole in the southeastern corner with a ladder leading downwards.

Let me know if you guys want me to skip forwards a bit - I know this does take time, after all.

Round 9

Elyda, Thesius, and Verene are up.

Round 9

With a nod of understanding and thanks to Elliot and Merixia, once in the chamber Elyda's nose crinkled at the smell and she drew her hand up to halt her two companions and then pointed to the door in the corner. In very low voice, just for the ears of the two allies present (Not sure if Verene's message spell is still active - if it is, then she will be able to hear this as well and can advise the others...) "Foul smell, like rotten meat and rancid flesh, coming from door. Small hole, southeastern corner. Ladder leading down."

Elyda moved steadily and quietly toward the small hole in the southeastern corner (10 ft) and leaned over a little and looked down.

Stealth to not be heard moving to hole: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Perception with Guidance - what can she see/hear from within hole: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 8 + 1 = 20

(Worldwound GM, how wide is the small hole? Is it wide enough for us to climb down or would we need to squeeze? Once Elyda can determine if it's safe to climb down, she can act further.)

====

Current Conditions and effects: AC 18 for 14 remaining rounds.

It is wide enough to climb down, yes. About big enough for a medium sized creature to fit down uncomfortably, but it's not squeezing.

Thanks for clarifying, Worldwound GM.

Moving quietly back from the hole's opening and toward her companions, she discreetly informed them what she had seen/heard.

"The hole is wide enough to climb down, although a little uncomfortably. I could not see anyone down the hole; however I did hear movement - at least one creature. Not certain where the hole leads, but it does extend further to the east. What do you wish to do?"

===

I got my second COVID shot yesterday and I'm not feeling the best today, so if my posting is slow it's because of that. Apologies.

Verene says in a whisper for Aravashnial's benefit, "Elyda is heading into the archer's former room first. No obvious enemies right now, so no need for a summoned creature just yet."

She moves forward, to the door into the third room, as Elyda investigates, and peeks into the room as well, repeating Elyda's summary of her observations and the question about how to proceed as they happen in a whisper for the benefit of Thesius, Anevia and Aravashnial. "Personally, I would like to investigate the stinking door out of this room first, as I feel it will take some time for anything to climb up from the hole, and we would be less likely to be surprised by them. Also, there is a door we haven't yet opened in the room where Thesius and I are standing." North door.

I'm fine with skipping ahead for a few rounds of search/open doors/etc. if everyone else wants to. Verene will keep her crossbow at the ready.

Thesius takes a moment to summon his dancing lights once more before moving into the room to take up a position next to the door in case any unwanted visitors appear.

Ah, right. As for the earlier GM question: Skipping some time to search rooms that do not have combatants seems like a good idea. Could detect magic too, stopping it if we get attacked.

Okay.

Combat Over. For now.

Anevia and Aravashnial slowly enter the common room, with the elf nodding slightly at Verene's words. "Very well. I still may use my staff to conjure something... or cast another spell, for that matter."

Meanwhile, Horgus moves in as well, moving swiftly to sit in one of the chairs, with his back to a corner so no one can approach him unexpectedly.

Scanning through the common room offers no real objects of interest or value, but opening the door does reveal something deeply unpleasant - a short, narrow hallway that slopes downwards into a mound of rotting garbage. Even the very walls are stained with refuse.

"Well..." Anevia flinches back from the stench of the door. "At least there aren't any threats back there."

This leaves you two obvious options - heading north from the sleeping area, or heading down into the hole.

Merixia wrinkles her nose as she enters the room. ”I’m with Verene, let’s investigate the door first. I don’t fancy being ambushed as we’re climbing down the ladder.”

Merixia, there is a (brief) description of what's behind the door in the room, in the center of my last post, in case you missed it.

"Indeed, it would be unwise to find ourselves in an space we could not escape when enemies attack," Thesius adds in support.

Scanning through the common room offers no real objects of interest or value, but opening the door does reveal something deeply unpleasant - a short, narrow hallway that slopes downwards into a mound of rotting garbage. Even the very walls are stained with refuse.

Verene grimaces in distaste. "I feel there's no need to root through the camp garbage pit for the sake of thoroughness. The archer clearly didn't hide here, and it's a dead end. So we have a good guess that the archer went down the ladder, if that changes our decision. We can check the other, non-stinky door first, but then there may be no choice but to head down. Elliot, I seem to recall you have a smoke spell that is good for blocking vision, right? Could it be used to keep us from being shot while trying to navigate the ladder?"

Verene supports trying the north door first, but has learned her lesson about standing in doorways as a squishy wizard. She will ready to shoot at the first enemy she has a clear shot at if and when the door is opened; or to drop flat if, say, it opens on a bunch of people pointing bows at us.

Anevia looks back and forth between the others. "If we're going down, maybe some of us should stay up here? I... am pretty sure that climbing down a ladder into combat would be a bad idea for me and for Aravashnial here."

"I do confess that I would be disinclined to do that, even at my best." He says dryly.

Before anyone else can respond, there's a thump from the living area, followed by a vicious curse.

"You couldn't keep it down, could you? Now they know we're here." A woman's voice says, irate.

"If they didn't before, they do now." A man sneers. "F@#~ it, get them!"

Combat Start

Looking outside reveals a pair of humans - a tall woman with a glaive and a horned helm, with a smaller, stockier man wielding a scythe beside her. Their weapons glow filthy orange, and they grip them with the experience of one who has trained many hours.

Round 1 No surprise round, because they totally whiffed their Stealth rolls. First up are Merixia, Verene, and Elliot. Following them go the cultists, then Thesius & Elyda, and finally your other two combat-able companions. I also updated the buff durations, so remember to check those out.

"Merixia, can you wait until just after Elliot and me?" Verene whispers. She wishes dearly she had just prepared three color sprays and bought a scroll of mage armor like Elliot, instead of hedging against the possibility of more mindless foes with a snowball. "We may not get such a clear shot at them again."

Delay until after Elliot, then move into room's very bottom right corner and shoot at whichever cultist is most hurt but still standing. Elliot, when placing yourself, remember glaive lady will have reach!

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

"Ah, how convenient. We didn't have to go looking for you." Merixia gives the two humans a vicious grin. "Looks like we have warpriests of Baphomet and Deskari here. The one with the glaive serves Baphomet, the other serves Deskari." She nods to Verene, waiting for the two spellcasters to make their move.

Delay action until after Verene and Elliot.

Verene grimaces in distaste. "I feel there's no need to root through the camp garbage pit for the sake of thoroughness. The archer clearly didn't hide here, and it's a dead end. So we have a good guess that the archer went down the ladder, if that changes our decision. We can check the other, non-stinky door first, but then there may be no choice but to head down. Elliot, I seem to recall you have a smoke spell that is good for blocking vision, right? Could it be used to keep us from being shot while trying to navigate the ladder?"

"I do have a smoke spell, but I can't control where it goes once created, and inhaling it can be very bad for us as well. In a tight cave system, I am not sure it's a good idea." Elliot responds after taking a moment to consider.

Later, when the fight starts.

"I don't know who you three are, but you're outmatched. There's no way you can handle those three," He says, pointing over the frontline just before be begins casting hindering magic.

"Well, unless you're secretly a dwarf zombie, maybe."

I think the map was moved, I don't know where the enemies and I are supposed to be atm and thus I can't really make a tactical decision for spells. What elliot does otherwise is cast Daze on the closest target, then he falls back behind the frontline.

The map link in GM Worldwound's status line still works for me. The two enemies are in reach of one move for Elliot and well-placed for an AoE effect, whether color spray or burning hands, to get both of them.

Huh, guess someone accidentally moved the map. I've moved it back, and it should be fine now. Sorry about that. Also, Verene, the woman's got a glaive, which is a reach weapon, so you'll be risking an AoO if you go where you are.

Wait, aren't they flat-footed because they haven't acted yet in combat? Flat-footed characters don't get attacks of opportunity. But I've moved her back - I wouldn't have moved her there if I thought it would threaten an AoO. I'll just delay until after Elliot and Merixia then, please.

Crap, I forgot that. Yes, you're right.

Well, it doesn't look like either mage is going to cast a wide-area spell. Merixia charges into the room, dodging around Aravashnial, and swings at the priestess of Baphomet before she has a chance to react.

If they're flat-footed, I'm going to take advantage of that!

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5