Turrey looks at the enforcer with the sword and sings out,
"Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world."
Burning tears trickle down Gregoth’s face, igniting as they mix with the air. Slowly he advances, sword flickering with brilliant white flames.
The sword-wielding enforcer seems momentarily dazzled by Turrey's spell, and he tries to blink away the effects as Turrey weaves his familiar defensive magics.
Gregoth then gives the same one a terrifying stare, but perhaps because his senses have been rewired, it leaves him only slightly frightened.
Gregoth rushes upto him while he's distracted and slices him open with his longsword. The enforcer tries to bring his up to parry, but he's still blinking heavily and his movements are sluggish. The cut seems especially deep, like his flesh was rotting and ready to part, and a cloud of foulness escapes even as the flesh blackens and burns from the positive energy.
The other enforcer pulls their spiked chain from their belt ◆, then rushes ◆ to surround Gregoth. Gregoth's blade slashes out incredibly quickly and cuts the enforcer across the chest with the same gruesome effects. In retaliation, they swing ◆ their spiked chain out.
The chain scrapes bone as it slices through Gregoth's flesh, and the tracks it leaves behind weep blood.
Active Effects:
Psychic Pressure: Recall Knowledge DCs are increased by +2 and Stupefied DC is increased by stupefied value.
Inspire Defence: Everyone has +1 status bonus to AC and saves, and resistance 4 to physical damage (until Turrey's turn on round 4)
...
➤Kaldren
Bellaluna
Félicité
Enforcer 2
Turrey
Gregoth
Enforcer 1
...
Bellaluna smirks as she twirls one of her crossbows about its trigger guard.
She then grabs a hold of her crossbows and fires both of them at the enforcer with rewired senses!
With no good shot at #1, Félicité tries to bend one around Gregoth.
vs #2, cover
plus
Disturbing Knowledge:
vs #1 Will DC
Kaldren steps behind the first enforcer ans swings his flail toward them.
◆ Step
◆ Smite Evil vs Enforcer 1
◆
Kaldren steps up, and with righteous fury slams his flail home against the enforcer with their back to him. They let out a gasp of pain as the magic flail crunches rotten flesh.
Bellaluna performs a stunning display with her crossbows, one that's hard to look away from, and both enforcers seem shocked.
She takes advantage of the distraction and fires a pair of shots around Kaldren. Despite the difficult shot both hit, and one seems to hit a sensitive spot, pinning his off-hand to the desk and causing it to spurt black blood.
Félicité watches her nearest enforcer, but she can't calculate a way to land her most devastating attack. She does spot that the enforcer's shoulder where Kaldren just hit him is now troubling him, and points it out to the others.
As she's conveying this information, she fires an inspired shot at the dazed enforcer, and speaks such ominous words to the other that they seem frightened.
The injured and bamboozled enforcer blinks away their sensory confusion and attempts to run Gregoth through with his magnificent glowing sword.
He thrusts with such force that despite dodging the blow, Gregoth still gets a huge slice along his side, though Kaldren is able to mitigate much of the damage by giving the enforcer and unwelcome glimpse of redemption. Worse still, the flesh spontaneously ignites in a way that Gregoth as seen many times.
↺ Glimpse of Redemption
The enforcer then ◆ tears his arm free from the table , and moves away from Gregoth and the firing line of the world-class archers trying to kill him, moving shakily on his feet.
Active Effects:
Psychic Pressure: Recall Knowledge DCs are increased by +2 and Stupefied DC is increased by stupefied value.
Inspire Defence: Everyone has +1 status bonus to AC and saves, and resistance 4 to physical damage (until Turrey's turn on round 4)
Known Weakness: Everyone has +1 circumstance bonus to hit Enforcer 1 on their first attack this round
Kaldren
Bellaluna
Félicité
Enforcer 2
➤Turrey
Gregoth
Enforcer 1
...
Brilliant flames spill instead of blood from the gashes in Gregoth’s body. He turns and jerkily swings the blazing sword in his hand towards the Gardener between him and Kaldren, then flails again as his other hand pulls the shield up.
Turrey tried to shoot through the melee, but from his awkward position his arrow just bounces off the wall.
He then changes tact, and sings an enchanted song that sends an invisible wave of force in an attempt to bowl the enforcer over.
Turrey's shot goes wide, but his telekinetic attack flips the stout enforcer like an invisible rug had been pulled from under him.
Gregoth strikes down at the enforcer on the ground, and he just manages to get his sword past the enforcer's spiked chain on his first strike.
The flames licking at Gregoth seem to cauterize the bleeding wound.
The enforcer on the ground staggers to their feet ◆ , then tries to wrap Gregoth up with his chain ◆
↺ Glimpse of Redemption #2
The chain wraps around Gregoth like a snake, sharp links digging into his arms and making him bleed, and grabbing ◆ him tight. Up close, the enforcer's rotting flesh is stomach churning.
Active Effects:
Psychic Pressure: Recall Knowledge DCs are increased by +2 and Stupefied DC is increased by stupefied value.
Inspire Defence: Everyone has +1 status bonus to AC and saves, and resistance 4 to physical damage (until Turrey's turn on round 4)
Known Weakness: Everyone has +1 circumstance bonus to hit Enforcer 1 on their first attack this round
➤Kaldren
Bellaluna
Félicité
Enforcer 2
Turrey
Gregoth
Enforcer 1
...
”Alright then.” Bellaluna reloads both of her crossbows and places them over Kaldren’s shoulders as she fires!
plus plus
Felicite will cast Life Boost on Gregoth.
◆
◆
◆
Gregoth slashes at the enforcer as they get up, nearly cutting them in half. A ragged scream of pain and rage erupts out of them as they stand and burst into flames.
Kaldren then smashes his flail into the enforcer after they grab Gregoth, knocking them to the ground again! They stubbornly hold onto the chain grabbing Gregoth as they fall.
Bellaluna takes her chance, and one of her two rapid-fire bolts takes the enforcer through the eye, pinning their corpse to the ground. The chain slackens and falls from Gregoth, leaving him free but bleeding.
Félicité ducks in through the doorway, stepping over the fresh corpse, and finds an angle on the remaining enforcer.
It takes her a second to adjust for the different weapon. He holds the longsword in a close stance, like he's hoping its power will protect him. She judges that he will do another charge now that his ally is down, so she leads him ever so slightly ... and the arrow hits home in his side.
The enforcer charges at Gregoth, shouting and doing his best to ignore the arrow.
This time Gregoth gets his sword up in time to parry, the two flaming swords clashing and sending off motes of burning embers through the heat haze.
Active Effects:
Psychic Pressure: Recall Knowledge DCs are increased by +2 and Stupefied DC is increased by stupefied value.
Inspire Defence: Everyone has +1 status bonus to AC and saves, and resistance 4 to physical damage (until Turrey's turn on round 4)
Didactic Strike: Enforcer 2 is flat-footed to Everyone's next strike before Félicité's next turn, and it will deal 2d6 additional precision damage
Kaldren
Bellaluna
Félicité
Enforcer 2
Turrey
➤Gregoth
Enforcer 1
...
The blade in Gregoth’s hand jerks from the impact, then is pulled back as the shield pushes the other sword away. Eyes too bright to look at stare into the Gardener’s eyes, through the Gardener’s skull, through the Gardener’s soul. The blade, now free, swings wildly.
Turrey breathes a sigh of relief as one of the two enforcers falls. He leaps over the fallen foe, ducks behind Gregoth's back, and plants himself in the corner before firing off two more arrows.
Turrey rushes into the room and fires a pair of arrow at the injured enforcer, but both bounce off their armour.
Gregoth stares into the enforcers eyes, and when he sees fear, strikes. The enforcers parry is a heartbeat too late and Gregoth's sword cuts and burns across his side.
Active Effects:
Psychic Pressure: Recall Knowledge DCs are increased by +2 and Stupefied DC is increased by stupefied value.
Inspire Defence: Everyone has +1 status bonus to AC and saves, and resistance 4 to physical damage (until Turrey's turn on round 4)
Didactic Strike: Enforcer 2 is flat-footed to Kaldren and Bellaluna's next strike before Félicité's next turn, and it will deal 2d6 additional precision damage
➤Kaldren
Bellaluna
Félicité
Enforcer 2
Turrey
Gregoth
Bellaluna Strides into the room, reloads her crossbow, and fires it.
Kaldren moves to flank the remain ing enforcer with Gregoth and lashes out with his flail.
◆ Stride 15 ft
◆ Smite Evil vs Enforcer 2
◆
◇
◆
plus plus
◆
plus
◆
Kaldren moves into position and swings, but the enforcer ducks under the flail, moving quickly despite his hulking form.
Bellaluna takes Félicité's advice and aims her bolt at a nerve cluster in the enforcer's shoulder, and the howl of pain she is rewarded with suggests she hit the mark.
Félicité calculates a devastating shot, but the arrow just misses the target by a hair's breadth. Her follow-up shot targeting the enforcer's barrel-like chest hits, but is less devastating. She gives Kaldren a small blessing to guide his arm.
The enforcer looks to be surviving purely on adrenaline, or whatever passes for it in his strange mortic anatomy. He roars, a cry of pure rage and hatred, and strikes at Gregoth.
↺ Glimpse of Redemption #1
↺ Glimpse of Redemption #2
With two rage-fuelled blows he smashes through Gregoth's guard, cuts through his armour, and his wounds burst into flames again.
Finally he takes an unstable step over the body of his ally to avoid being flanked.
Active Effects:
Psychic Pressure: Recall Knowledge DCs are increased by +2 and Stupefied DC is increased by stupefied value.
...
➤Turrey
Gregoth
Kaldren
Bellaluna
Félicité
Enforcer 2
...
Gregoth doesn’t seem to notice his wounds, continuing to hack and swing at the monster of a man before him. A flash of painful white light bursts from his face as blade meets blade, and when it clears the tall man’s eyes are grey rather than bone-white.
plus plus
Félicité will Administer First Aid on Gregoth.
vs bleed DC
Turrey changes his tune, aiming to Inspire Courage in his comrades, and then fires two shots at the Enforcer.
Turrey fires a pair of rapid shots, ones of which sinks to the fletching in the enforcer's massive chest. For a second it looks like he's done for, but he slowly brings the sword up for another strike...
Gregoth was already moving though, and with a moment of perfect clarity, cuts the enforcer down like a rotten tree. The spray of innards smells like a week old kill, putrid and pungent. It takes an effort not to gag.
Félicité quickly gets Gregoth's bleeding under control, and stamps out the fire, leaving you alone in the armoury.
while Félicité tends to what wounds of Gregoth remains after the magical healing finishes, you each get a chance to look around at the contents of the armoury. Most of the items are valuable but of little use to use, bearing only meager enchantments. Altogether though they'd be worth around 2000GP.
Two items are more potent. The sword that the enforcer wields defies identification by any except for Turrey, who decides that it's a sword known as a Greater Flametongue, a powerful longsword capable of summoning fire magic.
All of you agree that the leather armour about which shadows pool unnaturally is enchanted for stealth.
"Look at this little tag on the armor. It says ... 'Bellaluna.' Look, Bellaluna, it has your name on it."
"Look at this little tag on the armor. It says ... 'Bellaluna.' Look, Bellaluna, it has your name on it."
"Huh. Well, don't mind if I do." Bellaluna takes off the chain shirt that most in the party probably wasn't even aware that she was wearing and subsequently dons the leather armor.
Heading through the double doors, you emerge into a wide space with a sinuous shape carved into the floor, like a serpent or a worm. Metal doors line the walls, some going back to the ritual chamber you interrupted, and others hang open, leading into ancient burial rooms.
On the eastern wall is a closed door , and on the same wall is an area that appears to have been bricked over recently. Stacked bricks are separated by thin sheets of mortar. Written on the wall are the words:
Beneath the words is a complicated symbol made of chalk, powdered silver, and dried blood.
Turrey and Kaldren both recognise the symbol as an occult glyph used to keep an ethereal creature bound.
Félicité and Turrey both recognise the symbol as one used
Kaldren crosses to the bricked up wall and examines the symbols. "We should free whatever creature is imprisoned here."
The bricks look new and weak as Kaldren inspects them, they'd be easy to break through.
Bellaluna sighs as she looks over at the glyphs that she does not fully recognize. ”Well, it’s either something so damning to the Gardeners that they needed to keep it locked in the Ethereal Plane, or it’s a sahkil so powerful that even the Gardeners could only lock it away. Either way, it’s probably not good to just ignore it. Let’s free it, and if it helps us, then great. If it tries to kill us, then we’ll kill it.” She pulls out both of her crossbows and loads them.
As the others take positions ready for whatever might be behind the wall, Kaldren examines the newly constructed wall and the symbol. He experimentally smudges a small piece of the chalk that comprises the symbol, and as soon as he does there's a tangible "pop" in the psychic pressure, and two enraged ghosts emerge out through the walls! They are moaning a shrill, keening sound that sets your teeth on edge.
The ghosts are both elven women, One resembles an elegant elf woman wearing fine robes. The other is dressed more sensibly in travelling clothes. Both wear brooches.
Active Effects:
Psychic Pressure: Recall Knowledge DCs are increased by +2 and Stupefied DC is increased by stupefied value.
➤Félicité
Red Ghost
Gregoth
Bellaluna
Turrey
Kaldren
Blue Ghost
◆
◇
"Oh, you poor, tormented souls of elves bound to the Material Plane by a betrayal that defined the final hours of your lives. Your devastating wail, a scream of such fury that it can kill people outright, has wrought so much pain, but you are powerless in natural sunlight."
◆
plus plus
◆
Félicité's carefully aimed bow shot hits precisely where she intends, but while it's magical aura does seem to disrupt the banshee somewhat, it's much less than she'd hoped. She calls out some advice though giving everyone a slight advantage.
In reply, the banshee's already upset expression turns even more enranged, and she draws in a deep breath and screams!
↺ Glimpse of Redemption
The sound is painful and piercing, and it pulls at your very life force. Gregoth, Félicité and Turrey manage to hold onto themselves, but Bellaluna starts to feels the pain of it affecting her, until Kaldren intervenes and blocks the negative energy from getting through to her.
Kaldren himself though isn't so lucky, and he looks drained and wounded. The banshee furiously tries to pass her hand through his chest, but he manages to get out of the way.
Active Effects:
Psychic Pressure: Recall Knowledge DCs are increased by +2 and Stupefied DC is increased by stupefied value.
Known Weakness: Everyone has +1 circumstance bonus to hit the red banshee on their first attack this round
Félicité
Red Banshee
➤Gregoth
Bellaluna
Turrey
Kaldren
Blue Banshee
As the elven ghosts appear, Bellaluna’s face pales as she realizes the extent of her mistake to follow Kaldren’s lead.
”Banshee—!” She’s only assuming, as she doesn’t know for certain, but when her words are cut off by one of them echoing their infamous wails, she knows her assumption to be correct.
Over the ringing in her ears, Bellaluna just shouts ”Nope!” She moves away from the banshees then Strides to get as far away from the banshees as humanly possible.
Still with terror in her chest, she turns heel and fires both of her crossbows at one of the banshees!
Gregoth’s heart aches as the ghost’s anguished wail washes over him. Tears that shine like miniature shooting stars fall from his face, shaken loose with each footstep as he advances. A few land hissing and spitting on the metal blade in his hand, a few more on the metal shield held before him.
Kaldren moves away from the ghostly creatures and unleashes a blast of life energy toward them.
◆ Stride
◆◆ Eradicate Undaeth DC 37 Will
Gregoth advances and stares into the banshee's face, which manages to show a little fear as well as anguished rage.
Bellaluna retreats and fires a pair of parting shots perfectly just past Félicité's shoulder, both of which hit the exact same spot. Of the bolts' enchantments only the flames seem to be ineffective.
Turrey takes inspiration from Bellaluna and moves back, before singing a song of strength and taking a shot with his bow.
As he fires the bow-string makes a deep harmony with his voice, and his arrows goes exactly where Félicité suggested, seeming to hurt the banshee greatly.
↺ Vengeful Spite
The banshee's rage on being hit is palpable, and the look it gives Turrey hurts his mind!
Kaldren swiftly moves and harries both banshees with spell of his faith.
Both are shaken by the magic, but the banshee next to Gregoth is focused on him. She seems hurt by his attention, and screams her anguish. Turrey and Bellaluna are far enough away that this doesn't assault their souls. This time though Turrey tries to incorporate the scream into his song, and to undercut it.
↺ Counter Performance
"
"
↺ Glimpse of Redemption
Gregoth shakes off the power of the wail at the last second, which seems to enrage the banshee even more. She tries to claw at his face with her fingernails.
↺ Glimpse of Redemption #2
As her hand passes through Gregoth's face, he feels the chill of fear.
Turrey's song fades away and he finds himself frozen with terror!
Active Effects:
Psychic Pressure: Recall Knowledge DCs are increased by +2 and Stupefied DC is increased by stupefied value.
Inspire Courage: Everyone has +1 status bonus to attack and damage rolls, and to saves against fear effects (until Turrey's turn on round 2)
➤Félicité
Red Banshee
Gregoth
Bellaluna
Turrey
Kaldren
Blue Banshee
If Gregoth is stunned or frightened:
Félicité makes a ◆◆ doctor's visitation:
If Kaldren can be healed 59 hp:
◆
Else:
◆ Life Boost
Finally, Félicité will ◆ shield herself.
Félicité moves, gives Kaldren her healing hex and wards herself against attack.
The banshee that has been the most dissipated screams in rage, and mindlessly flies toward Gregoth to attack. She is inconsolable, incoherant, virtually mindless in her fury.
◆ Stride
As she moves her form becomes even more blurred and insubstantial
◆ Strike
◆ Strike
The banshee's first wild strike misses Gregoth completely, but her second passes through his whole body and nearly stops his heart.
Active Effects:
Psychic Pressure: Recall Knowledge DCs are increased by +2 and Stupefied DC is increased by stupefied value.
Félicité
Red Banshee
➤Gregoth
Bellaluna
Turrey
Kaldren
Blue Banshee
Bellaluna reloads both of her crossbows then fires.