.
Ruan is is bad shape at first, Ramoska was intrigued by his resistance to diseases and was extensively testing a number of the more nasty types on him.
With a Heal roll of 31 you work out that Ramoska intended to test an extract of Vampirism on him. From the scribbled notes it seemed that Ramoska hoped that Ruan would be able to resist it and from there he could develop a cure?
Ruan himself is sincerely grateful for being rescued, most of his time here since he was captured at the Carowyn manor has been spent either unconscious or being experimented on.
He wants to get out of here and return to his sister. He is of no use to you in combat and can't tell you anything about what is behind the unopened doors. :)
What are you doing now?
Now masked again, Kayleigh listens to Ruan's decision stoically. "Well, you still look half-dead to me, but if you want to leave I won't try to talk you out of it. Here--let me heal your wounds a bit more before you go. I think we've pretty much cleared out the cultists behind us, but...better safe than sorry. Oh yeah--you might have to climb up a lift shaft to leave this place. Good luck; stay safe."
"Okay, let's push forward and finish clearing out this place." Ariadne says as Ruan is healed to a functional level. "On to the next door?"
Kayleigh nods at Ariadne's words. She offers again to grant Milani's guidance to Vedika if the trickster rogue wants to search the next portal for traps.
Brid nods at Ari's question, ready to take out her negative feelings on cultists, if any of them remain.
When the others are ready to move, Zahur takes the frontline. "I'm half of a mind to just burn this whole complex..."
"That might burn down half the city," Kayleigh points out quietly. "No telling how many kind-hearted folks were claimed by this manufactured plague...nor how many survivors would risk gathering together to form a bucket brigade with the blood veil still running rampant throughout Korvosa."
Seeing that Zahur's got some lingering wounds, the healer again pulls out the wand and gives him a tap or two.
.
What are you doing now?
"Lemme check these."
Neither of the two doors are trapped or locked.
What now?
"All clear, far as I can tell. Everyone form up, let's see what's left."
Kayleigh prepares to open the door(s) so the party's better fighters can swarm into the next chamber. She waits for someone to give her the order....
Once again drawing her sword, Ariadne moves into position, ready to wade into the room to face whatever lay behind the doors.
Zahur opens the door, when Vedika confirms it isn't trapped.
.
G13 Hall of Pestilence
The reek of burning wax wafts through this morbid chamber, with several tall, misshapen candles being the apparent source. Workspaces strewn with tall beakers of foul-colored liquids, parchments covered in insidious symbols, and cages of whimpering rodents fill large alcoves in both the northern and southern walls. A pair of huge stone doors hang ajar to the east, revealing a long hallway leading further into the dark.
At the room’s center stand four large, cylindrical glass vats, each filled with a bubbling emerald fluid that tints the chamber’s light a noxious green. Within each suspension floats a malformed abomination—something part human, part angel, and part horse—things of half-formed muscle with dead, fleshless equine skulls. Three of the forms are
motionless, but the fourth twitches now and then.
Two Cultists are working in this room, they turn in shock as you open the door.
Everyone but Brigita may act!
Vedika flips a shuriken (unpoisoned this time) out at one of the cultists before they can move.
After opening the door, Kayleigh scoots into the northwest corner of the next room and prepares to engage the nearby cultist in melee.
As the door opens, giving a glimpse into the room, Ariadne's eyes widen in shock and horror as she recognizes the monstrosities within the chambers...likely the source of all of this.
”Those things are Leukodaemons, contagion fiends that can spit clouds of biting flies, and infest you with the arrows they shoot. Even coming close to them makes you sicker. They’re immune to acid, death magic, disease, and poison, and resist all forms of energy but sound. Silver and divinely enchanted weapons (good) can hurt them though” she calls out to her companions even as she once again calls upon her defensive magic to enhance her armor, simultaneously raising her hand in a gesture to cloud the mins of the cultist between the glass vats.
Vedika wounds Red slightly.
Kayleigh moves into the room.
Ariadne Dazes Red and moves in.
Zahur?
.
Zahur wounds Yellow.
Red is Dazed this round.
Yellow swings at Kayleigh.
The party can now act.
With an angry growl, the blacksmith rushes forward, her hammer swinging up from the floor like an escaping comet with the cultist's knees attempting to stop it.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Right after Brigita introduces a cultist to her hammer, Kayleigh tries her best to thump an Urgathoan with her silver morningstar. Her best isn't very good....
for
Spinning his hook, Zahur attacks, tired of the endless minions in this shitty place. He is also worried about the scary thing in the vat. "Let's hope we can leave it there."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Brigita splatters Yellow and Zahur guts red.
Loot:
Breastplate +1 (2),
Scythe +1 (2),
Potion Cure light wounds (8).
Double doors are the only way to go. What are you doing now?
Ariadne breaths a sigh of relief as both of the cultist fall, giving the glass chambers containing the submerged daemons a wary glance. "Maybe when all this is over, you can arrange for someone from your church to Banish these things back to where they come from." she suggests to Kayleigh. "If we burn this place down, which up until now I was definitely inclined to do, they'd likely escape into the city, hunting and killing for fun."
Taking a deep breath and rolling her shoulders as she puts the idea of having to deal with them aside for the time being, the battle-mage turns to face the double doors. "Onward I suppose!"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Brig shakes her head at burning, though it is with much regret it seems "Too hard to contain. Neighboring buildings." at the doors she rolls her shoulders, ready to move on. Briefly she looks at her hammer, cakes in blood and gore. "So many of them" she shakes her head in disbelief, uncertain why so many decided this path was a good one.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Kayleigh gives a nervous laugh at Ariadne's first words. "So far as I know, I AM the church of Milani in these parts--the only cleric of Milani in the entire city. Maybe we can report to Field Commander Kroft, though, and she can find someone to handle it."
Kayleigh gives a nervous laugh at Ariadne's first words. "So far as I know, I AM the church of Milani in these parts--the only cleric of Milani in the entire city. Maybe we can report to Field Commander Kroft, though, and she can find someone to handle it."
"Either the Pharasmins or the Abadarans might be interested in getting rid of them." Zahur says, coiling his hook and wiping the sweat of his face.
.
You cautiously open the doors and reveal a long hallway that leads to the temple.
G14 Inner Sanctum
The long hall opens into a circular chamber rising into a high dome. Seven basins jut from the walls, ensconced within evenly spaced alcoves that circle the room. Each is filled to the brim with a unique liquid—blood, bile, milk, or other unidentifiable fluid. Each fills the air with its own distinct reek, creating a noxious, eye-watering bouquet.
On the floor around each basin lie several small, empty metal boxes carved with images of skulls.
At the room’s center, rising from a wide pool of crystalline water, is a golden statue that is both erotic and horrifying. The statue depicts a beautiful nude woman who is human above the waist, but below this, the figure is nothing more than a skeleton.
Standing behind four Juju Zombies is a coldly beautiful woman who greets you with an icy smile. "And so you have found your way to me, hopeful heroes. Know that you stand before the architect of your city’s death. You call this sending blood veil, yet I know it as the gentle kiss of the Pallid Princess. Your reward shall be great—choose of the seven scourges to become one with the goddess. Those who drink I shall only cripple, leaving you alive to enjoy her as she quickens inside your flesh. Those who abstain are fools, not fit to house the divine gift. You may prostrate yourselves at my feet, and I shall make your end all the more swift for it. Swifter, in any event, than this delightful end your lovely queen has enjoined me to create!"
What are you doing now? You have one action then we go to initiatives. Yes, she is that arrogant.
Thankfully, Kayleigh's face is masked, so no one sees her jaw nearly drop to the floor at the woman's mad and fanatical delusions. The Milanite swiftly spits out a spell--a prayer to Milani to aid her friends in the coming battle and hinder their foes.
Brig chugs a potion of hers, turning her barkriden skin a shade of umber.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Though Ariadne listens in silence, her shift in posture indicates exactly what she thinks of the woman and her undead minions. Even as she wraps up her insane speech, the magus pulls a vial from her belt, popping the seal and pouring a clear oil along the length of her blade, the weapon glistening as the edges begin to sharpen even more.
Her voice is ominous, given a cold echoing tone from the mask. "Over your dead body!"
"Ugh, what a disgusting place... Is that one filled with ball juice?" Zahur muses as he uncoils his hook.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Nah. The Pallid Princess doesn't have balls."
Vedika quips briefly, then with a wave of her hand sends a blast of glitterdust over the opposition.
kayleigh casts Prayer
Ariadne oils her sword.
Brigita drinks an extract.
Zahur kills Blue.
Vedika casts Glitterdust
.
The Zombies hold their positions.
Brigita, Zahur & Kayleigh can now act!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Brig surges forward, hammer raised high, slamming it down on the zombie protecting the arrogant cultist.
.
Brigita destroys White.
Ariadne & Kayleigh to act.
Using the momentum of the hook, Zahur changes from one zombie to the other and then switches to the arrogant priest, trying to take her scythe away. "Those zombies probably had..." He replies to Vedika.
As her companions create an opening Ariadne dashes forward, blade darting out to slash the arrogant cult leader, her armor once again flaring up with protective sigils as she moves just enough to avoid being in the way of Zahur's hook.
Kayleigh takes a step to the north and engages the other remaining juju zombie, taking a swing with her morningstar.
for
Zahur removes the last two Zombies, but all his strikes on teh Priestess miss. .
Red rises 20' into the air.
Ariadne lightly wounds Red as she rises.
kayleigh, Zahur was greedy and took all the Zombies. You can change your action.
Zahur, Vedika & Brigita can act after Kayleigh has changed her action.
.
Kayleigh sees the scary woman rise into the air and casts spiritual weapon from her wand. The conjured morningstar's first swings are wildly inaccurate, though.
for
for
Zahur moves under the fanatic priestess and throws his hook up. He almost feels bad for her, almost.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Using the momentum of the hook, Zahur changes from one zombie to the other and then switches to the arrogant priest, trying to take her scythe away. "Those zombies probably had..." He replies to Vedika.
"Ew. I may have some kinks, but rotting ball juice? Ew," replies Vedika as she advances to a position where she can wait for a good shot at the floating priestess.
Growling as the woman rises above her, Ariadne quickly grabs a potion, raising the bottom of her mask to quickly drink it.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The brawny alchemist follows the magus, pulling out her own potion of enlarge and downing it, moving to the right to keep from growing into Ali.