Shard smiles as he wipes the blood off his blade. Yep, I do now.
"Friend, let us help you get cleaned up a bit. I think we all want the same thing here and all realize there are far bigger dangers here tonight than a flower pot. So how do we stop what is about to occur?"
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Miloban decides to try being nice first, and puts on a smile.
"You poor fellow, what a compromising position to find yourself in, bent over, half buried in a pot of dirt. It's a good thing we found you when we did. Now, tell us what all this fuss is about. Surely we can help dig you out, further, metaphorically I mean."
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The magistrate coughs a bit more. "Sorry about all of that. Seems the Gardeners were onto me. I am the senior Magistrate and contrary to most people’s assumptions, I am not a Gray Gardener. I do everything I can in my courtroom to subtly foil them and it seems I may have went too far. My bodyguards were detained and executed by the Grey Gardeners recently, without so much as a lawful trial. I had to come here as I am up for reelection, but I see now that the Grey Gardeners just wanted to get me all alone." He coughs up a bit more dirt, wiping his mouth.
Otvald pulls the platinum chain from his neck and hands it to you. "Please take this for saving my life. It is worth a fortune." Now go, you should get out of here before we are discovered. Don't worry about me I will make my way out quickly."[/b] He grabs some of the cleaner drapes and wraps them around him as Otvald redons his mask. "This should buy me enough time to make my way home."
Shard searches the gardeners, and the room.
Martius comes out of his self-imposed daze, "Actually, hang on a minute. Please excuse my friends. The violence that we've met with has us on edge, and we do not mean to be curt or gruff. Again, I ask are you alright, and might you have insight into the underbelly of what's going on here?"
Shard listens carefully as he searches around.
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Shard and Martius get the feeling that the Magistrate is being completely truthful. He seems to have been blocking each insidious act from the shadows of the court of law as much as possible.
Searching through the Gray Gardeners equipment you find little on them:
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You all make your way back out t the dance floor, first making sure that the route is clear for the Magistrate's escape.
At 11 p.m., Director General Yasmeena Pont clears the dance floor near the musicians. She directs servants to set up posts with red streamers that mark out a large area of the ballroom floor. She then holds up her hand for quiet before beginning a strange performance. This gives the magistrate the distraction needed to slowly move through the thick crowd unseen.
Once the last waist-high pole has been placed to mark out an empty area on the ballroom floor, the gaunt, redheaded host signals for quiet. She’s now wearing a mask with a simple frown, rather than a smile. “The Gray Gardeners have been part of Galt’s history from the beginning, and shall be there to cultivate its end. Let us entertain you with the Pageant of Galtan History.”
The woman makes a grand motion, and dozens of featureless clay automatons march onto the stage.
The woman recites, “Lo, ’tis a gala night, in the lonesome latter years!” and the automatons mimic the motions of farmers, tailors, soldiers, prisoners, and more.
Lo! ’t is a gala night
Within the lonesome latter years!
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
In veils, and drowned in tears,
Sit in a theatre, to see
A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes fitfully
The music of the spheres.
Mimes, in the form of God on high,
Mutter and mumble low,
And hither and thither fly—
Mere puppets they, who come and go
At bidding of vast formless things
That shift the scenery to and fro,
Flapping from out their Condor wings
Invisible Wo!
That motley drama—oh, be sure
It shall not be forgot!
With its Phantom chased for evermore
By a crowd that seize it not,
Through a circle that ever returneth in
To the self-same spot,
And much of Madness, and more of Sin,
And Horror the soul of the plot.
But see, amid the mimic rout,
A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
It writhes!—it writhes!—with mortal pangs
The mimes become its food,
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
In human gore imbued.
Out—out are the lights—out all!
And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
Comes down with the rush of a storm,
While the angels, all pallid and wan,
Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, “Man,”
And its hero, the Conqueror Worm.
The automatons mimic everyday tasks the people of Galt might engage in before running in circles, one at a time, and then together. The worm of the poem doesn’t make an appearance in the pageant, but the automatons all act as though it does, writhing as though being eaten and falling down dead.
It’s clear that the partygoers are confused by the pageant and its poem, but they give polite applause at energetic parts and gasp when the automatons mimic being eaten alive. After the pageant, the automatons march out of the ballroom, taking the streamer-bedecked poles with them, and the masque resumes.
"We should each take an executioner's hood, just in case. If there is nothing left to explore I suggest we get back to the party, unless anyone needs healing first."
Shard hangs under the balcony in the shadows. He shivers at the blasphemous verse: that the gods serve vast entities who feed on the dead, and that the only hero of humankind is this conquering worm. He spreads his black wings, studded with diamonds that glitter like the eternal stars in the night, and drifts down to the dance floor.
Death may be inevitable, but he will be no mere spectator!
"I've got a baaaaad feeling about this."
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“At bidding of vast, formless things / That shift the scenery to and fro.”
The automatons mimic moving around something large and heavy. Shard realizes that this line means that the most significant moveable furnishing in the room, Silent Lenore, will play an important role in the Midnight Unmasking.
“With its phantom chased forevermore / By a crowd that seize it not.”
The automatons whirl and dance closely, as though moving through each other. Martius realizes that some form of spirit or spectral creature will be a part of the Midnight Unmasking.
“The curtain, a funeral pall / Comes down with the rush of a storm.”
In unison, the automatons mimic fainting, falling, and lying still. Amour realizes that the masque is building to an event involving a powerful undead creature.
"It is nearly time for the unmasking!" Someone in the crowd calls out in excitement. When the great clock approaches midnight, the excited party goers begin to count down the seconds. Everyone reaches up to take hold of their masks in the final seconds, ready to unmask and look around the room.
Shard motions to specific guests, who seem like they aren’t going to take off their masks. Look.
He will do likewise, leaving on his moon-moth mask.
Amour will use his Implausible Purchase feat to do the same.
"Great. Saw that coming a mile away."
Timing it so it's just a few seconds before the reveal, Martius casts, Divine Aura
"Pulchritudinous Sheyln, grant me a drop of your divine palette. Wash the air about me with your presence."
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A cheer erupts from the crowd as the great black clock strikes midnight. Nearly everyone in the crowd yanks off their masks at once, throwing them to the floor or into the air and looking around the room with naked curiosity. Several people— perhaps a dozen—lower their hands without removing their masks. The two hosts cry out in unison, The final blade shudders, and a cluster of spectral forms rush from it, shrieking in a soul-curdling rage and coalescing into a massive ghostly form.
Ten Gray Gardener assassins and the two director generals (Yasmeena and Vallian) haven’t removed their masks. They quickly move to block the doors as the massive mass of spirits begins to viciously slaughter the guests. It saps through a young man's body splitting him apart as another is pulled to the ceiling and dragged across the beams until only a bloody streak remains.
The crowd of hundreds begins to go into a full-blown panic, running in all directions at once as the party-goers have nowhere to escape.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
➤ Amour
Mass of Undead
Shard
Miloban
Martius │
Amour looks for a weakness on this monstrous mass.
He takes a free action to recall knowledge on this creature.
Religion +22
He then charges in and slashes his foe with his sword cane.
+2 Greater Striking Shock (Greater) Wounding Sword Cane with Strategic Strike:
To hit 18+30= 48!
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Amour has absolutely no idea what this undead monstrosity could be that the Gray Gardeners just released. So he does the only thing he knows he can do and stabs out at it. His blade is stunted as it drives into the incorporeal being.
The room begins to feel extraordinarily heavy as a very, very large field of negative energy begins to sap the life of everyone in the room. Several dozen party-goers collapse to their knees and begin clutching at their hearts as they fall over dead.
The malevolent entity flails about as skeletal hands reach out 100 feet towards each of you.
You feel the pain from the hands as all life force in the room is pulled and siphoned into the undead hover above.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
➤ Amour
Mass of Undead
➤ Shard
➤ Miloban
➤ Martius │
Shard doesn't care all that much about the ball attendees — they chose to attend and play these games with the Gardeners. He is unmoved by their plight.
This horror, however…
He dashes around into a flank with Amour, hoping his rotund friend is going to be okay.
Frightened 2 on crit
Shadow Blending: Increase the DC of the flat check by 2.
2. If a creature attempts to Strike Shard, and he cannot use Shadow Blending:
Dodge Away: Shard gets +1 AC and Steps 10 feet if the attack misses (Feather Step). He will move back in a logical way in order to bait the creature into triggering an AOO if possible.
3. If a creature attempts to move through Shard's threatened range, and he hasn't used an AOO yet:
4. If a creature reaches him after he takes the AOO
Shard will use reactions 1 or 2 following the same logical order.
5. Else:
Amour uses his reaction to make this vile mass the subject of his investigation.
He feels drained and shaken.
He hopes that with the flank, he has a chance of dishing out a critical hit.
+2 Greater Striking Shock (Greater) Wounding Sword Cane with Strategic Strike:
To hit 17+1+30= 48!
He then casts Shield and pulls out that 4th level scroll of magic missile he purchased earlier.
Reaction: Amour will block an attack that hits him with the Shield spell, reducing damage by 25 points
Martius sustains his spell, pushing his aura* ever further. He adds a new spell to the mix as a translucent guardian of Force, wielding a glaive attacks the Grey Death!
for
*
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Miloban gives everyone he can a small bit of heroism as his own body begins to split, twist and contort into a monstrous creature.
Martius grunts as he pushes his aura out even further than before. though unfortunately the translucent guardian's glaive misses. The undead continues to swirl about as it saps the life from everything in the room.
The massive undead stares down at Amour as a portion of the mist breaks off into his body.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
➤ Amour │
Mass of Undead
➤ Shard
➤ Miloban │
➤ Martius │
Martius nearly falls from the pain. He maintains his two spells
The divine copy of the cleric attacks: for
He quickly tends to his own wounds:
Forgot the +1 for divine aura so 42!
Amour looks for a weak spot on this undead mass.
Seeing no clear opening, he reads the scroll of Magic Missile and blasts the mass with force damage (3 actions).
Juggernaut
Shard grins. Nice try.
He attacks the creature but has trouble hitting it this time around.
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
Shadow Blending: Increase the DC of the flat check by 2.
2. If a creature attempts to Strike Shard, and he cannot use Shadow Blending:
Dodge Away: Shard gets +1 AC and Steps 10 feet if the attack misses (Feather Step). He will move back in a logical way in order to bait the creature into triggering an AOO if possible.
3. If a creature attempts to move through Shard's threatened range, and he hasn't used an AOO yet:
4. If a creature reaches him after he takes the AOO
Shard will use reactions 1 or 2 following the same logical order.
5. Else:
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Most of the group already feels a little drained. While Shard manages to get close all of his attacks end up missing the large undead as it just catches trailing wisps of black smoke. Martius' divine copy finds similar results as he works on patching himself up a small bit.
Amour finds no weakness in the enemy that was unleashed and decides to pelt it with a wave of magical missiles.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
Amour │
Mass of Undead
Shard
➤ Miloban │
Martius │
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• AC = 37
• 20 temporary Hit Points.
• Darkvision.
• +28 attack mod
• Athletics modifier of +30
• Speed 40 feet burrow Speed 30 feet, swim Speed 20 feet
• Inexorable You automatically recover from the paralyzed, slowed, and stunned conditions at the end of each of your turns. You’re also immune to being immobilised and ignore difficult terrain and greater difficult terrain.
The purple worm slithers closer to the undead creature and tries to bite and sting it!
and
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The purple worm misses as the large jaws and stinger dart through the misty exterior.
The vortex of negative energy around the creature continues to sap all life within the chamber. A couple of the Gray Gardener's fall allowing the few remaining, living guests to begin fleeing the ballroom in all due haste.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
➤ Amour │
Mass of Undead
➤ Shard
➤ Miloban │
➤ Martius │
Hero Point!
Seeing he can accomplish very little, Amour draws out a scroll of Mirror Image which he casts on himself.
Images Remaining: 3
Juggernaut
Frightened 2 on crit
Frightened 2 on crit
Realizing it does no him and his friends good just to stand here in plain sight, Shard then tries to hide in plain sight.
Shadow Blending: Increase the DC of the flat check by 2.
2. If a creature attempts to Strike Shard, and he cannot use Shadow Blending:
Dodge Away: Shard gets +1 AC and Steps 10 feet if the attack misses (Feather Step). He will move back in a logical way in order to bait the creature into triggering an AOO if possible.
3. If a creature attempts to move through Shard's threatened range, and he hasn't used an AOO yet:
4. If a creature reaches him after he takes the AOO
Shard will use reactions 1 or 2 following the same logical order.
5. Else:
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Amour goes on the defense as he splits apart, hoping to stay well away from this things reach for a round or two. Shard's weapon slashes across a couple of the spirits bodies, shredding them as they only reform into more. This mass of gray death seems a little wounded but still has a lot more death to give. Using a small distraction SHard leaps into the shadows to try and remain out of sight.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
Amour │
Mass of Undead
Shard │
➤ Miloban │
➤ Martius │
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Martius' spell reaches everyone except for Shard, though the powerful spell doesn't seem near powerful enough to harm the mighty undead as it tears through the room.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
Amour │
Mass of Undead
Shard │
➤ Miloban │
Martius │
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Miloban's attacks miss, though, he feels his his energy begin to renew slightly as the masked Pharasman priest from earlier heals him before fleeing down the passage. He offers Miloban a little nod of thanks as he disappears further into the complex using the battle for the souls of this city in your hands.
This hungry undead wants little more than to sap every living soul in this city into its form.
You each receive a telepathic link from the undead. While you hear no actual words you can feel its unending hunger driving it onward as it slithers from the platform.
──────────
BOLD: GO!:
──────────
➤ Amour │
Mass of Undead
➤ Shard │
➤ Miloban │
➤ Martius │
Frightened 2 on crit
Shard then tries to hide again in plain sight.
Shadow Blending: Increase the DC of the flat check by 2.
2. If a creature attempts to Strike Shard, and he cannot use Shadow Blending:
Dodge Away: Shard gets +1 AC and Steps 10 feet if the attack misses (Feather Step). He will move back in a logical way in order to bait the creature into triggering an AOO if possible.
3. If a creature attempts to move through Shard's threatened range, and he hasn't used an AOO yet:
4. If a creature reaches him after he takes the AOO
Shard will use reactions 1 or 2 following the same logical order.
5. Else:
Amour hopes... knows there is a route to making himself useful in combatting this enemy. His mind whirs with the possibilities.
He doubts it will be enough, but what else can he do?
Amour attacks.
9+30= 39 vs Flat Footed
He slashes again, hoping for a lucky hit!
Third Time is Lucky!