"I wonder if our hostess has some skeletons in the closet..."
Guillaume carefully starts descending to the cellar.
"Honestly, I would prefer she did not," Sercrutio responds from a dark corner. He carries his rope in hand and follows from the back as the crew enters.
"It is plausible, however," Charles notes dryly.
Did anyone check on Loredana? Fellzir will knock on her door if not.
Loredana calls back through the door that she is well, but does not seem inclined to unbolt her lock.
The scrabbling noises cease upon opening the hidden door. The party descends the ladder into a dark storage cellar, musty and dust covered from long disuse. Several crates appear to have contained foodstuffs once, but have long since been eaten by pests or rotted away into nothing.
Highly alert, Guillaume spots the threat trying to conceal itself in the southern room. At first glance, it seems like a pale cloak, hanging on a hook and stirred by a breeze. But of course there is no breeze in the Inn's basement. Then you see it for the horror it is, the skin of a man's torso, floating and hollow, reaching out to you in mute desperation.
The thing floats out to center of the room and unleashes an aura of negative energy.
Round 1
-------------------
??? - flies, channels negative energy
➤Fellzir
➤Charles
➤Giuliano
➤Guillaume
➤Sercrutio
➤Aurelius
"That's a Shredskin! They're undead, created by particularly painful deaths, like flaying. This one must have been a cleric in life, to channel like that."Guillaume says, before moving to attack.
"Never heard of them, but I'll take your word for it."
Charles calmly draws and fires an arrow from point-blank range.
"Undead? Again? I signed up to fight some rebels, not undead menace!" Despite his compains, Giuliano moves around the creature and lunges to attack.
Whatever the f&~@ you are, DIE
Aurelis is pissed and strikes
BLYAD he swears in Abyssal as he likely misses.
Sercrutio draws a symbol in the air with one hand and thrusts a finger in the direction of the creature as he says, "Gelu." A blue ray streaks from his finger toward the creature.
Seeing the party is well into killing mode, Fellzir counters the negative energy channel with a positive energy rebuttal, healing the group.
Begone foul beast!
The creature’s body is malleable and shapeless. It is immune to precision damage (like sneak attacks) and critical hits.
Undead Traits (Ex)
Undead are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, phantasms, and patterns), paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). Undead are not subject to ability drain, energy drain, or nonlethal damage. Undead are immune to damage or penalties to their physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects. Undead are not at risk of death from massive damage.
Round 1
-------------------
??? - flies, channels negative energy for 7 damage (3 for save)
Fellzir - channels positive energy to heal 6 hp
Charles - draws bow and fires vs Shredskin, misses
Giuliano - moves, shortsword attack vs Shredskin, misses
Guillaume - moves, morningstar attack vs Shredskin, misses
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin for 1 cold damage
Aurelius - moves, bastardsword attack vs Shredskin, misses
The Shredskin proves surprisingly agile in avoiding your blows, only Sercrutio's ray of frost striking the thing. It turns it's empty, eyeless gaze on Giuliano and lashes out with wicked claws scoring deep gouges into his flesh. But then it seems to catch hold of him, beginning to wrap him up in the fleshy folds of it's strange form.
Round 2
-------------------
Shredskin - claw attacks vs Giuliano for 15 damage and grabs hold
➤Fellzir (-1 hp)
➤Charles (-1 hp)
➤Giuliano (-15 hp, Grappled)
➤Guillaume (-1 hp)
➤Sercrutio
➤Aurelius (-1 hp)
Charles moves around for a clear line of fire, and shoots!
Sercrutio smirks at his spell's success compared to his allies. Again, he draws a symbol in the air with one hand and thrusts a finger in the direction of the creature as he says, "Gelu." And again, blue ray streaks from his finger toward the creature.
Guiliano! Hold on!
What the f%*& is this thing!
f&#~ if I know
Aurelius strikes again, this time more accurately
"Aaah..! What the F*** is this thing!!! Take it off me, take it off me!" Panicking, Giuliano starts tossing around, trying to get the weird creature off him.
Guillaume frowns, then steps back and casts a spell. Two blue-white darts of energy streak from his hand.
"Release the human! We have a much better meal for you!"
Fellzir drops a 2nd-level spell for CMW and then moves up to touch Giuliano on the arm.
It's clear that you have begun to harm the strange undead creature, opening rips and tears in its leathery hide. But it remains undaunted from the prey within its grasp. It tightens its hold on Giuliano, wrapping itself around him tightly like a second skin and squeezing until you hear his bones creak beneath the assault. Its mask-like visage slips over his head, obscuring his own features. Giuliano's legs take a convulsive step back from the rest of you and his throat spasms as a croaking voice issues forth. "Where is Loredana?!"
Then, the negative energy ripples out from it again.
Round 1
-------------------
??? - flies, channels negative energy for 7 damage (3 for save)
Fellzir - channels positive energy to heal 6 hp
Charles - draws bow and fires vs Shredskin, misses
Giuliano - moves, shortsword attack vs Shredskin, misses
Guillaume - moves, morningstar attack vs Shredskin, misses
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin for 1 cold damage
Aurelius - moves, bastardsword attack vs Shredskin, misses
Round 2
-------------------
Shredskin - claw attacks vs Giuliano for 15 damage and grabs
Fellzir - casts CMW on Giuliano for 18 hp recovered
Charles (-1 hp) - fires vs Shredskin for 9 damage
Giuliano (-15 hp, Grappled) - fails to break grapple
Guillaume (-1 hp) - casts magic missile vs Shredskin for 8 damage
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin, misses
Aurelius (-1 hp) - bastardsword attack vs Shredskin for 8 damage
Round 3
-------------------
Shredskin (-26 hp) - maintains grapple and pins Giuliano, constricting for 8 damage, channels negative energy for 8 more
➤Fellzir (-5 hp)
➤Charles (-9 hp)
➤Giuliano (-16 hp, Pinned, Enshrouded)
➤Guillaume (- 5 hp)
➤Sercrutio (- 4 hp)
➤Aurelius (- 9 hp)
A pinned creature is tightly bound and can take few actions. A pinned creature cannot move and is denied its Dexterity bonus. A pinned character also takes an additional –4 penalty to his Armor Class. A pinned creature is limited in the actions that it can take. A pinned creature can always attempt to free itself, usually through a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check. A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions, but cannot cast any spells that require a somatic or material component. A pinned character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level) or lose the spell. Pinned is a more severe version of grappled, and their effects do not stack.
Sercrutio says, "Gelu" again, though he does so with a little frustration. And again, blue ray streaks from his finger toward the creature.
"Well, *someone* certainly bears a grudge..."
Charles makes a mental note to extract some form of reward from Loredana, even as he fires a pair of arrows.
As Charles peppers his target with arrows, Giuliano cries out in pain as they pierce into his flesh as well. The thing is so closely wrapped around him, swaddling him in its leathery, undead skin, there is no way to strike it without injuring the man beneath as well.
"Khh... Urgl..." This creature. First it beats him, and now it has taken his ability to move and even speak. He tries to warn his allies to not attack, but only a croaks escape his mouth.
Desperately, Giuliano tries to push his way out of the creature's innards.
But the crushing hold is just too much for him.
Guillaume fires again.
Spells expended, he moves into melee, ready to strike the thing again if need be.
Fellzir bellows up the stairs, "Loredana! Come to the basement right away! Ok? She's coming down. Let the human go and I will promise to feed you so much more."
healing
Charles sighs.
"Fellzir, this thing was probably locked down here precisely *because* she did not want to deal with it. I knew a warlock who felt the same way about the refuse from his experiments on channeling demonic spirits into pigs..."
The Omdura puzzles over the difficulty in harming the undead without killing the comrade it is restraining and remembers that undead creatures are harmed by cure spells, so he casts cure light wounds and steps closer to deliver the positive healing energy with a touch attack.
The Shredskin responds by tightening it's hold even more on Giuliano, determined to hold onto it's stolen body even as it wrings the life-breath from his lungs. It steps closer to the center of the room and concentrates as it uses it's usurped vocal cords to utter the verbal components of a spell!
It succeeds at giving no opening for an attack to disrupt its spell and a thick mist rises and spreads out to cover most of the basement, obscuring all sight for those it encompasses. Only Sercrutio is left out of the fog, though Charles suspects he is not far from it's border.
Round 1
-------------------
??? - flies, channels negative energy for 7 damage (3 for save)
Fellzir - channels positive energy to heal 6 hp
Charles - draws bow and fires vs Shredskin, misses
Giuliano - moves, shortsword attack vs Shredskin, misses
Guillaume - moves, morningstar attack vs Shredskin, misses
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin for 1 cold damage
Aurelius - moves, bastardsword attack vs Shredskin, misses
Round 2
-------------------
Shredskin - claw attacks vs Giuliano for 15 damage and grabs
Fellzir - casts CMW on Giuliano for 18 hp recovered
Charles (-1 hp) - fires vs Shredskin for 9 damage
Giuliano (-15 hp, Grappled) - fails to break grapple
Guillaume (-1 hp) - casts magic missile vs Shredskin for 8 damage
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin, misses
Aurelius (-1 hp) - bastardsword attack vs Shredskin for 8 damage
Round 3
-------------------
Shredskin (-26 hp) - maintains grapple and pins Giuliano, constricting for 8 damage, channels negative energy for 8 more
Fellzir - channels positive energy to heal 6 hp
Charles (-3 hp) - Rapid shot vs Shredskin for 6 damage, Giuliano takes 5
Giuliano (-14 hp, Pinned, Enshrouded) - fails to break grapple
Guillaume - casts magic missile vs Shredskin for 2 damage, Giuliano takes 2
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin, misses
Aurelius (-3 hp) - casts CLW vs Shredskin, steps, deliver's touch attack for 9 damage
Round 4
-------------------
Shredskin (-43 hp) - steps, casts ??? defensively
➤Fellzir
➤Charles (-3 hp)
➤Giuliano (-23 hp, Pinned, Enshrouded)
➤Guillaume
➤Sercrutio
➤Aurelius (-3 hp)
"Come onnn.... Let. Me. Go!" Giuliano draws all his strength for one more attempt to cast off the creature around him.
"That's Obscuring Mist - it's non-toxic, but it blocks your line of sight."
With a sigh of annoyance, Charles moves in, and shoots from extreme close range.
Hmm, it is not mindless since its speaking, and it its grappling him, so it cant interrupt me from casting a spell. I got an idea
A cunning plan forms in Aurelius mind
FALL! He bellows a command
Commanding the creature to Fall, DC 15 will save or be forced to stop what its doing, releasing the pin, and Fall instead
Sercrutio steps and the closes his eyes, trying to visualize where the creature was before the misty obstruction. He points and says, "Gelu." And again, blue ray streaks from his finger toward the creature.
Charles strikes his target, equally. Sercrutio misses with his spell and Aurelius' command seems to have no effect whatsoever while Giuliano continues to struggle in vain. No response from Loredana either.
Fellzir continues trying to coax the shredskin to eat something else and stall for Loredana. Then he channels to heal so there's no chance of missing.
"Let the human go. We will feed you all you could ever want. And we can settle up with Loredana."
healing to all the living.
With growing anger in his eyes, Guillaume rears back for another strike. As he does so, his morningstar bursts into flame!
+
The tiefling Bloodrager scores a punishing hit, essentially inflicting the same damage on Giuliano that Fellzir just healed. Thanks to the cleric's efforts, the rest of the party is at full health.
The creature steps and casts again, and seems to remove some of the wear and tear from it's own tattered hide. It still holds Giuliano tightly within it's leathery grasp, unwilling to give up it's prize.
Round 1
-------------------
??? - flies, channels negative energy for 7 damage (3 for save)
Fellzir - channels positive energy to heal 6 hp
Charles - draws bow and fires vs Shredskin, misses
Giuliano - moves, shortsword attack vs Shredskin, misses
Guillaume - moves, morningstar attack vs Shredskin, misses
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin for 1 cold damage
Aurelius - moves, bastardsword attack vs Shredskin, misses
Round 2
-------------------
Shredskin - claw attacks vs Giuliano for 15 damage and grabs
Fellzir - casts CMW on Giuliano for 18 hp recovered
Charles (-1 hp) - fires vs Shredskin for 9 damage
Giuliano (-15 hp, Grappled) - fails to break grapple
Guillaume (-1 hp) - casts magic missile vs Shredskin for 8 damage
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin, misses
Aurelius (-1 hp) - bastardsword attack vs Shredskin for 8 damage
Round 3
-------------------
Shredskin (-26 hp) - maintains grapple and pins Giuliano, constricting for 8 damage, channels negative energy for 8 more
Fellzir - channels positive energy to heal 6 hp
Charles (-3 hp) - Rapid shot vs Shredskin for 6 damage, Giuliano takes 5
Giuliano (-14 hp, Pinned, Enshrouded) - fails to break grapple
Guillaume - casts magic missile vs Shredskin for 2 damage, Giuliano takes 2
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin, misses
Aurelius (-3 hp) - casts CLW vs Shredskin, steps, deliver's touch attack for 9 damage
Round 4
-------------------
Shredskin (-43 hp) - maintains pin, steps, casts obscuring mist defensively
Fellzir - channels positive energy to heal 7 hp
Charles - moves, fires vs Shredskin for 4 damage, Giuliano takes
Giuliano (-23 hp, Pinned, Enshrouded) - fails to break grapple
Guillaume - attack vs Shredskin for 7 damage, Giuliano takes 7
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin, misses
Aurelius - casts command vs Shredskin, to no effect
Round 5
-------------------
Shredskin (-40 hp) - maintains pin, steps, casts ??? defensively,
➤Fellzir
➤Charles
➤Giuliano (-27 hp, Pinned, Enshrouded)
➤Guillaume
➤Sercrutio
➤Aurelius
Aurelis casts Cure Light wounds targetting the his pinned ally
Charles chases after it, and fire another arrow.
Aurelis casts Cure Light wounds targetting the his pinned ally
[dice=CLW]d8+4
Aurelis casts Cure Light wounds targetting the his pinned ally
[dice=CLW]d8+4
Fellzir takes a step back to cast CMW without provoking. His fingers glow with powerful healing energy until he can step back in to deliver the touch attack next round.
Sercrutio sighs and walks into the mist. When he gets next to the shredskin, he focuses and shouts, "MOMEN TELUM!" Four darts of light materialize and shoot from Sercrutio to slam into the creature in little explosions.
Charles misses his shot this time while Sercrutio lands a barrage of magic missiles.
The sound of stretching leather and grinding bones indicate the creature is continuing to squeeze the life out Giuliano, then there is another ripple of painful negative energy and the scuff of another step.
Round 1
-------------------
??? - flies, channels negative energy for 7 damage (3 for save)
Fellzir - channels positive energy to heal 6 hp
Charles - draws bow and fires vs Shredskin, misses
Giuliano - moves, shortsword attack vs Shredskin, misses
Guillaume - moves, morningstar attack vs Shredskin, misses
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin for 1 cold damage
Aurelius - moves, bastardsword attack vs Shredskin, misses
Round 2
-------------------
Shredskin - claw attacks vs Giuliano for 15 damage and grabs
Fellzir - casts CMW on Giuliano for 18 hp recovered
Charles (-1 hp) - fires vs Shredskin for 9 damage
Giuliano (-15 hp, Grappled) - fails to break grapple
Guillaume (-1 hp) - casts magic missile vs Shredskin for 8 damage
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin, misses
Aurelius (-1 hp) - bastardsword attack vs Shredskin for 8 damage
Round 3
-------------------
Shredskin (-26 hp) - maintains grapple and pins Giuliano, constricting for 8 damage, channels negative energy for 8 more
Fellzir - channels positive energy to heal 6 hp
Charles (-3 hp) - Rapid shot vs Shredskin for 6 damage, Giuliano takes 5
Giuliano (-14 hp, Pinned, Enshrouded) - fails to break grapple
Guillaume - casts magic missile vs Shredskin for 2 damage, Giuliano takes 2
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin, misses
Aurelius (-3 hp) - casts CLW vs Shredskin, steps, deliver's touch attack for 9 damage
Round 4
-------------------
Shredskin (-43 hp) - maintains pin, steps, casts obscuring mist defensively
Fellzir - channels positive energy to heal 7 hp
Charles - moves, fires vs Shredskin for 4 damage, Giuliano takes
Giuliano (-23 hp, Pinned, Enshrouded) - fails to break grapple
Guillaume - attack vs Shredskin for 7 damage, Giuliano takes 7
Sercrutio - RoF ranged touch vs Shredskin, misses
Aurelius - casts command vs Shredskin, to no effect
Round 5
-------------------
Shredskin (-40 hp) - maintains pin, steps, casts ??? defensively,
Fellzir - steps, casts and holds CMW
Charles - moves, fires vs Shredskin, misses
Giuliano (-27 hp, Pinned, Enshrouded) - delays
Guillaume - delays
Sercrutio - casts magic missile vs Shredskin for 8 damage, Giuliano takes 7
Aurelius - casts CLW, heals Giuliano 9 hp
Round 6
-------------------
Shredskin (-48 hp) - maintains pin, constricts Giuliano for 8 damage, channels negative energy for 7 more
➤Fellzir
➤Charles
➤Giuliano (-36 hp, Pinned, Enshrouded)
➤Guillaume
➤Sercrutio
➤Aurelius
Charles holds until Fellzir has had a chance to tap Giuliano with that held healing charge, then shoots!
Fellzir catches on to Mr. Beecroft's plan and dashes forward to touch Giuliano's knee.
healing
"Got him! Fire away!"
Round 7: Channel 4
to stop the bleeding and heal up the party.
Stupid dice. Everyone is full except Sercrutio is down 1 and Giuliano is down 35 but stable.
Round 8: CLW on Giuliano
Round 9: CLW on Giuliano
Round 10: CLW on Giuliano
Round 11: CLW on Giuliano
which puts him to full.
Fellzir needs a nap but first he wants answers from Loredana.
When the combined form of Giuliano and the shredskin falls, Sercrutio sighs in relief. After Fellzir channels one final time, Sercrutio can't help but extend a "Thanks Fellzir." He then adds, "Oh, impressive he did not die."
Giuliano’s knees buckle as he slumps to the basement floor, the tattered creature finally sloughing off his body and disintegrating into dust before your eyes. A chain clatters to the floor with a silver pendant in the shape of a skull with the barbed chain threaded through the eye sockets. Fellzir quickly sets to work, healing the fallen man and removing a few of Charles’ arrows before restoring him to full health.
The others take some time to look around while Fellzir treats his patient. You find the crumbled remains of a small desk in the southern room. It looks like most of it was destroyed years ago and the rest has succumbed to mold and rot. There are some truly disturbing stains on the floor and a bronze kettle, turned a muddy green color and missing its handle.
In the remains of the desk, you find a jet black rod about a foot in length and a small open lockbox which holds a scroll of darkness, a scroll of hold person, and 100 gp.
The silence lay heavy in the air as you climb back up and exit the kitchen cupboard. When you rap on Loredana’s door, she gives a yelp of surprise before she answers, ”Yes? W-what is it?” She still doesn’t unbar her door.
Charles readily identifies the rod.
Charles attempts to be as diplomatic as possible.
"Dear Loredana, we have dealt with the Shredskin in the basement. That said, it *would* have been helpful to know about the monster beneath our feet before this..."
(If she opens the door, he will show the pendant it dropped as proof.)
Giuliano groans as he regains consciousness.
"I really, really hate the undead..." he mutters, lifting himself from the floor.
"I didn't mean to be so literal when saying our hostess has some skeletons in the closet..."