Fentus activates his Detect Magic, trying to identify if the items are magical, "Seems wrong to be crypt robbing like this, but the Hellknights did abandon this place and all this stuff,"
All three of the objects found in the crypts are magical.
His eyes lighting up, "Careful with those, they are magical, we might want to take a few minutes to try and identify them, maybe crack open that last crypt,"
"Of course." Olaf answer and helps () move the lids and look through the crypts.
Looking over the stuff, Olaf agrees, "I can look take a look at the items if we want to take a few minutes."
"That one stuck," Trista grunts as she eases off the last lid and looks inside.
After finally getting the lid of the last crypt open, Trista finds a pair of rings, one by each hand of the corpse within. One ring is gleaming gold with a fine square cut ruby, and the other is a made of simple thick iron. These items are also magical.
Olaf spends just a minute or two observing the magical properties of each item and trying to discern their function. The first he clearly identifies as bracers of missile defense.
The rings he also identifies. They are a set known as doubling rings.
Olaf cannot discern the properties of the amber or the pin shaped like monkey.
"How long do you think it will take to identify the magical properties of those items?" Zainab asks Fentus.
Looking at the items Olaf isn't able to identify, "I can try and identify them as well, should only take a few minutes, Olaf seems a little better with Arcane items, but I have some skill,"
Fentus looks at the monkey trinket and shrugs having no idea, but the piece of round amber with a feather stuck inside he finds is a feather step stone.
"Useful things for us, and less-so for the dead." Trista seems unbothered by reclaiming the treasures.
"Are we ready? There's a door over there we can look through." Trista points down the long corridor of crypts.
Olaf looks over the monkey trinket.
"I guess," Zainab responds with a nod, seemingly understanding the calculus Trista is going with but still looking uncomfortable about it.
Olaf looks over the monkey trinket.
[dice=ID, arcana]1d20 + 10
The opening in the south wall leads to another large chamber. Narrow stone walls filled with coffin-sized compartments stretch from floor to ceiling in this dark, claustrophobic chamber. Most of the compartments are occupied with shroud-covered bodies, though some of them are conspicuously empty.
Seemingly floating in the room are a set of four ghostly creatures, who seem to be the manifestation of a Hellknight battle helm floating with an misty form. They seem to be a strange fusion of spirit and steel, the shadow of a spine dangling from the evil-looking helm. They seem to move to attack.
Ossuary - Round 1
21 Yellow Spirit
20 Zainab
18 Red Spirit
18 Green Spirit
15 Trista
15 Olaf
11 Blue Spirit
8 Fentus
The Yellow Spirit moves towards the door where the intruding explorers have entered. It flings two iron nails at Olaf who is the nearest through the door.
These were foes Zainab were highly familiar with from her studies, and her worried face said a lot about what they are dealing with. "Revenants," she whispered. "You can't poison them or knock them out. They can fly and you do not want to get hit by their nails. It can mess with your mind with fear, weakness or bleeding."
She remain uncomfortable with the lack of serious magic, so the best she could do was help the others. She touched Olaf, Trista and Fentus, giving him a bit of divine intuition on his next move.
Ossuary - Round 1 - continued
With the help of Zainab's spell, Olaf powers through the weakening effect of the nail.
Zainab continues with Guidance on each of the others as the combat begins
Red Spirit throws a pair of similar nail at Trista but both fly wide of the mark.
Green Spirit flies around the wall of bones, and flings another nail at Olaf which also badly misses.
"What, spirits?!"
Trista tries her best to identify them, or at least fine something in the book that would weaken them.
Working on the assumption that blessed salt repels most spirits, she sprinks some on her blade.
She steps up and attacks the closest one.
for
Shrugging off the effects of the nail, Olaf steps forward and slashes his new magical blade at the revenant Trista is menacing, raising his shield afterwards.
Ossuary - Round 1 - continued
Trista jumps into the fight, closing on the hellcrown and attacking melee with her shortsword after The Book doesn't give any more info on these creatures. Her strike just misses however.
Olaf strides right behind, and slashes his new blade at the same undead target. He hits the wraith-like spirit, causing it some injury before raising his shield for enhanced protection.
Blue Hellcrown spends its turn moving closer to the fray, and cannot make any attacks.
Fentus remains where he is at, just out of melee range, afraid to step into the fray again and throws a small ball of fire at the one fighting Trista.
"Is there anything about Hellknights that doesn't get possessed after death!? What's next, flying swords?!"
Ossuary - Round 1 - concluded
Fentus conjures more fiery spheres and tosses one at the closest hellcrown, but it does not hit or harm the ghostly helmeted spirit.
End of Round 1
Ossuary - Round 2
21 Yellow Spirit
20 Zainab
18 Red Spirit
18 Green Spirit (12hp dmg)
15 Trista
15 Olaf (32/35hp remain, shield up)
11 Blue Spirit
8 Fentus
The Yellow Spirit flings two more nails at Olaf. The magus uses his shield to deflect one nail and stop the damage from the other, but he does take a hit from the unholy nails.
At least the damage hadn't been so bad. But it was only a matter of time before someone succumbs to one of the effects. The best she could do was make sure the others have the best chance of hitting those things. She gave some guidance to Fentus before moving over to apply the same to Trista.
Ossuary - Round 2 - continued
Zainab moves among the allies, giving them more divine guidance and perhaps just enough to continue to avoid the effects of the ghostly nails.
Red Hellcrown tosses a pair of its haunted nails at Trista. The brave thaumaturge takes a couple of hits. The damage is mild, but the effects of the haunted nails can be problematic.
Green hellcrown, which is fairly badly wounded from Olaf's attack steps back from the melee, and flings more nails at Trista. Both also, hit, one critically striking. The damage, in her wounded state, is just too much, and Trista goes down in a heap, unconscious.
Critical Hit
=12hp dmg
Olaf curses as one of the nails embeds into his flesh and feels even further drained, yet still able to fight. And fight he shall, seeing his fellow front liner go down to his side, the warrior lashes out at the nearest enemy, chanting out a spell as he swings.
After the strike, Olaf raises his shield immediately, expecting a barrage of nails to be coming his way.
Ossuary - Round 2 - continued
Olaf watches Trista go down, but he has his own problems, as the last nail embedded itself, and he feels an extra weakness overtake him. He still manages to hit the Yellow Hellcrown with a spellstrike that deals electrical damage as well as physical melee damage. The target is badly hurt, but not down. Lastly, the magus raises his shield to protect himself from more nails.
Blue Hellcrown tosses a pair of nails, but at Zainab this time. One hits the cleric, but the other flies wide. The wound itself is minor, but if it becomes embedded, it can be much worse.
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Fentus yells out, "Trista No! Hang in there!" then looks around at the dire situation, as the foul undead helmets continue impaling his companions, dare he think, friends with their foul nails. He puts out a hand, and unleashes a surge of positive energy, pouring his soul into the magic, uttering the magical words as he casts it.
Trista gasps awake and gathers her wits--and her sword--about her before standing up and slashing at the enemy.
for
The cleric gasped as the nail embedded into her skin. And she was feeling a bit more sluggish in though.
Ossuary - Round 2 - concluded
Seeing Trista down and undead swarming around, Fentus casts a spell that fills the area around him with positive energy, healing his allies and at the same time damaging his undead foes. As the wave revives Trista and restores the others to full vitality, it blasts two of the already damaged undead out of existence, and hurts the other two badly.
End of Round 2
Fail
Fail
Fail
Success - half dmg
Ossuary - Round 3
20 Zainab (enfeebled 1, 1 bleed dmg)
18 Red Spirit
15 Trista
15 Olaf (shield up, enfeebled 1, 1 bleed dmg)
11 Blue Spirit
8 Fentus
She was in shock from the pain, but also at the sight of Trista falling to multiple hits of the spirits. And with no healing at her disposal, she feared it could be the end for her.
Only to look in surprise at Fentus providing healing not only to her but to everyone else. It didn't help her bout of weakness, but it was enough to bolster her resolve, giving everyone a bit of extra power to attack.
Ossuary - Round 3 - continued
With the nail still embedded, Zainab feels weakened, and despite the magical healing, the nail wound still bleeds. She pushes through the pain and casts her divine guidance on all her nearby allies.
Red Spirit was hurt by the cloud of positive energy, but flings a pair of nails at Olaf. The magus uses his shield to easily knock away both projectiles. The Red Hellcrown then glares at Olaf, who feels his embedded nail throb and an unnatural fear run through him.
Trista, feeling somewhat rejuvenated, leaps up, steps forward and attacks Blue Hellcrown with her shortsword. The hit is effective, and she further damages the already wounded undead.
Unnerved by the glare of the red spirit, Olaf clamps down on his courage and strides forward, entering his Arcane Cascade before doing so, and slashes out with his weapon, bringing his shield up as part of his recovery.
Ossuary - Round 3 - continued
Olaf quails as a result of the stare of the hellcrown, and the fear adding to his weakness makes his arcane-fueled strike miss. He still raises his shield for extra protection.
Blue Hellcrown flings a pair of nails at the recently recovered Trista. But the crafty adventurer manages to avoid both attacks. The Blue spirit then retreats a bit from the melee.
Fentus steps forward into the room fully, announcing rather confidently "Hellknights, its time to stand down, we aren't your enemies, but we will put your souls to rest,"
He throws a small ball of fire at the Red Hellcrown.
Trista strides after the creature and attacks it, quite irritated by this whole situation.
for
for
Ossuary - Round 3 - concluded
Fentus goes back to his flaming missiles throwing one at the nearest hellcrown. The magical fire consumes the spirit-like undead and it evaporates into nothing but an empty war-helm.
Ossuary - Round 4 - concluded
20 Zainab (enfeebled 1, 1 bleed dmg)
15 Trista
15 Olaf (shield up, enfeebled 1, 1 bleed dmg, frightened 1)
11 Blue Spirit (7hp dmg)
8 Fentus
Trista chases after the last hellcrown, which is moving away from the party. She runs it down and scores a critical hit against the last foe. It disapparates leaving just the helmet behind as well.
End of Combat
Fentus shaking the smoke off his hand from the last Produce Flame he cast then steps over to Zainab, "Let's rest for a couple minutes and remove these nails before they can do anymore harm to you guys,"
The nails are easy, if still quite painful, to remove, and once taken from the skin, the fright and enfeeblement melt away from Olaf and Zainab.
Looking around the room now, you see the shelves lined with bones of long dead Hellknights. There is a door at the far end of the room, but mostly there are long rows of an open ossuary.
Zainab nods before she attempts to pull her own nail from her chest. She grunts in pain as the nail is taken out of her body, but she feels a bit stronger now that the item had been removed from her.
"I didn't know you could heal," Zainab inquiries. "Where did you get that kind of magic from?"
Trista examines the old bones as Zainab and Fentus chat, seeing if there is any pattern to it.
She makes notes in her book, "Quite the array of spirits, here. One doesn't usually see such a variety, at least if they were caused by the same energy."