Betzolte watches from her platform as the room changes and the doors open.
"Wait...that's it?" she asks.
Meep slides up to Moon and looks around, but neither of them find anything of note beyond the statues. Maidie's enhanced vision sees the aura of divination magic filling this room as well as the necromantically tainted evocation auras of the flames lighting this room as it has all of the others in the crypt so far.
At Betzolte's question, Meep looks back.
"Could be worse. Could have to run throw fire naked," she says with a shudder.
Moon presses on, next to the wall, to peek into the room more fully.
TEMP AC:16 due to Cleave
Arrows (20): xx
Blunts (18):
Grobradon pats his armor thoughtfully. Down side of this otherwise wonderful breast plate... not exactly quiet. Course, not like I was easy to ignore before hand. Still don't like Moon doing all the sneaking for us. Wish Culver were here. Guy is like a shadow in a forest under a clouded sky.
For now, he just trusts in Moon's skills.
Meep moves up to the other corner and looks around. After seeing nothing, she looks to Moon and nods before going a little deeper into the next chamber. Moon sees nothing to indicate any danger, beyond the eerie fires casting their sickly green light.
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Ever valiant, Moon shoves Maidie into the room first.
Moon makes a ‘bow’ sign to Meep then walks further into the room than the brave goblin. She’s got pluck, I may have to adopt her.
TEMP AC:16 due to Cleave
Arrows (20): xx
Blunts (18):
Meep readies her bow as Moon goes further into the room. As she does so, she realizes that the statues aren't statues at all. Before she can warn the others about strange stone beings, one of them begins to move with hostile intent as it readies its weapon for a charge!
All Moon has time to say is ”TO ARMS, STATUE MONSTER!” and then she charges forward!
As she races towards the creature, she has a moment to think. She doesn’t know anything about such creatures. She’s not even sure if her sword will survive a single blow. But if she can slow the creature down, her allies have a chance to organize. And if her blade shatters, well, that would be a useful fact to know.
Please don't break!
Arrows (20): xx
Blunts (18):
Orange CEG: 43/58 HP
Moon's prayer is answered. Her blade doesn't shatter, and even manages to gouge out a decent chunk of stone from the construct whose eyes are now burning with the same sickly green fire that lights the rest of the place. Any joy or relief at her weapon having survived is quickly replaced by searing, white-hot pain as the butt of the spear it wields slams into her side and nearly knocks her from her feet.
"MUAHAHAHAHA! Oh foolish heroes! Did you think you could waltz through my domain without consequences? Die son and daughters of Kassen, and know that I shall enjoy parading your corpses in front of your kin," a basso voice full of malevolence booms from seemingly everywhere at once.
Moon staggers to one side under the blow and instinctively clutches at her side… which is a mistake. She screams in pain and is now pretty sure at least one rib is broken. With nothing to do but keep fighting, she swings her blade. The grinding of her ribs makes her scream again and sends her blade very, VERY wide of the target.
Arrows (20): xx
Blunts (18):
Our undead enemy is just full of nasty surprises…if all of them wake up, we are in serious trouble!
”Moon! Meep! Get out of there. Lead the statue to us and we’ll use the doorway as a bottleneck.” she calls out as she hops down from her pedistal and reaches into her component pouch for a pork rind.
Desperate to keep the injured ranger from being struck again, she conjures the now familiar magic grease under the animated statues feet.
Her mind races, trying to recall lore about living statues.
Orange CEG: 43/58 HP Prone
As the living statue stands up, Maidie's spell takes hold and sends it toppling back into the alcove.
Only one Kassenite had entered and only one monster had moved. Maidie's plan made sense, even if Moon doubted she could make it to the doorway alive. She nods to the other woman, "I'll try."
The ranger tries to offer the goblin a reassuring smile. "Hit it with an arrow, then go back to the door. Don't wait for me."
Orange CEG: 43/58 HP Prone
Meep nods and tries to do as Moon says, but her aim is off and it's clear the little goblin is badly shaken by what's going on. She runs back into the previous chamber after looking at both Maidie and Moon.
"Moon hurt bad! Big stone-man in there," she tells the others.
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"I knew this was too easy," Betzolte mutters.
She trundles after Maidie and Moon, and upon seeing the one statue, balls her free hand in a fist and intones an arcane word, sending a green, glowing copy of it sailing toward the statue.
"GET OFFA MOON!" she bellows.
Orange CEG: 41/58 HP Prone
Betzolte's arcane fist slams into the statue as it struggles to get get back on its feet. The attack does little damage, but it does chip off some of the stone where it lands.
Orange CEG: 12/58 HP Prone
Cyan CEG: 47/58 HP Charging
Red CEG: 44/58 HP Charging
Dark Red EG: 42/58 HP Charging
Green EG: 47/58 HP Charging
As Betzolte's cry echoes through the chamber, all hells break loose. One of the statues with sickly green fires burning in its eyes comes charging at Moon's back only to get stopped when another, this one with eyes aflame with orange and yellow, the colors of a welcoming hearth fire, body checks it. Two more clash barely twenty feet away from Moon, causing the ground to tremble as if a great oak had just been felled or lightning had struck nearby. The last of the statues charges across the room, its spear diving into construct that had fallen prey to Maidie's magic. Its target struggles to stand before falling again with a crash as the large spear in the construct's hands drives hard into it, fracturing stone and tearing out great chunks from the corrupted guardian of the crypt. Chips of stone and red-hot sparks fly as a wild melee ensues.
With all these giants crashing around the room, Moon's safest line of retreat is in question. What isn't in question is that Moon would be a lot safer if the prone giant at her feet was destroyed. She drives her blade as hard as she can, aiming for its stone vitals.
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Moon buries her blade deep into a crack in the constructs torso, hitting something critical. The balefire in its eyes burns out before the cracks and fissures spread and cause the once mighty construct to collapse into a pile of rubble.
With relief, Moon watches the statue come apart. The keening sound – presumably from gears failing – is… curious.
It almost sounds like someone crying... I like it!
Moon takes the reprieve, pulls a potion from her pouch and slugs it down. Her bones start to knit.
Arrows (20): xx
Blunts (18):
CLW (3): x
The battle had changed with the statue's fall. Rather than escape, or go toe-to-toe with another statue in her weakened state, Moon switches tactics. She sheathes her sword and moves to pull the bow off her shoulder.
Grobradon breaks into a run as he hears battle up ahead and he tries NOT to stampede poor Meep
(That was Round 1)
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Meep turns as she hears Grobradon charging towards her. She yelps as she scrambles out of the way to avoid getting underfoot. Meanwhile, Moon drains one of the potions, starting the process of mending her cracked bones, and getting her bow out.
“I’m coming! Just hang on a sec!” Casina shouted over the sounds of steel on stone.
Realizing that some of the construct creatures were defending Moon, or, at the very least, destroying those corrupted by the owner of that malevolent voice, Casina stepped up beside the one nearest to Moon.
“Any time now, Moon,” Casina tightened her grip on her axe. “Any time.”
Orange CEG: DEAD
Cyan CEG: 47/58 HP Charging
Red CEG: 44/58 HP Charging
Dark Red EG: 42/58 HP Charging
Green EG: 47/58 HP Charging
Meep lives up to her name as she scurries to get out of Casina's way. The Paladin stands ready to defend the badly hurt ranger, but it appears that her valor won't be tested just yet as the construct is already turning towards one of the others engaged in melee.
Meep sees that everyone else has moved up into the chamber and rushes back in with her bow ready. She tries to sort out which ones are friendly and which ones aren't.
Moon blames herself. The team hadn't been in the room so how would they know? She shouts, "GREEN eyes are bad! Target them!" She points to the statues with flaming and sickly green eyes.
Orange CEG: DEAD
Cyan CEG: 47/58 HP Charging
Red CEG: 43/58 HP Charging
Dark Red EG: 42/58 HP Charging
Green EG: 47/58 HP Charging
"Shoot green eyes! Got it," Meep calls out as she draws and looses an arrow at the construct north of where Moon and Casina are.
With the most immediate threat to Moon neutralized, Maidie grasps her vial of acid and prepares to fling acid in case any of the corrupted guardians break melee and move to attack members of the Kassen team.
Betzolte moves forward, into the shadow of the nearest statue protecting them. And then she launches another telekinetic fist at the green-eyed one before them!
Orange CEG: DEAD
Cyan CEG: 34/58 HP
Red CEG: 15/58 HP
Dark Red EG: 42/58 HP
Green EG: 47/58 HP
Betzolte's shot goes wide of the mark as she tries to avoid hitting the construct that seems to be on the heroes' side.
The three constructs without green eyes hammer away at the other two with some success, chipping and cracking the stone of their bodies, but it doesn't stop them from reaching Moon and Betzolte as the voice calls out again.
"YES! Kill them! Kill them all!"
Betzolte's armor, crafted by her father, turns the blow aimed at her. It catches her in the side and is certain to leave a bruise, but it isn't enough to seriously harm her.
Moon, on the other hand, is caught off guard as she finishes telling everyone about which ones to target. She manages to dodge enough to avoid being skewered, but the blow bounces her off the corner of the alcove and sends her into the blackness of unconsciousness. As Moon passes out, she is almost certain that she feels another of her ribs is broken.
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Moon has a moment to think of something poetic just before the side of a spear (the size of a small tree) rag-dolls her onto the wreckage of the first statue. Oh sh*t!
Moon slips closer to Death's embrace...
Arrows (20): xx
Blunts (18):
CLW (3): x
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"MOON!" Grobradon calls out, his throat clutching as he sees her go down violently. And he once more breaks into a run. He can't make it in time to heal her, but he can perhaps draw attention of the foes away so they can't finish her off.
"Loyalty appears on legs of four, biting snapping. Harry Harry, draw foe's ire! Mongrel courage in situation dire!"
And the dog appears from the Green beyond, summoned by druidic will. It is, fittingly, a mutt. A mix of shepherd and pitt terrier with blocky features arriving at the heels of the green eyes eyed foe closest to Moon.
And it bites, perhaps helplessly, perhaps not, but it is there to distract and shield.
to hit is:
Orange CEG: DEAD
Cyan CEG: 34/58 HP
Red CEG: 12/58 HP
Dark Red EG: 42/58 HP
Green EG: 47/58 HP
The enraged howl of a dog echoes throughout the chamber after Grobradon finishes his chant. A large dog, a mutt with a broad, blocky head and muscles enough to make any lumberjack envious leaps over Moon and snarls as it tears out a chunk of the corrupted construct's arm.
The appearance of the mixed-breed hound is too much for Meep who drops her bow and runs.
Maidie keeps spamming her acid cantrip, but to no avail. The tumult of combat makes it impossible for her to aim with any accuracy.
Another dance on the edge of death...at least this time, I won't have to rush to Moon's aid myself.
"Servant! Go to Moon, retrieve a healing potion from her pack and pour it down her throat."
Orange CEG: DEAD
Cyan CEG: 34/58 HP
Red CEG: 12/58 HP
Dark Red EG: 42/58 HP
Green EG: 47/58 HP
Maidie's spells are wide of the mark and fizzle harmlessly on the floor past the constructs.
Seeing the statue now towering over Betzolte glares up at it, grips her axe in both hands and bellows
Then she hacks at the statue's ankle.
Betzolte's fury is powerful, but lacks something of finesse. The axe rings as it fails to bit into the stone and do any damage.
Orange CEG: DEAD
Cyan CEG: DEAD
Red CEG: DEAD
Dark Red EG: 42/58 HP
Green EG: 47/58 HP
The construct fighting the one that took down Moon takes a hand off its spear and slugs the other construct in the face with a devastating right hook. The green-eyed construct topples like a felled oak and it's head lands with a crash some yards away.
The other two friendly constructs charge after the last of the green-eyed ones. Their spears land heavily in the things back, driving it to its hands and knees, putting its head in line with Casina's axe as she comes around Grobradon and splits its head with a mighty overhand chop.
As the last echoes of the final construct's fall fade, a soft, maniacal laugh comes from the disembodied head that was punched across the room.
"You may have gotten lucky this time, heroes, but you will die here and join my army." Asar's laughter fades with the green light in the stone head's eyes. As silence falls over the chamber, the three surviving constructs slump where they stand, the light in their eyes fading as well.
Moon lies still on the stone floor, as does Meep's bow. Of the goblin, there's no sign.
Moon stabilizes. Apparently, she is getting used to working with broken ribs.
Casina runs over to Moon and says a prayer to Dammerich as she holds her holy symbol in one hand and places the other over Moon's heart.
Seeing that Moon still isn't waking up, she pulls out a potion and gets the ranger to drink it.
Moon groans and pulls herself slowly off the pile rubble. She looks around, "We won? Fine work!"
Arrows (20): xx
Blunts (18):
CLW (3): x
"Yes, and you seem to have either the best or worst luck, Moon," Casina says before looking around.
"Did anyone see where Meep went?"
Moon gives a pained grin at the paladin's humor. "It's all good luck. I'm lazy, I like to sleep through the boring parts of battle." She grabs onto Casina's arm to pull herself up, sobering at the the other woman's phrase. "What do you mean 'where's Meep'?"
After Casina helps Moon to her feet, the poor ranger is almost taken off them again as a large, block-headed dog bumps into her leg. He looks up at her with his tongue out and his tail wagging before nudging her towards Grobradon. Looking around, it's not hard to spot a goblin-sized shortbow lying on the floor near where Betzolte is.