Degan has few good options. Moving into melee exposes him to a great deal of risk, and shooting his crossbow carries the risk of hitting an ally.
He cocks his crossbow and waits for an opportunity.
Clancy sidesteps the clumsy blow, then brings his warhammer back around to try and bring her down quickly. The devil rat looks nasty...
+ Will Save vs DC 16 or paralyzed for rounds!
Notes:
+1 to attack & damage rolls, saves, skill & spell checks for 1 turn.
Targets hit by Clancy's warhammer for one more round must pass a Will save vs DC 16 or paralyzed for 1d6+2 rounds.
Zathra gargles in incoherent rage as blood dribbles from her mouth. She blinks and shakes her head as she stabs ahead, this time landing a telling blow!
Roscoe slices into the rat devil's legs, causing it to stumble forward and into Zathra's incoming polearm! The fiend shrieks in pain before vanishing in a burst of foul-smelling smoke.
The priestess shouts angrily as she dodges Clancy's hammer. Instead of striking back, she invokes another spell.
This time, a swarm of hellish rats appears, black and red and insane-looking, clinging to Clancy as they chew and gnaw on him!
Mirinde motions for the few remaining bats to concentrate on the priestess as she moves to surround her. Once in position she stabs at her with her blade!
necro
"Yaaaahhh! Demon rats!" Clancy yells out as the vermin crawl all over him, chewing and gnawing into his flesh. But the cleric remains focused on the enemy, and for the moment at least ignores the bites of the tiny creatures until the priestess is dealt with. He nods at Mirinde, though his eyes look a bit wild and panicked, then swings his weapon even as the elf strikes true with her blade.
+ Will Save vs DC 16 or paralyzed for rounds!
Notes:
+1 to attack & damage rolls, saves, skill & spell checks for 1 turn.
Mirinde's dagger bites deep into the priestess' side, crackling with necromantic energy. She screams in pain and arches her back, and Clancy takes advantage by bringing the hammer down on her chest, cracking her sternum and ribs! The mad woman succumbs to her wounds, collapsing to the floor.
Zathra and Roscoe rush up to help Clancy with the rats, chopping and stabbing them until they vanish in puffs of smoke. The battle is over, and you have proven victorious!
Degan bravely steps out from cover after the rats are dealt with.
He looks back and forth between Clancy and Mirende nervously.
"Uh... that is some powerful magic the two of you have. What do you think we should seek to do now?"
Roscoe wipes the blood and junk off his twin hand axes.
Well I finally have to clean them after a battle. I need to practice more.
He then begins to search the various corpses for anything of interest.
Mirinde nods grimly as she wipes the blood off her blade, silently thanking her Lady for the knowledge of that powerful spell. A pity I can only access it when the sun has set... She then examines the dead body of the priestess closer.
"We should seek...more answers Degan, yet I fear we will find only more questions."
Aside from the priestess's mundane arms and armor, she carries a small key two vials of holy water. In a nearby cave, you discover several straw pallets with folded blankets, clean sheets, and uniform placement around the edge of the room. There is a small barrel of clean water set on a tripod, with a spigot, and a chest full of smoked meat, jerked chicken, and cooked bean meal. A second chest is locked, but the key you found unlocks it. Inside you find a cloth bag containing 394 sp, 30 gp, and a silver armband encrusted with turquoise worth 350 gp in a major city.
You return to the survivors of the Inn at Five Points and search the initial cave until you discover a twisting upward-sloping passageway. It runs for more than a mile, mostly ascending gradually but in a few places becoming steep rough-hewn stairs. Eventually it reaches the surface. The tunnel out is hidden behind a screen of woven weeds and grasses, which camouflages it against the hillside. The entrance is 2 miles west of Five Points.
The grateful staff and patrons of the inn thank you profusely for saving their lives. There is now a huge pit in Five Points where the inn once stood, but perhaps, in time, it can be filled and the inn rebuilt. For now, though, you've earned a rest...
As you return to the cavern where the staff and patrons of the Inn await, a narrow figure with longsword drawn steps out of an alcove to confront you. Quickly recognizing you as the party who rushed out after the ratmen, however, he lowers his blade. You recognize the dust- and ash-covered man as one of the patrons who helped with the initial evacuation.
With a nod and a grunt, he introduces himself: "Name's Isteván. Glad to see you all made it back intact -- I might have come with, but I figured these" gestures behind him "might need some looking after if the rat-creatures returned. Come -- I think there might be a way out."
Isteván helps you to guard and guide the group to the surface. Along the way, he explains how he's been working as a sellsword but, indicating your packs (distinctly heavier since you left), wonders if the life of an adventurer might be more lucrative -- perhaps you could use another blade?
Mirinde takes one of the vials of holy water and offers the other one to Clancy. "Well done priest!"
As the warrior introduces himself, Mirinde gives him a long appraising look (almost like examining a fascinating new insect species). "A strong arm is always welcome Istevan. These lands grow more dangerous as time passes."
Degan helps himself to some of the chicken.
He then wipes his hands on the cultists' blankets and takes a look at the coins and the armband.
"This should fetch a decent price if we can find a buyer."
"Are you sure that's Holy Water? I'd be surprised if an evil priestess was able to make holy water... but then again maybe she had it as a safeguard in case one of her experiments went out of control".
Roscoe then turns to the loot torn between the food and the treasure. He finally decides that food goes bad, but treasure is forever and digs into the food with gusto.
FF>>>>>
Roscoe views this Istevan with curiosity as he introduces himself.
He reaches out a greasy hand to shake the new arrivals hand.
"Hi! I'm Roscoe. We could always use another hand... though we might have to make you serve an apprenticeship or something before getting a full share of the treasures we find".
He looks to the others for their reaction.
"Maybe we could spar, and you could show me what I'm doing wrong if you're a warrior. For some reason I seem to have forgotten how to use these handaxes proficiently".
At Roscoe's suggestion of an apprenticeship, there's a quick crinkle between Istevan's eyebrows, a slight pursing of the lips, but he quickly wipes the expression from his face -- he's just met these fine folks, after all.
Touching his longsword, he responds genially: "Sure, we can spar -- it's taken a long time for me to feel like I can use this properly, but I think I have the hang of it now." (You recognize a self-deprecating tone, likely masking a bit of pride)
Free of the tormenting rats and with the enemy dead, Clancy looks around for anyone hiding, and to glean any clues as to what this cult is doing here. He takes the vial of holy water from Mirinde with a quick smile. "And you as well! I'm not sure whether I'd rather be on the receiving end of your arrows or your magic, but I'm glad to call you ally and friend both so I am not forced to make that choice." He greets the newcomer with a pleasant nod when they meet Istevan and briefly introduces himself to the warrior. "Another sword arm will be most helpful, especially once we learn more about these cultists and whether they pose a further threat to these lands."
The cleric then helps the others get the survivors to the surface and shares in the good food, drink and camaraderie as they take their ease that evening. Clancy chuckles at Roscoe's concern. "I will look the vial over carefully, but yes I believe it to be holy rather than unholy. As to your axes, I saw you get in a few good licks with them during the battle. Do not lose heart because luck was not with you, my little friend. Nobody at this table doubts your courage or skill - and any enemy that does will find themselves quite sorry, I am quite certain."
Zathra approaches Istevan and offers him her arm to grasp. "It is good to meet a fellow warrior. It will be good to fight by your side."
Istevan clasps Zathra's forearm, and asks: "What do you know of these cultists? Were they the ones who sunk the Inn?"
Clancy shrugs as he eats a roasted chicken, which reminds him a bit of his life as a simple farmer. It seemed so long ago now...
"Perhaps they used magic to weaken the ground beneath the inn and let nature do the rest? It seemed they weren't surprised by the sudden collapse of their cavern, and they had cultists already in the building to subdue their prisoners. But we searched around and came up with nothing more. It would seem that this is the work of an isolated cult involved in a terrible ritual designed to bring their intended sacrifices to their very door." The cleric grins almost wolfishly, a bit of grease smearing his chin, and though there is humor in his eyes there is also a hardness. "But we foiled their plans, didn't we? They were nothing compared to the Court of Chaos though, let me tell you about THAT! If you'll buy me another ale or two, that is. Words aren't always cheap, you know." Clancy laughs then, and tells the tale of their last adventure.
Istevan gladly buys the next round -- a fair trade for a fine tale.
And, when Clancy finishes, he volunteers a tale of his own: A tale of the far north, of caverns of ice, of boulder-hefting giants, and yet stranger creatures. You have a feeling he might be inventing things as he goes, but it's a good tale nevertheless.
Roscoe eagerly takes part in the next free round of drinks, making sure to order top shelf stuff.
"I just know we're going to become swell pals".
And thus, Istevan joins the party!
***
Chapter 2: The Emerald Enchanter
After the excitement at Five Points, you travel the land some more, in search of further adventure. Your journey takes you to a group of small villages near the mountains in need of heroes. Villagers have been disappearing of late! A number of clues, various old superstitions, and a handful of vague omens point to the brooding citadel of the emerald enchanter. This silent monolith has sat undisturbed atop a windy ridge for centuries. Legends say that a green-skinned sorcerer dwells there, where he conducts strange experiments and builds enigmatic machinery. His emerald constructs patrol the grounds of his citadel, and he is seen only rarely when he ventures out on nefarious errands that end in horrid screams and strange lights coming from his citadel.
It seems likely that the emerald enchanter is holding the villagers captive. To rescue them—and potentially acquire some loot along the way—you set off to invade his inner sanctum!
The citadel sits atop a barren cliff. Jutting from the black rock like some wart on the landscape, it is a short, flat-topped thing, with a wide base and a small, squat second story. The surrounding land is empty and lifeless for miles...
"Well this is pleasant. Bet the tourism trade is booming here. Shall we sneak up and scout for how many entrances we can find"?
Mirinde stares at the halfling her eyes narrowing, "Perhaps you should save your humor for our host." Glancing about her she shudders, This land has been scoured clean. It will be difficult to avoid detection. Mayhap we can track down one of those constructs and track it back to the entrance?"
Mirinde stares at the halfling her eyes narrowing, "Perhaps you should save your humor for our host." Glancing about her she shudders, This land has been scoured clean. It will be difficult to avoid detection. Mayhap we can track down one of those constructs and track it back to the entrance?"
Roscoe waits till Mirinde turns her back and sticks out his tongue at her.
"'M guessing you're better at sneaking than me," Istevan gestures at his armour, "but have at it. Otherwise, perhaps we ought to hold back behind some cover and observe? Sometimes patrols keep to a regular pattern and schedule that we could exploit."
Degan finds a willing buyer for the bracelet and, unwilling to risk the magic of his new companions, fairly shares out the proceeds.
***
"I agree with Mirinde. I can try to hide in shadows or behind cover, but neither are to be found here. This emerald enchanter knows at least the basics of security. I expect he has some construct guards constantly watching. Simply having four in the tower, one looking in each cardinal direction, would give a view of any who approach.
And if they are constructs, the usual assumptions about guard patrols do not apply. There would be no shift changes. They would not become bored staring at the same spot for hours. I'm not even sure of what the purpose of patrols would be, given the open sightlines from the fortress, other than to project an image of power and possibly to get a closer look at things.
We might try to create a distraction and see what the guards' response is.
Or, we could wait in the village for the enchanter to make another abduction attempt."
Clancy chuckles at the exchange between Mirinde and Roscoe - though he raises a hand to his mouth in order to fake shielding a cough instead of a grin. When the conversation changes to tactics the cleric speaks up. "I agree with a more conservative approach here. In fact, we might be able to take out a few of whatever magical constructs serve this evil sorcerer before anyone knows there's a problem. One thing is for certain, let none slip past us. I do not wish for the locals to take the brunt of any punishment for our actions."
Approaching from a distance, you see that there seems to be only one entrance, a large door of some silvery metal. Beside the door are two green statues depicting men clad in emerald armor and holding translucent emerald swords.
You watch for a while, but nothing seems to come or go from the fortress.
"Hmm ... seems you were correct, Degan. So, unless we want to see if an approach from behind is viable , it looks like a frontal assault. I don't much fancy it, but I suppose I could take pot-shots at the sentinels with my crossbow without getting too close. If nothing else, it might draw them away from the door."
"Or we use subterfuge. We approach openly with a story, some sort of deception to gain admission to the fortress.
We pose as potential apprentices or henchmen, perhaps?
I am not sure that is a good option, but I am just thinking of possibilities."
Mirinde shakes her head at Degan, "I do not believe this Emerald Sorcerer would even listen to us for a moment." She nods thoughtfully, "We could however attempt to lead the guardians away from the door and into a trap. Perhaps we could create a deadfall to ensnare the guardians forthwith."
Clancy nods as the others discuss tactics. "An illusion, maybe? Could your magic do something like that, Mirinde? If not, perhaps one of us approaches to see the response while the others hang back in ambush. If the sentinels threaten, our scout attacks and then retreats - perhaps they will follow. Then we spring our ambush. I would volunteer to approach, as it is my plan." The cleric adds with a wry grin.
Mirinde shakes her head, "I could attempt to summon a creature to lure the guardians away, but I do not believe they will be fooled by such."
Istevan nods along to Mirinde's and Clancy's suggestions: "Sure, sure. I suppose we combine trap and ambush to get rid of these sentinels (rather than just trying to get around them). Just point me to what needs lifting or, um, digging, depending on the trap you want built."
Clancy grins at Mirinde. "A summoned animal would be nice to have alongside me, just in case they launch an attack at range - it'll be 50/50 whether they target me or the animal. Maybe have the summoned animal run in to attack close-up and I'll stay at a discrete distance? Once we've got their attention and the summoned animal disappears, I'll make a run for it as though I've given up and hope they pursue. We could have a trip rope or something waiting for them, and the rest of you hiding around a bend to attack in earnest once I stop to let them catch up."
The cleric suddenly frowns as he thinks of some problems with the plan. "However... we'll be giving them warning that there's an attack underway, that go against us if we are giving them time to alert those inside the fortress. Also, finding cover to hide might be problematic..." He considers as he surveys the landscape.
Once the group has prepared the ambush site Mirinde calls forth her magics to summon some wolves to hopefully lure the guardians towards them...
...but curses as she loses control of her spell!
Figuring a battle would come sooner or later once the ambush was either spotted or successfully pulled off, Clancy calls upon Justicia to grant her blessings.
+ 1 (or 2) Luck (see OOC)
The cleric feels a tenuous thread of contact and reaches out for his patron, smiling as he feels her light touch. It would be enough.
12-13: +1 to attack rolls for 1 turn
When the group is hidden and ready, Clancy approaches the doors of the stronghold openly...
Istevan looks for a good place to hide behind the boulders, prepares his crossbow, and surreptitiously watches Clancy's progress.
Clancy approaches the door to the fortress. As he gets near, he can see that the two statues appear different from one another. One statue is a perfect replica of a man, accurate down to tiny details like earlobes and teeth. The other is more rough-hewn and statue-like.
Once Clancy gets within 30 feet, the statues animate, raising their emerald swords as they prepare to charge!
They are on Clancy before anybody has a chance to react. Fortunately, the cleric manages to block both of their attacks with his shield!
"Hey! Leave him alone"!
Roscoe charges forward with violent intent towards the accurate being.
Axe 1
Edge 1
Axe 2
Edge 2
And once again his bark is much worse than his bite.
"Well this is embarrassing! Uh... help!" Clancy calls out as the statues move with a speed that startles the cleric so badly he is unable to turn and run away before they are upon him. He calls upon his goddess to grant him the ability to paralyze his enemies and then brings his warhammer around to try and smash the knee of one of the statues.
12-13: The cleric's hands and melee weapons are charged with the energy of paralysis. The cleric makes a normal attack this round if it hits the enemy takes normal damage and must make a Will save vs. spell check DC or be completely paralyzed for rounds.
+ Will Save vs DC 12 or be paralyzed for 4 rounds
"Well this is embarrassing! Uh... help!" Clancy calls out as the statues move with a speed that startles the cleric so badly he is unable to turn and run away before they are upon him. He calls upon his goddess to grant him the ability to paralyze his enemies and then brings his warhammer around to try and smash the knee of one of the statues.
[dice=*Paralysis* Caster Level Check]1d20+3
12-13: The cleric's hands and melee weapons are charged with the energy of paralysis. The cleric makes a normal attack this round if it hits the enemy takes normal damage and must make a Will save vs. spell check DC or be completely paralyzed for [dice=Duration]1d6+1 rounds.[dice=Warhammer Attack]1d20+1 +1
[dice=Warhammer Damage]1d8+2 + Will Save vs DC 12 or be paralyzed for 4 rounds
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Mirinde sighs as the carefully laid plan falls apart around her, "Don't just stand there Clancy!" She cries out even as she sends an arrow at the closer guardian.
"Well, best laid plans and all that," Istevan remarks sourly.
Letting fly with his crossbow, Istevan charges toward the fight, drawing his longsword as he runs.
Taken completely off guard by the sentinels' sudden move toward Clancy, Istevan jerks the release on his crossbow, firing the bolt into the ground in front of him. Shaking his head, a sardonic half-smile on his face, he steps out from behind the boulder and races toward the melee.