Durgan takes a step back to heal his wounds.
Round 9
Mukluk tries again to help Kisaiya get a good knock in.
to hit;
[ dice=Trepanator]1d20+1[/dice] to hit;
[ dice=]1d6[/dice] cold iron piercing damage
[ dice=MuleBite]1d20+2[/dice] touch to hit;
[ dice=Divine]1d4[/dice] damage
[ dice=MuleKicks]1d20+2[/dice] touch to hit;
[ dice=Force]1d4[/dice] damage
[ dice=Divine Mule Piss]1d20+3+1[/dice] touch to hit;
[ dice]1d4+1[/dice] divine fire
AC: 12/12/10 + 1 w/shield
Fort/Ref/Will: +2/+3/+7
HP: 17/17
Focus: 0/3
Hero Points: 0/3
Speed: 20'
Luck? 0/1 used
Mule bites: 0/7 used
Rory bounds in after his successes and he and storm wear down the corby - also tripping it! Kisaiya smacks the downed corby, though Mukluk’s aid doesn’t apply, finishing her! Durgan backs up to heal (though he may change his action). Mukluk avoids the worst of the channel as he (likely) picks the corby into oblivion (coupe de grace?).
The shrieking stops and the ramparts grow quiet once again. You quickly search the dire corby relieving her of a masterwork longsword, a silver unholy symbol of Pazuzu (100gp), a scroll of dispel magic, and a wand of inflict moderate wounds (12 chgs), and a ring of protection +1. The ogrekin had little on them, and nothing of value.
Mukluk does offer a quick coup. "In case they get back up," he gruffs as he drives his pick into the corby's skull.
cold iron damage
"Now that was a fight. Wasn't expecting that. Naw, not at all, but Moose probably would have seen it coming, he woulda."
He will examine the room as the party heals up. He will hold the scroll for now, but that's just until it's sold or needed.
Seeing the Dire Corbie fall, Rory turns Storm away before the wolf tried to taste her blood. Chuckling at the idea of Moose being omniscient, Rory asks, "Do you think we could get Moose up the ladder."
Gesturing towards the doors in the despoiled temple he asks, "Once we heal up should we keep searching up here?" Remembering the difficulty Storm had with the ladder he adds "Maybe we'll find some steps, Storm can handle those better than the ladder."
As she sees Mukluk finishing off the fallen, Kisaiya holds up a hand, brandishing Saya with the other. ”If I may, Mukluk.” She takes up a stance next to one of the bodies, aims her blade at the throat, and strikes.
”Severing the spine and removing the head in one blow, if you can manage it, is the fastest and most humane method of ending a life. When a samurai commits ritual suicide, it is their second who would do this.” She flicks the blood off her blade. ”As you do not use a slashing weapon, I could do this if you wish.”
Once the foes are dead, Durgan channels to heal.
"More difficult than I expected."
He will cast Guidance on himself again before proceeding.
Mukluk will over look the courtyards to the east and west to ensure there are no enemies there, then move to inspect the double doors. It's possible we'll want to go that direction next.
Perception
The party cleans up the dying, but no one hears anything further from the thick walls and doors of the castle, or open courtyard.
You, eventually, open the double doors which lead to a pair of hallways - one leading left into darkness and one to a large well lit dining hall of some kind - though it's hard to see any detail from here.
Peering down the hallway as best as his halfling eyes will let him, Rory sighs. Nodding to the other single door in the room, "Maybe we should make sure nothing is coming up from behind us."
He moves to the single door, inspecting it carefully for any traps, he tries to open it.
Rory takes a moment to open the small door, and it leads to an old cell - likely the home of the priest tending the shrine once dedicated to Desna. Tucked under a cot is an ancient locker…
"Oh! Lemme see! Lemme look! I bet there are carrots in there! Moose just loves carrots!" Mukluk pushes into the room to examine the locker.
Perception
It looks untouched. In fact the door was a bit sticky. Doesn't look like anyone has bothered to look in here in ages.
Kisaiya looks over the defiled statue of Desna, seeing if there is some way she could restore it. Desna may not be her patron, but Kisaiya is half-Varisian, and she could hardly just leave it as is, even if she has ti return later. Besides, Ameiko favors Desna.
The statue is well and truly trashed. Parts have been broken off to make it as it is. Reverting it will take stone masonry, considerable time, and, likely, hallow type spell casting.
Even just cleaning it off will take 10 minutes or so - giving those in the castle time to notice your presence and mount a more unified defense. Or, more likely, offense.
Durgan looks at the locker that Mukluk found.
"Do any of you have any skills with locks or traps?"
"I have some skill at stonemasonry and might be able to repair this statue of Desna in time, but I do not believe we have time now."
Mukluk opens the locker, looking for carrots or other treats for Moose.
Rolling his eyes at the idea of carrots being in the trunk, Rory shakes his head at Durgan's question, "My dad taught me a little about trapping, but harvesting muskrat is nothing like what we're talking about here."
Turning and looking at the statue he asks, "Do you thing once we get Ameiko well that we'll stick around for a while?"
As he turns back towards the dusty room, he realizes Mukluk's opening the locker. Holding his breath for a moment, hoping nothing untoward happens to his friend. He really didn't want to have to explain to Moose if something would happen to the mule-skinner.
Inside the locker is a trove of dusty treasures.
Scroll of Cure Moderate Wounds (150gp)
Scroll of Remove Disease (375gp)
Scroll of Restoration (1,700gp)
Phylactery of Faithfulness (1,000gp)
Ring of Feather Falling (2,200gp)
"Oh, these aren't heirloom carrots at all," Mukluk says with bitter disappointment in his voice. "Just a bunch of magical treasure. Well, lemme see what we got. What I can't figure out, I'm sure Moose will. Don't you worry."
Mukluk will cast Read Magic and Detect Magic and do his best magickin' that he can.
He passes all of the items on to others, as none of them are of much interest to him. He gets up and dusts off his hands.
"Alright now, shall we check the hallway then?"
Raising an eyebrow at the veritable treasure trove they've found, Rory nods sagely. "It's ok Mukluk, I'm sure we can track down some carrots later." No wanting to burden down Storm anymore than necessary he gestures towards Durgan and Kisaiya, "You two can probably put those to better use than I can."
Realizing Mukluk had headed down the hallway, Rory turn Storm that way. The wolf, thinking it's a race bolts forwards, forcing Rory to squeeze a little with his knees to slow the wolf down. Stopping at the first door on the left, Rory inspects the door then tries to open it.
Kisaiya passes on the phylactery. ”I can see the value of such items. But for myself at least, I feel that if I cannot determine the right course of action using my own study and intuition, I am not worthy to serve the Empress of Heaven.” She shakes her head at the scrolls. ”I may be able to use such items eventually, but I cannot now. Better for Durgan to hold them.”
She continues to the door with the others.
"Does anybody else wish to wear this ring? It could be powerful protection."
Durgan will wear the Ring of Feather Falling if nobody else wants it.
Like Kisaiya, he wishes to rely more on his own wisdom for determining the right course of action instead of relying on a Phylactery of Faithfulness, but he has some slight doubts. Am I falling prey to hubris by thinking such? Should I reject such a blessing?
He does not take the Phylactery.
He moves up behind Mukluk.
The group discusses their options a bit before moving down the hall to find a series of doors.
The hall is dark as no real outside light pierces it.
Realizing Mukluk had headed down the hallway, Rory turn Storm that way. The wolf, thinking it's a race bolts forwards, forcing Rory to squeeze a little with his knees to slow the wolf down. Stopping at the first door on the left, Rory inspects the door then tries to open it.
Rory opens the first door to reveal an absolutely nasty festering nest... likely a corby dwelling. The smell is strong and, assuming the usual searches, annoying as there is nothing in the room but the smell.
Wrinkling his nose at the smell, Rory lets Storm move into the room to sniff about. As the wolf moves the Halfling prods the nest with his shortsword looking for anything interesting. His eyes watering from he odor after a few seconds, he realizes it's futile. Just as Storm turns to a distinctly smell pile, Rory tells him, "No Storm, don't eat that." He turns the wolf out of the room and to the next door in the hallway.
Investigating the door quickly, Rory pauses, pulling his handkerchief out and tying it across his nose. Once the hanky is secure he opens the next door.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Yeah, probably not the best to eat things laying around in here, that's for sure. Boy, me and Moose made that mistake once...ONCE. Haw haw haw. Oh boy, did we have gas that day. Haw haw haw," Mukluk searches the room with Detect Magic and then is ready to move on if nothing fun is found.
He follows Rory.
Durgan also follows, keeping the rearguard.
He casts Guidance as needed to keep it active.
The foulness continues as the next room too is used as a nest. Seems to follow a theme, and you expect the others are the same - so foul!
Mukluk will again cast Detect Magic and look around, and then move to the next filthy room.
Wrinkling his nose at the smelly mess, Rory turns Storm and continues down the hallway to the next door. "I'm not sure which is worse, the idea of another smelly, dirty, birds-nest, or another smelly dirty bird." He pauses at the door long enough to check it for traps, then tries to open it as well.
Kisaiya holds her free hand over her mouth and nose. It reminds her of one time she killed and de-feathered a chicken and the remains got left outside in a bag in the hot sun for a week.
She tries to scan the room for anything valuable or interesting, but the smell is just too distracting. ”Let’s get on with it.” She tries not to open her mouth very much to avoid breathing in the smell.
Another nest, though this one is much, much cleaner than the others and the nest somewhat larger (though still not large enough for a large creature).
Searching the room, as usual, you discover a single piece of parchment covered in dense scribblings and revisions. It’s quite messy, but appears to be Tien. Knowledge of Tien and a difficult linguistics check to learn more…
Kisaiya is of no help deciphering the paper, all of her language studies being focused more on practical uses and not on deciphering strange texts.
She moves on to the next door and opens it when the others are ready.
"Ah, tough break. Maybe Ameiko or Moose will be able to figure that out after we get back to camp," Mukluk says, moving to the next doors.
Distracted by the room that wasn't quite as nasty as the others, Rory waits a little longer than before, talking with Mukluk. "If Moose can't help maybe Ameiko will be able to once she's well."
Realizing Kisaiya had moved to the next door, Rory touches Storms flanks with his bare heels, "Come on Storm let's help Kisaiya." As the Wolf moves out into the hall, Rory keeps his sword at the ready.
The three remaining rooms in this section are as rank as the first three and, like the first three, contain nothing but nests for dire corbies.
The larger chamber reeks of rotten food and bird droppings. A long dining table sits in the middle of the room, heaped with partially eaten animal carcasses and several thick eggshells.
The stairs to the east go down by the way - I've noted it on the map for clarity. Listening, you hear the squawking of corbies, but it sounds more rhythmic than their usual screeching. Almost... lyrical. But not quite.
Kisaiya is of no help deciphering the paper, all of her language studies being focused more on practical uses and not on deciphering strange texts.
"May I take a look at that, Kisaiya? I can read Tien."
Assuming Kisaiya agrees, Durgan tries to decipher the text.
If he doesn't get it, he just re-casts Guidance and is ready to move on. "We can figure this out later."
Mukluk suggests backtracking after Durgan is done with the scroll, back to the double doors.
"Maybe there is something this way," he says, thinking that Moose would approve of this plan.
Durgan too fails to understand the purpose of the text. Perhaps he and Kisaiya can study it together when there are fewer distractions.
Mukluk opens the doors.
A ten foot wide balcony winds around an ancient ballroom fifteen feet below. A rickety-looking railing runs along the balcony’s edge. There is a solid stone staircase leading down.
You can see, in the room below, faded paintings of dancing elves decorating the walls - spattered here and there with something, maybe mud? Hard to see from here, but there’s something on there.
Keeping close to Mukluk as the dwarf opens the door, Rory looks into the room. Seeing rhe rickety railing, he keeps Storm from moving into the area. Looking beyond the 'balcony towards the other double doors, Rory picures the exterior of the building, trying to calculate if those would be on the other side of where the two ogrethings had been wrestling. Feeling Storm get ansy, he turns to Mukluk, "Let's make sure there is no one else up here before we head downstairs."
Turning Storm, he moves through the 'dinning room' to the double doors across the way. Taking a moment to listen at the doors, then to check them for traps. If he believes they are clear, he will try and open them.
Init: + 4,
hero points 2/2
Animal focus 1 of 2 minutes remaining to use.
Rory HP 14/24; AC: 21, T 14, FF 18 CMB 1/CMD17, Fort: + 5, Ref: + 8, Will: + 4 Perception: +10/12
Storm HP: 19/19 AC: 22, T 14, FF 18 CMB 4/CMD 18 (21 vs trip) Fort: + 5, Ref: + 7, Will: + 2 Perception + 6/8
Rory Conditions =
Storm Conditions = Focus: Tiger + 2 dex
Weapon equiped saw-back Gladius: 1d4, 19-20/x2, P or S
Storms’s Bite: Att: + 8 (BAB +2, Str +2 + 4 flank) Dam: 1d6 Str +3 Crit: 20/x2 + trip + 8 (CMB +4 + 4 flank)
Spells Known (Caster Level 1, Concentration +, DC 12+lvl)
. . Orisions known@5: know direction, light, mending, spark, purify food and water, read magic
. . 1st (4/4) Obscuring Mist, Entangle, magic fang, clw
Mukluk does want to return to the elven paintings, but agrees with Rory about clearing the top before going up or down.
”Looks like there is an ‘up’ here too, maybe.”
He joins Storm at the doors.
Durgan takes up position at the top of the stairs headed down, guarding against Dire Corbies coming up that way.
Judging from the blood and gouges marring the walls, a terrific battle once took place in this guard room. The two chambers adjoining this space were once armories from the remnants that remain, but they’ve been gutted. The doors stand open.
If you enter the room, please make perception checks - and don't forget to move on the map. :)
Kisaiya enters the guardroom and scans it for anything of note.
Touching his bare heels to Storms flanks, Rory guides the wolf into the room. Letting Storm have his head, the wolf wonders around sniffing stuff, while Rory looked about.
Durgan hangs back at the top of the stairs, wary of the singing Dire Corbies below.
Uncertain what Durgan is doing, Mukluk follows the goon squad into the area. He will be back them up.
Perception
Knowledge Religion DC 12 to read the spoiler below.
- - -
- - -