...But Catamoch is enjoying playing with his food far too much to let him die yet.
Flanking the northern necromancer, Bearkata delivers a fatal, critical blow to his enemy and takes it down.
Now focused focused on the red-clad necromancer, the team pulls out enough of a cohesive attack to finish him off and end the battle. Inside the cage are ten wounded and hungry elk that are growing restless from all of the chaos that need to be calmed.
Hakata resumes his natural form, and, after making sure his human companions are okay, feeds and frees the elk. "These will make fine additions to the following, and we will certainly treat them better than those necromancers did."
Strongjaw surprisingly ignores the two magical bastard swords and the Witch (and especially the White Rabbit!) go straight for the TWO spell books!
Tanngrisnir begins nudging the occupied goblin. Strongjaw glances over at the elk, lazily points his Staff at them and continues to speed read!
Valda picks up one of the swords. "Good find. When we rest tonight, we should transfer the magical runes onto my own blade to make it even more powerful!"
After the taxing battle, the party finally allows themselves a moment to breathe. They set up camp with the Ashen Tower looming ominously on the horizon. As the fire crackles, Hakata tends to the newly joined elk, ensuring they are fed, healed, and calmed after the chaos of battle. Meanwhile, the rest of the scouts take the opportunity to rest, bandage their wounds, and transferring the striking runes from the newly acquired bastard swords to their preferred weapons.
As dawn breaks, the scouts gather their belongings and follow the rocky path that leads toward the Ashen Tower, passing through the last remnants of the plains. The towering cliff face of the necromantic facility comes into view, the cave entrance yawning wide like the maw of some ancient beast. The air grows cold, the sky darkens with ominous clouds, and the sound of distant wind moaning through the valley adds to the sense of foreboding.
As the scouts approach the entry cave, they take note of the pens of sickly animals line the cavern walls, a grim reminder of the tower’s sinister purpose. The smell of rot and decay hangs thick in the air as they make their way deeper inside, the dim torchlight flickering ominously on the stone walls.
The Songsinger sends the joyous evening Crafting the magical runes and transferring them to those weapons deemed worthy.
Singing loudly as he works Strongjaw eats, drinks and tells tales of the scouts of the Broken Tusks Tribes.....
Groans emerge angrily anchored in angst proceed the small goblin at the breakfast buffet the following morning.
Mees needs coffee please.
Sipping his hot black coffee while the others prepared to venture forth to Ashen Tower, the bemoaning goblin orders both The White Rabbit and Tanngrisnir to go gather their gear while he frowns his hangover in coffee.
Looking up, up, up at the possibility of a climb, the green goblin pukes.
"I don't think we can all climb that tower," Kadosh says. "I think we're going to have to go through the cave. But who knows what's in there. But we can't leave these animals or our fellow Broken Tusks to their fate if we fail!"
"We won't fail. The spirits of the earth are as much our kin as those of the open field," Hakata confidently states. "We'll purge this tower of the foul necromancers."
Veshka nods. "A natural beast can be slain by just cutting off the head, but a horror like this must be broken piece by piece."
The scouts decide to forego the climb push forward into the cave, their footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls. The air is thick with the stale scent of death and rot, and the dim torchlight casts eerie, flickering shadows across the uneven ground. Their eyes dart between the empty and occupied animal pens that line the southern wall, where sickly animals groan softly in their confinement.
Ahead, the a trio of bone warriors notice your approach, their skeletal heads snapping sharply in unison. They rise from their resting places, the clatter of bone and rusted armor filling the entry cave. Empty eye sockets flare with an unnatural light move to engage you. Their presence alone is unnerving, but it's the sight behind that that causes you to do a double-talk.
A hulking skeletal figure near the lift towers over everything with its massive form. It stands motionless for now, tasked with operating the lift, but the scouts can feel the threat it poses in every creak of its bones.
Firstly, the goblin, the White Rabbit, and Tanngrisnir suddenly all decide that they (individually) all three seems to have left the stove on at the homestead....
Secondary to that singular thought running through each of the trio's brains, the Witch involuntarily Hexes each of Valda, Kadosh and Veshka.
Life Boost Hex
The goblin gives them a green shaky thumbs up!
Veshka bites off a new growth of scale on her finger, anointing Catamoch with tainted blood.
The boar god rushes forward, kicking and stomping on the closest bone warrior! electing merely to imply what carnage could have been wrought.
Valda rushes up alongside Catamoch and attacks!
Hakata takes aim at the foe and channels the spirits of battle for aid. He unleashes two arrows in quick succession.
for
for
The party underestimates the defenses of the bone warriors and Valda, Hakata and Catamoch's attacks all miss in the opening volley of attacks. The two bone warriors each cut Valda and Catamoch once with their bastard swords before raising their shields in defense.
Once combat begins, the hulk at the rear of the tunnel decides to engage. The huge fifteen-foot tall skeletal creature rushes forward, shaking the ground beneath your feet. As it closes the distance, it slams its claws into Catamomch with such force that it sends him pinwheeling backwards ten feet.
Hakata steps back out of reach of the giant, just in case, and fires two more arrows at his hunted target.
for
for
The Witch wishes he had a better selection of spells. He turns his goblin eyes to glare at his creator, shaking his head in disappointment.
Going with what he's given, the Witch casts Glitter dust Ref DC 22 targeting all 3 of the Skeleton folks!
He then points at the Big Fella!
Veshka and Catamoch move away to the side, forcing the giant skeleton to keep moving to hit them. Twin trickles of nostril blood run down Veshka's face, but rather than let them go to waste, she uses the power in that blood to stir the blood of her allies!
Catamoch though, is jealous of his worshippers divided attention, and demands that she pay heed only to him.
Valda attacks one of the smaller skeletons again.
HP 74/74
AC 23
Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +10
Hero points: 3
Effects: Fast healing 6 4/4 rounds
Kadosh rushes in to deal with the monstrosity, hoping to keep it off his companions. He knows exactly what it is -- just has to figure out how to hit it.
The goblin's ice hex land on the hulk but doesn't seem to injure it.
Hakata lands his first shot and then lands a second one, critically injuring the bone warrior.
Catamoch's hoof misses the injured bone warrior, but Valda lands another solid hit and finishes it off.
Kadosh does indeed know what this skeletal hulk is remembers some key pieces of information about i. It has no known weaknesses, but several resistances (cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5, piercing 5, slashing 5) and the following immunities bleed, death effects, disease, mental, paralyzed, poison, unconscious. All of this doesn't help his attack however, and his attack misses by a few feet.
The remaining bone warrior swings twice at Valda, narrowly missing her!
Meanwhile, the slashes Kadosh twice, once critically injuring him. As the beatdown is about to commence, Kadosh furiously rings his belt and distracts the huge creature. Despite this, Kadosh is shredded quite viciously from the two attacks.
Hulk: Enfeebled 1
Valda turns her focus to the other bone warrior attacking her.
HP 36/74
AC 23
Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +10
Hero points: 3
Effects: Fast healing 6 4/4 rounds
Kadosh's wounds begin to knit, but possibly not fast enough to keep him alive. Still, if he can give Radiant Valda and his companions, that's all that matters! He falls into his fighting stance, then attacks again, slashing at the hulk.
Hakata lets the fury of battle drain away from him, enters an almost trance-like state, and channels healing energy to Kadosh.
Veshka joins Hakata in healing, though as is usual, her vital energy splashes around the area, helping Kadosh some, but also causing flowers to bloom, grass to grow, and the dead to falter.
Despite needing Veshka's life to remain strong to maintain his connection to the plane, Catamoch is deeply ambivalent about her working to heal wounds. Still, with a sigh, he sets about breaking a few bones, just to feel better.
Strongjaw frowns at the Hulking skeleton!
Biggs bees nots betters!
The Witch points his Staff at Kadosh!
The goblin then tries to Ice Hex the normal sized skeleton.
Kadosh's battleaxe finds purchase twice, but the hulk resists some of the weapons' damage. Veshka's burst of divine energy floods through her allies and injures the undead, hurting the smaller skeleton more than the larger one.
Strongjaw's icy hex blasts the smaller skeleton but his divine spell seems to be resisted by the the large hulk.
The hulk quickly erases all of the magical healing the party bestowed upon Kadosh. With three brutal slashes, the large monster once more shreds him three times. The thaumaturge manages to ring his bell as the first strike lands, enfeebling the large creature. Unfortunately however, it's not enough to thwart the blows.
The smaller skeletol does not seem satisfied with attacking Valda any longer, and pivots to attacks Catamoch twice instead, cutting him with its bastard sword twice before raising a shield.
Skelly: 54
Hulk: 20 E2
Hakata throws a blast of fire at the smaller skeleton, then focuses on the hulk.
for
Veshka uses the geode fashioned to her collar to call down matching stones on the lesser skeleton.
Catamoch remains unenthused by the bloodless battle; he makes certain that the lesser combatant is finished before trotting off after the towering hulk.
Strongjaw shakes the Staff of Healing in frustration!
Dis ting bees brokes!
He points it at the twice-shredded Kadosh!
He then screams at the Skeleton hulk!
HP 38/74
AC 23
Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +10
Hero points: 3
Effects: Fast healing 6 2/4 rounds, marshal stance
Kadosh barely knows if he's alive or not as his wounds knit and then are reopened in quick succession.
"Run! Save yourselves!" he calls as he again throws himself into his battle with the skeletal hulk. He calls out a quick cadence, giving his companions time to flee, his axe shattering bone as he strikes again.
Valda uses Kadosh's cadence call to close the distance to the skeletal hulk. She attacks it twice.
Veshka and Hakata work together to finish off the bone warrior, leaving only the massive hulk to deal with. Other than the funk that Catamomch finds himself him, the rest of the party seems to be in a groove and each land at least one strike again the creature, with Kadosh landing a critical blow.
Strongjaw continues heal his allies and tosses in the rather intimidating scream that taunts the large creature. Unfortunately the massive enemy seems to be impervious to his tiny scream. He is successful at catching the full attention of the large creature, however. Ignoring the warriors hacking away on both sides of it, the massive hulk begins barreling towards the small goblin.
Both Valda and Kadosh take advantage of the opening and strike. Kadosh's attack misses, but Valda hits.
Small debris begins to break free and scatter down the walls as the cavern shakes from the massive creature rushing towards Strongjaw. As he closes the distance, the hulk swings a claw down at Strongjaw with tremendous force, delivering a critical blow that sends the goblin pinwheeling across the cavern floor.
H:51
Veshka urges Catamoch on, hoping that greater prey will lead to more inspired performance.
With a devastating **CRACK** Catamoch finally bestirs himself and smashes into the towering hulk!
Knowing his arrows will be of less use against the hulk, Hakata leads by flinging fire about the room, this time aimed at the hulk.
for
for
for
The death screams of someone, something sound about the massive cavern! Blood curling screams that would be only properly felt if made into a Movie!
Strongjaw turns frosty blue eyes to stare at The White Rabbit! The Witch slaps the screaming queen!
Gits da holds ov youses! Wees bees professional!
Strongjaw then turns his mostly gone face to stare murder at the Hulk skeleton 20' away!
Youses broke Mees nose man!
The Witch casts Protector Tree(2) !
The Goblin then Commands Tanngrisnir to Stride away 70'!
HP 44/74
AC 23
Fort +13, Ref +12, Will +10
Hero points: 3
Effects: Fast healing 6 1/4 rounds, marshal stance
"Strongjaw!" Kadosh cries and charges right after the hulk. His ax chops home again, shattering more bones.
Valda moves to follow the skeletal hulk, shifting her immanence to her sword and attacking.
Catamoch finally decides to engage and delivers a solid hoof to the creatures shin, followed by a slash from Kadosh. Coupled with the damage it took from Valda when it ran to engage Strongjaw, the hulk finally collapses to the ground all around.
The wood pens are closed with simple latches. There are four elk, two moose, two grizzly bears, one lagofir, one hyaenodon, and one long-horned bison in the pens, all of which are injured, mistreated and hungry.
Searching the living spaces you find a wounding property rune, alchemist’s tools, and a formula book containing the formulas for lesser and moderate dread ampoules, olfactory obfuscators, and skinstitch salves.
The cavern continues on, when you are ready.
Hakata looks over the animals, "We'll be back for you, my friends."
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Strongjaw, The White Rabbit and Tanngrisnir approach the pens. They all three look at the injured animals. They each shake their heads in disgust and anger!
The Witch begins the physical healing therapy.
Heal Animal (3)
The Witch then will Refocus by giving the healed animal a treat. Then he repeats the process for each injured animal every 10 minutes.
Kadosh watches as Strong Jaw valiantly tries to help the animals as quickly as possible, even if he thinks Hakata is likely right that they will need to return later to truly care for them. In the meantime, he considers the property rune and who might most benefit from it.
As the scouts move deeper into the cavern, the air grows colder and heavier, the scent of decay thickening with every step. The soft drip of water echoes faintly in the distance, but otherwise, an eerie silence hangs in the chamber.
The tunnel opens into a larger ritual chamber, the scene inside unsettling. Shelves along the eastern walls groan under the weight of dusty necromantic tomes, jars filled with spell components, and dozens of preserved severed hands-some still twitching unnervingly as if anticipating the your presence.
At the center of the room, two tables stand. Atop one, a metal box catches your eye. Its lock gleams dully in the torchlight, and carved into its surface are warnings that make it clear this is no ordinary container. Next to the box rests a freshly severed hand, the pale flesh still eerily lifelike, marked with a constellation of six stars. You know you've seen this symbol before.
To the south, a bone cage stands, grotesque in its construction. Within it, a figure lies slumped, barely conscious-a woman, her left arm ending in a bloody, raw stump. Her breath is shallow, her skin pale and clammy from blood loss. The cage pulses with dark magic, necromantic runes faintly glowing on the bars, and a palpable sense of danger radiates from it.
"Nukiak?" Kadosh asks, fear filling his voice. "What's happening here?"