Round 4
Xallis holds his banner high as he makes a sweeping gesture, parting the curtains of reality to allow a celestial being to enter the fray.
Silver-white hair the color of a lightning strike whips about this poised elf-like archer, his eyes swirling with vibrant colors.
The azata glances towards Trevor, offering him a warm smile and a mock toast before turning his attention towards the enemy.
Round 4
Malphene crotches down and advances toward the end of the row of chairs to strike the (orange) high cultist.
Round 4
Trevor returns the azata's smile with surprised enthusiasm. The cleric rushes forward to provide continued healing.
Round 5
Icabhod takes a stab at the confused cultist. The cultist spins wild-eyed to face the new opponent.
Jack doesn’t let up on the cultist trying to step away and takes him down before he can get any further.
Then Henrika takes out High Cultist (Red). The cultists start dropping like flies as the fight winds down.
Lightning Bolt Reflex saves DC 15
A shining azata appears before Xallis and gives the cultists a taste of their own medicine. The more injured cultist, can’t take any more and dies, his muscles convulsing from the shock. The last cultist takes the full force of the lightning bolt. He is still standing but his body smokes from electrical burns.
Malphene runs in right after the lightning bolt and slashes the last cultist while he is still blinking in shock.
Round 6
With only one left, the Abadaran attempts to make the best of it, and rid one of the cultists of their wands.
Lastly, Tychus hits the final cultist with his last remaining bolt and ends the fight.
Combat Over
Initiative
[b]Icabhod (58/68 hp)
Jack (67/67 hp)
Henrika (85/84 hp)
Trevor (71/71 hp)
Xallis (75/75 hp)
Malphene (38/58 hp)
Tychus (72/72 hp)
Active Spells/Effects
Henrika: ▲False Life (1 hp, 9 hr), ▲Mirror Image (1 image, 9 min), ▲Bless (9 min), ▲Haste (7 rd)
Icabhod: ▲Barkskin (+4, 90 min), ▲Heroism (90 min), ▲Bless (9 min), ▲Shield (9 min), ▲Haste (7 rd)
Trevor: ▲Bless (9 min), ▲Haste (7 rd)
Tychus: ▲Bless (9 min), ▲Haste (6 rd)
Xallis: ▲Barkskin (+4, 90 min), ▲Bless (9 min), ▲Grease (9 min), ▲Haste (6 rd)
Jack: ▲Barkskin (+2, 30 min), ▲Bless (9 min), ▲Haste (7 rd)
Malphene: ▲Bless (9 min), ▲Haste (6 rd)
see the banner gain a +2 morale bonus on saving throws. They also increase their base speed or fly speed and the base speed or fly speed of mounts they ride by 5 feet.
Okay lots of loot, but all minor stuff. Xallis’ +14 Spellcraft is high enough to identify all the magic items of these characters have by taking 10.
There were two different types of Cult Sentries.
Cult Sentry A (x3)
(6) Potions of Barkskin
(6) Potions of Bull’s Strength
(6) Potions of Cure Serious Wounds
(3) Potions of Resist Electricity
(3) Bracers of Armor +1
(3) Headbands of Inspired Wisdom +2
(3) Rings of Protection +1
(3) Cult Tunics
(3) Keys
150 gold
Cult Sentry B (x3)
(3) Potions of Bear’s Endurance
(6) Potions of Cure Light Wounds
(6) Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds
(6) Potions of Mage Armor
(6) Potions of Magic Weapon
(3) Antitoxins
(6) Holy Waters
(3) Masterwork Heavy Picks
(150) Masterwork Shuriken
(3) Belts of Giant Strength +2
(3) Bracers of Armor +1
(3) Cloaks of Resistance +1
(3) Rings of Protection +1
(3) Cult Tunics
(3) Keys
423 gold
High Cultists (x6)
(6) Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds
(6) Potions of Invisibility
(6) Masterwork Light Crossbows
(120) Bolts
(6) Sickles
(6) Cloaks of Resistance +1
(6) Cult Tunics
(6) Mirrors
(6) Ritual Bells
The last cultist lay defeated, Trevor rushes over to Malphene.
"By Cayden, Darling! Are you alright! I've never seen anyone take so much lightning damage! Here."
The cleric casts cure critical wounds on the fighter.
Once healed, Malphene leaps into Trevor's embrace. "That was terrible! Now all I taste is iron."
Before the bralani dissipates, Trevor calls out.
Afte the battle, you notice the mysterious man has mysteriously vanished. Once Xallis identifies all the items, you can push past the green curtain and explore the back area.
Starting from right to left:
This first room you come across is a large storeroom that has been converted into a barracks, with several large and comfortable-looking bunk beds. Spirals and overlapping circles of various sizes have been drawn on the walls in blue and yellow paint. The room’s only door is in the southwest corner.
Tucked neatly under one of the beds are four more tunics and eight blue skullcaps with veils. Other than that, you find nothing else of value and continue on.
The next room was once two separate dressings rooms but the wall dividing them has been demolished to create a larger room. The room contains two bunk beds which were used by the dwarven sentries. A thin curtain has been tacked to the ceiling between the two bunks in an attempt to partition this room into two halves.
There is nothing else of value in this room.
The next room you come across, you are surprised that it is still occupied.
This dressing room contains only a vanity table and a single wooden chair. The vanity table contains a large mirror ringed with candles burning brightly. An overstuffed sewing basket sits on the vanity table, with needles and thread of many types and colors spilling out of the basket’s top.
A single gangly individual sits in the chair before the vanity table, using the sewing kit to slowly stitch its turban to his head and his veil to his face. He continues with his business with an unnatural calm. He looks at you reflected through the mirror without turning around and says languidly in a strange accent, ”You’re not with the cult. So I have something to offer you, if you’re willing to converse like civilized beings.” While he talks, he continues his slow stitching. With one hand, he deftly reaches into his sewing basket and holds up a flawless ruby the size of a hen’s egg. ”This can be yours if you agree to leave. Why continue this foolishness? You could die infiltrating the cult’s inner circle or you could leave and live out your lives wealthy. An easy choice.”
To Icabhod’s appraising eye, he estimates the ruby to be worth 10,000 gold.
•This is a denizen of Leng.
•A denizen of Leng’s type is outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar).
•These eerie denizens travel the universe from their strange homeland of Leng, walking uncontested only when they disguise themselves as humans by wearing loose-fitting robes and wrappings about the head and face. Under these disguises, they have horned brows, clawed fingers, mouths full of tentacles, and crooked goatish legs with cloven hooves.
•A denizen of Leng is immune to poison.
•A denizen of Leng is resistant to cold and electricity.
•A denizen of Leng maintains a connection to Leng at all times, and when away from Leng, it has fast healing.
•The otherworldly teeth and tongue of a denizen of Leng deal Dexterity drain with a bite.
•A denizen of Leng has spell resistance.
•Its spell-like abilities include: tongues, detect thoughts, hypnotic pattern, levitate, minor image, locate object, and plane shift.
•Denizens of Leng speak Aklo.
Trevor and Malphene catches a glance from the other: neither know what his being is.
"So you do not claim to be cult's leader. Where are they?"
Henrika wipes off her sword, and briefly considers the cultists' fate. If their faith in their god was justified, they will surely go to some sort of paradise for protecting him, if my cosmological understanding is correct. If not, they may remain in the Boneyard to contemplate their mistake for eternity. It is a shame that their beliefs required us to fight.
She looks around for the mysterious man while Xallis examines the loot and Trevor tends to his fiancée. "Ominous. The figure that greeted us when we arrived and stood watching the fight seems to have vanished." She checks to see if the man is invisible, and briefly examines where he stood to see if there are any obvious tracks.
Jack takes one of the headbands of inspired wisdom and wraps it around his brow.
"And, who are you?" she asks, following up on Trevor's question with another. She narrows her eyes and places her hypnotic stare on the creature, reasoning that if it is inclined to deceive them, their divination effects might be more potent.
She checks to see if the man is invisible, and briefly examines where he stood to see if there are any obvious tracks.
There are no signs of him being invisible. There are tracks that start not far from the top of the stairs and end at the bottom and just stop. You assume he likely has a means of teleportation.
"So you do not claim to be cult's leader. Where are they?"
”I am not the cult’s leader, nor am I a member of the Cult of the Twilight Child. I am more of a benefactor. I have provided substantial funding to Vaddrigan Pol’s operation here. If something were to happen to Vaddrigan, he would not be able to fulfill his end of the bargain. So I ask you again, will you accept my offer and leave?”
"And, who are you?"
”You can address me as the Placid One.”
After the battle, Xallis gestures towards Icabhod. The Azata nods and gives the man a dose of healing magic.
It's magic expended, Xallis dismisses the summon and proceeds to resummon Navia. With the loot needing examination, he figures he may as well take his time. The cult is either on high alert regardless or it never was.
Upon meeting the unsual individual, Xallis gives him a careful glance.
"I have no doubts any bargain it has made is bad news for us..." Tychus addresses to the rest of the party as quietly as he can.
Henrika magically conveys Tychus's whispered words to the whole group.
Xallis steps forward, but an excitable Navia takes two steps past him. She waves and begins speaking in an eerie, alien sounding tongue. A linguistics expert may describe it as Aklo with a 'local' accent.
"Oh! You know the plane of water, right? Where it's endless water, and everything lives in the water, and there are elementals made of water? And how they're part of the water but also their own thing? I'm like that in my home plane, but everything is made of meat instead."
Xallis furrows his brow. "Navia..."
"Navia." Xallis cuts in. "Ahem. Pardon her excitement, she so rarely gets to speak with someone from outside of the material plane. But what I'd like to know is just what sort of deal you've got going with the cult. Perhaps we can... negotiate an alternative?"
Navia looks to Xallis and nods enthusiastically.
But what I'd like to know is just what sort of deal you've got going with the cult. Perhaps we can... negotiate an alternative?"
The Palid One ponders. ”You cannot. What Vaddrigan is providing is invaluable to my masters. I am not required to tell you anything but I’m not forbidden to do so if it will get you to accept my offer and leave.”
The Palid One opens a velvet lined chest on the dresser and picks up a thin, jeweled dagger. ”See this? It is a piece of Taldan history. This is the Scion’s Dagger, a weapon commissioned by Grand Prince Penticus IV to protect his son after he struck a deal to sell his firstborn to the Denizens of Leng in exchange for the crown of Taldor. In the end, the blade saved young Penticus V not by drawing his enemy’s blood, but his own: the heir killed himself rather than be drawn to Leng, denying his father’s business partners and paving the way for his younger brother, Tralian V, to ascend to the throne and inaugurate the Fourth Army of Exploration. The Denizens of Leng have desired to claim this relic ever since. The first condition for my funding was for Vaddrigan to convince the Immaculate Circle to part with it.”
”The rest of the bargain was for three unnamed favors. Now I just bide my time until my masters instruct me to collect. So you see, anything you think you can offer pales in comparison to the deal already struck.”
Henrika frowns. She is loath to interrupt her companions as they attempt to convince the outsider to depart without a fight, but she fears that combat is inevitable. "I suppose this Vaddrigan Pol is the leader of the cult," she whispers to the others. "If he has taken to making deals with a creature such as this, there is little hope that his motives are pure. Do we have any knowledge of its nature and tactics that would help us fight it, if it cannot be made to depart peacefully?"