Brennus chants and summons up his feather missiles to blast skeleton #4.
◆◆◆ Force Barrage
@ Barry: Getting a closer look at the skeleton Barry is surprised by the seemingly fresh blood coating the bones, He steps forward and swings his warhammer, but the skeleton is nimbler than he thought, and his blow sailed wide. He then raises his shield and shouts out words of encouragement for all.
@Brennus: Brennus squawks and jumps about. A few of his ghostly feathers fly forth pelting one of the Skeletons (SK4) with caressing feathers of force. The bloody skeleton shakes under the barrage but remains standing. (-12 Force Damage).
Initiative Order ROUND 3
Rail
Telurion (-4)
Caks (-15)
Skeleton 3
Skeleton 4 (-12)
Skeleton 5
Barry (-4)
Brennus
Telurion on Deck
for bludgeoning damage.
Telurion attacks the skeleton before him (#4). "Have at the fiend!" he roars as he swings the club.
+1 for Rail's ability
Telurion attacks the skeleton before him (#4). "Have at the fiend!" he roars as he swings the club.
[dice=club atk]1d20+10+1 +1 for Rail's ability
[dice=club dmg]1d6+4+1
Telurion swings his new favorite skeleton fighting weapon at the recently zapped skeleton and turns it back into a pile of bloody bones.
Rail Delays
Initiative Order ROUND 3
Telurion (-4)
Caks (-15)
Rail
Skeleton 3
Skeleton 4 (Dead)
Skeleton 5
Barry (-4)
Brennus
Caks on Deck
@ Telurion* You still have (2) Actions left
"Nice Strike! Keep up the pressure on these foul creatures."
Rail tosses another handful of metal shavings at a skeleton that turn into deadly darts and moves a little bit closer to get a better angle on the two remaining monsters.
[dice=Needle Darts◆◆ vs SK3]1d20+7
[dice=Piercing Damage]3d4
Rail tosses another handful of metal shavings at a skeleton that turn into deadly darts and moves a little bit closer to get a better angle on the two remaining monsters.
Rail starts to fling metal darts as a mote of dust flies in his eye. He quickly blinked it away and watched his favorite metal fragments fly true... very true.
Each small metal barb seems to find it's own bone, and the skeleton is blasted to a more permanent death as it flies apart like a busted jigsaw puzzle.
Initiative Order ROUND 3
Telurion (-4)
Caks (-15)
Rail
Skeleton 3 (Dead)
Skeleton 4 (Dead)
Skeleton 5
Barry (-4)
Brennus
Caks on Deck
@ Telurion* You still have (2) Actions left
if the first is counted as a vicious swing subtract another 5.
◆ Caks moves to flank the remaining skeleton.
◆ bludgeoning damage
◆ bludgeoning damage
[dice=original vicious swing xtra dmg]1d6
[dice=follow on vicious swing if the first not allowed]1d20+10+1-5 if the first is counted as a vicious swing subtract another 5.
[dice=club dmg]1d6+4+1
[dice=if vicious swing]1d6
So you did the following?
◆◆ ATTACK: Vicious Swing
◆ ATTACK:
@ Telurion: Telurion not only dispenses of the bloody skeleton, but his backswing also knocks the skull about 30' away. He then turns on the remaining skeleton and swings... but the momentum from the first swing causes him to overswing.
@ Caks: Caks continuing his attack with his small but vicious fists dodges around and gets behind the one remaining skeleton dealing a major hit to some of the connective tissue.
@ Skeleton 5: The last remaining skeleton turns to the source of his last damage and attacks with desperate vigor.
Claw @ Caks
Slashing Damage
Then swings again:
Claw @ Caks
Slashing damage
Then realizing he is surrounded swings at the target behind him.
Claws at Telurion
Slashing Damage
Then Caks & Telurion notice some blood flow into one of the cracks in the bone and it heals a bit.
Initiative Order ROUND 3
Telurion (-4)
Caks (-18)
Rail
Skeleton 3 (Dead)
Skeleton 4 (Dead)
Skeleton 5 (-11)
Barry (-4)
Brennus
Barry raises his holy symbol and utters a prayer of healing for all those around him.
Healing for everyone except for poor mister bones who steps closer to meeting his final rest.
SB Screen
Initiative Order ROUND 3
Telurion (-2)
Caks (-16)
Rail
Skeleton 3 (Dead)
Skeleton 4 (Dead)
Skeleton 5 (-13)
Barry (-2)
Brennus
Telurion on Deck (Top of Round 4)
Brennus judges the skeleton is probably near destruction, so he doesn't waste a good spell on it, simply summoning a small arc of electricity to try to finish it off. If that doesn't do the trick he hops a bit further away.
◆◆ Electric Arc
◆ Stride
Telurion takes a swing at the last skeleton. "It looks like these things are repairing themselves." He shares right after he swings.
bard bonus
◆ bludgeoning damage.
◆ bludgeoning damage.
◆ bludgeoning damage.
No need to roll. Even if it saved against the electric arc Telurion’s blow finished it off. And Cak smashed it to bone dust.
COMBAT OVER
The group takes a breath as the last skeleton falls. The neat stack of bloody bones now is strewn about the scene of the combat, and the flow of blood which seemed to reinvigorate the bones seems staunched.
Medicine DC22
Looking closely at the bones it seems that each had their sternum pulled apart before they became skeletal.
Several of the party members are injured from the sharp claws of the skeletons, with Caks nursing several deep wounds.
All is silent. Slowly the sounds of nature return first with the chirping of some nearby birds, then the background sounds of insects.
What is the next step?
"Excellent teamwork, everyone!" He nods at Barry. "We're certainly glad you joined the team." The elf looks around for a fallen branch or long stick to scatter the pile of bones. "I don't want to touch those bones but I do want to look under it."
Remember rolls like this are secret rolls.
SB Screen
Rail looks over the individual piles of bones, but nothing jumps out at him.
Rail turns around to look around the area for any sign of a trail leading off into the wilderness.
You all see the beginnings of a trail leading behind a large group of boulders heading towards the cliffs behind the shrines.
As the party recovers from the encounter the temperature in the air begins to rapidly drop, and the wind begins to pick up. You can see Dark clouds coming over the cliff and headed your way. The wind whistles between the still standing columns of the shrine with an eerie moan, and some of the smaller bones dance around in the sudden gusts.
"Yes, I am certainly glad to be here. These abominations should remain dead, and not bother the living any longer. Let me look at those wounds, while we have a moment."
for HP healed for Caks
for HP healed for Telurion
for HP healed for Barry
"We should push on and get clear of these remains. Just let me say a few brief words and hopefully send the spirits on to their final rest."
After patching everyone up as best he can, Barry delivers a short eulogy for the fallen, then takes up his gear and prepares to set out again.
Brennus, as usual, examines the area for magic, wondering if these undead arose naturally or if whoever set the traps in the shrines was a necromancer.
As Barry sets about treating wounds, the raven casts a wary eye at the sky. "Maybe we should get back in one of those shrines for this? This weather doesn't seem particularly natural, if you ask me."
"Yes, the weather does seem to be changing for the worse. Shall we retire indoors, set up camp, and investigate that trail once the weather breaks?" Telurion asks while moving as if to return to the shrines.
Rail nods. "This wind is already pretty bad, we should get inside!"
SB Screen
The group eyes the upcoming storm with a wary eye, but they determine that it's a normal weather pattern with storms coming off the mountains. Eying the limited shelter of the shrines they do their best to find a good place to ride out the approaching storm.
Barry thinks that they could take a couple of dead trees and go to one corner of the Thyr shrine and make a dry cozy shelter to ride out the storm.
@ Brennus: You do detect a faint magical aura coming from one of the newly spread bone piles and find a ring on a rusty chain hanging around the neck of one of the skeletons.
Ring
The group follows Barry's direction, and is able to ride out the brief thunderstorm. (NOTE: This takes about 2-hours between building the shelter and riding out the storm. This would give Barry time to Med-check everyone and bring everyone back up to full health.
"Ah!" Brennus croaks in delighted surprised and fishes a ring out of some of the collapsed bones.
He flies over to Rail's shoulder and holds out the ring, held in the tip of his beak. Given he doesn't want to drop it, he has to wait and hope the elf gets the point before he speaks again.
Telurion helps with the setup of the shelter and then does what he can to aid Barry.
"What's that you found, Brennus? Some kind of ring? Nice eyes."
Barry patches everyone up before settling in for a chilly night.
"What do you think that trinket does, Brennus? Is it a magical ring?"
Caks his nose twitching in anticipation leads the way down the seldom tread path into the mountains. The party begins to notice signs of past journeying... faded scrawling's on the cliff walls... holy symbols carved into rocks along the way... even a rusted implement now and then, but Rail following close behind notices that most of these signs are old. There are signs of animals passing every now and then, and perhaps signs of passing more recently, but nothing stands out as unusual.
Finally, after climbing for about 30'minutes the path ends in a stone door. Like the shrines in the valley anything that resembles Thyr or Muir has been defaced and desecrated.
The entrance to the burial halls is flanked by what were once two white marble monoliths worked with silver inlayed glyphs and holy symbols of Thyr and Muir. Those monoliths still stand but have been desecrated and blackened by fire. The top has been knocked off each of the monoliths, and the inlaid symbols have been rudely chipped away. The entranceway itself was once made of white marble and covered with symbols of Thyr and Muir. It, too, has been defiled and now bears evil symbols written in charcoal or blood. The archway opens to a small room beyond with a hallway leading north.
Caks wants to barge in to the entranceway, but stops abruptly. She says, "Is there anything dangerous in these symbols?"
Caks wants to barge in to the entranceway, but stops abruptly. She says, "Is there anything dangerous in these symbols?"
SB Screen
Just before he starts to enter the tombs, Caks spots some familiar runes above the entrance. They are scribed on the top of the door frame so not evident from the front. Just as he starts to point it out the sharp-eyed Barry chimes in that he sees something strange as well.
"What's that you found, Brennus? Some kind of ring? Nice eyes."
Barry patches everyone up before settling in for a chilly night.
"What do you think that trinket does, Brennus? Is it a magical ring?"
Once his beak is clear, Brennus explains, "It's enchanted, but merely to place a magical mark on things. It's the sort of thing used by spellcasters who wish to mark messages or works they've made with a personal mark. A useful trick, but nothing amazing. Though you can also use it to get a vague sense of direction to your most recent mark if it's not too far."
Just before he starts to enter the tombs, Caks spots some familiar runes above the entrance. They are scribed on the top of the door frame so not evident from the front. Just as he starts to point it out the sharp-eyed Barry chimes in that he sees something strange as well.
"Well spotted, though not surprising after what we've seen," Brennus comments from his current perch on Rail's shoulder. "Unfortunate that I've yet to work my way up to the power to dispel others' magics. Is it placed such that evasion is possible, or is one of us going to have to trigger it?"
"Hmm..something is definitely off about the stonework here. I don't know if its just the runic traps like before, or something more sinister. In any case, I doubt most of you can see in the dark like my kind. I can provide some light to guide our way if you'd like."
After summoning up some glowing balls of magic that float above his allies, Barry takes up his shield and prepares to follow Caks, so long as the trap-finder wishes to remain on point.
"Ok, then, slow and steady, let's keep our eyes and ears open. No telling what kind of creatures or other hazards abound."
Having a glowing ball following him, Caks continues searching in front of him, looking for any traps or foes.
And so we proceed.
Rail nods. "Slow and careful is the way to do it."
@ Rail: Yes, you get a secret roll. As I mentioned the runes you spotted were familiar. It is the same as the rune that did blasting damage in the shrine. The blood is not fresh.
Recall Knowledge (Bardic Lore):
* You suspect that all the scrawling and runes on the wall might be causing a "Doom" type of effect to the area.
* You've seen this rune before in the shrine. Your suspicion is that the rune could be wiped from the area if you had some way to do so from a distance.
SB Screen