Ghessa (10 damage)
Klank (Shield Raised, 3 Fort Saves)
Argoni (Shield Spell, 2 Fort Saves vs Purple and Black)
Hounds
Endra
Folmyr (10 damage, 2 Fort Saves vs Purple and Black)
Captain Barnaby (11 damage, Off Guard until Argoni's next turn)
Don Jurri
Aerin (2 Fort Saves vs Purple and White)
No matter what, you take a -2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and recovery from the sickened condition while you are within the aura.
Success You are immune for 1 minute.
Failure You are sickened 1.
Critical Failure You are sickened 1 and slowed 1.
Ghessa's offense is pathetic, but her defenses are superb. She quickly evades Folmyr's swings.
Ghessa (10 damage)
Klank (Shield Raised, 3 Fort Saves)
Argoni (Shield Spell, Immune to Purple and Black stench)
Hounds
Endra
Folmyr (Rage, 10 damage, Immune to Purple stench, Sickened 1)
Captain Barnaby (11 damage, Off Guard until Argoni's next turn)
Don Jurri
Aerin (2 Fort Saves vs Purple and White)
No matter what, you take a -2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and recovery from the sickened condition while you are within the aura.
Success You are immune for 1 minute.
Failure You are sickened 1.
Critical Failure You are sickened 1 and slowed 1.
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Endra dubiously eyes the hounds that seem to begin to affect her companions. She backs away and takes aim at Ghessa. There is a crowd present, so after pulling back the bowstring and pressing it to her face, she concentrates on the target for several seconds while pausing her breath before letting go.
She exhales and keeps her gaze trained on Ghessa.
Endra keeps her distance and shoots Ghessa with a well-placed arrow. "Baru, be a dear and try killing them!" She grunts.
"Barnaby!" He sighs. "No way am I crossing blades with the little one. And that dwarf is faster than you think!" He peers down at Argoni and Strides just a bit closer.
"But one good shock to the system deserves another!" He begins to cough before he spews bile at Argoni. The smell is horrible. "That's for zappin' me!"
Then he Swaps his scimitar with his pistol.
Ghessa (16 damage)
Klank (Shield Raised, 3 Fort Saves)
Argoni (Shield Spell, Immune to Purple and Black stench, Fort Save)
Hounds
Endra
Folmyr (Rage, 10 damage, Immune to Purple stench, Sickened 1)
Captain Barnaby (11 damage, Off Guard until Argoni's next turn, Reload in Round 3)
Don Jurri
Aerin (2 Fort Saves vs Purple and White)
Basic Save to reduce .
Failure Unless you are an elf, you are also paralyzed. You can try again after each turn, and the DC decreases by 1.
No matter what, you take a -2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and recovery from the sickened condition while you are within the aura.
Success You are immune for 1 minute.
Failure You are sickened 1.
Critical Failure You are sickened 1 and slowed 1.
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"I shall permit you to re-draw your scimitar" politely, and pinching his nose, Don Jurri strides in to engage the good captain "Let us fence like gentlemen, and we shall see who, on either side of death, is the better man!"
To the rest he declares "Don't mind me!" and attempts to distract everyone with how chivalricly he makes an overture for hand-to-hand combat on equal terms!
◆) Dueling Parry
◆) Stride
◆) Create a Diversion
~) Panache?
↺) Riposte
Aerin ignores the stink of the hounds and grows Large enough to slash Ghessa.
Don Jurri takes the opportunity to move around the melee and captures the Captain's attention. "Oy! You want a duel, eh? Well, if I'm going down with the ship, I may as well have fun doing it."
Ghessa coughs a noxious purple spit on the stairs as she shuffles down. "Big man makes a big target." She notices Kernel Klank staring her down. "Right. Getting out of YOUR way."
She curls into a ball of jumbled limbs, provoking a reaction from Klank. Then she Tumbles Through and around Aerin's legs, emerging on the other side. "Tsk tsk. It took me weeks to find the perfect shrouds for the wights!"
Aerin watches her unravel behind him and hit his leg in a sensitive critical spot that leads up to a follow up. The hit threatens to stun him.
She pulls out a vial of oil from her belt.
Ghessa (35 damage, holding a vial of oil)
Klank (Shield Raised, 3 Fort Saves vs Hound Stench, Reactive Strike vs Ghessa)
Argoni (Shield Spell, Immune to Purple and Black stench, Fort Save from Captain Barnaby)
Hounds
Endra
Folmyr (Rage, 10 damage, Immune to Purple stench, Sickened 1)
Captain Barnaby (11 damage, Off Guard until Argoni's next turn, Reload in Round 3)
Don Jurri (Immune to Purple stench, 2 Fort Saves vs White and Blue stench)
Aerin (49 damage, Immune to Purple and White stench, Enlarged, Clumsy 1, Fort Save vs Sagebane, Fort Save vs Brawling Critical, Fort Save vs Stunning Flurry)
No matter what, you take a -2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and recovery from the sickened condition while you are within the aura.
Success You are immune for 1 minute.
Failure You are sickened 1.
Critical Failure You are sickened 1 and slowed 1.
Basic Save to reduce 5 Poison Damage.
Failure Unless you are an elf, you are also paralyzed. You can try again after each turn, and the DC decreases by 1.
Failure You are stupefied 1 for 1 minute. If you were already under its effect, this Failure resets the duration to 1 minute and increases the stupefied value by 1 on a failed save, to a maximum of stupefied 4.
Failure You are slowed 1 until the end of your next turn.
Failure You are stunned 1.
Critical Failure You are stunned 3.
Klank preemptively bashes Ghessa before she moves. He gives chase but he's unable to hit her.
Argoni manages to hold his lunch and ignores most of the goo. Instead he throws a vial directly at the Purple collared dog, who proceeds directly to heaven as they turn to ash. Some of the shine explodes upon another hound and the Captain. "Your friends have an odd definition of duel, laddie!" He grumbles.
The hounds start harrying nearby targets. The hound in Blue bites Don Jurri.
Don Jurri finds an excellent opportunity to riposte and quickly dispatches the hound with a Blue collar.
The other hound isn't able to do much, either.
Ghessa (48 damage, holding a vial of oil)
Klank
Argoni (2 damage, Immune to Purple and Black stench)
White Hound
Endra
Folmyr (Rage, 10 damage, Immune to Purple stench, Sickened 1)
Captain Barnaby (13 damage, Off Guard until Argoni's next turn, Reload in Round 3)
Don Jurri (Immune to Purple and White stench, Sickened 1, Slowed 1)
Aerin (49 damage, Immune to Purple and White stench, Enlarged, Clumsy 1, Fort Save vs Sagebane, Fort Save vs Brawling Critical, Fort Save vs Stunning Flurry)
No matter what, you take a -2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and recovery from the sickened condition while you are within the aura.
Success You are immune for 1 minute.
Failure You are sickened 1.
Critical Failure You are sickened 1 and slowed 1.
Failure You are stupefied 1 for 1 minute. If you were already under its effect, this Failure resets the duration to 1 minute and increases the stupefied value by 1 on a failed save, to a maximum of stupefied 4.
Failure You are slowed 1 until the end of your next turn.
Failure You are stunned 1.
Critical Failure You are stunned 3.
Folmyr gives chase and manages to hit Ghessa with his opening salvo. She quickly corrects her defenses and parries his strikes before hissing at Endra.
Captain Barnaby coughs a bit as Don Jurri issues his challenge. "Alright laddie, en garde and such!" He swaps his pistol for a scimitar and starts up.
"Oy, stop moving!"
"Haha, that's more like it!"
The follow up cuts into Don Jurri.
Ghessa (70 damage, holding a vial of oil)
Klank
Argoni (2 damage, Immune to Purple and Black stench)
White Hound
Endra
Folmyr (Rage, 10 damage, Immune to Purple stench, Sickened 1)
Captain Barnaby (13 damage, Off Guard until Argoni's next turn, Reload in Round 3)
Don Jurri (15 damage, Immune to White stench, Sickened 1, Slowed 1)
Aerin (49 damage, Immune to White stench, Enlarged, Clumsy 1, Fort Save vs Sagebane, Fort Save vs Brawling Critical, Fort Save vs Stunning Flurry)
No matter what, you take a -2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and recovery from the sickened condition while you are within the aura.
Success You are immune for 1 minute.
Failure You are sickened 1.
Critical Failure You are sickened 1 and slowed 1.
Failure You are stupefied 1 for 1 minute. If you were already under its effect, this Failure resets the duration to 1 minute and increases the stupefied value by 1 on a failed save, to a maximum of stupefied 4.
Failure You are slowed 1 until the end of your next turn.
Failure You are stunned 1.
Critical Failure You are stunned 3.
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The Captain leans away from Don Jurri's rapier. "Love, yeh. I guess that isn't going to work out. Dead Doug warned me, ya know? I bet he told the mayor, rattin' me out like that."
"But I was a pirate before the lacedons dragged me under. I'm still a pirate, not a coast guard. I can't stay forever. So Ghessa promised me treasure if I could get her in here. A big treasure." He glances at the artifact. "I'll be all set if I can get that sail out of here with me teeth intact."
"Baru, shut up!" Ghessa shouts. "You're telling him everything!" She grunts. "The people who would follow you are often the dumbest." She evades Klank's reaction before applying the oil.
She topples Kernal Klank and his poor reflexes.
Then she hits Aerin once more.
Then she scuttles down the stairs. Folmyr declares No Escape and gives chase, only to learn she is much faster on the move.
Ghessa (61 damage)
Klank (2 damage, Prone)
Argoni (2 damage)
White Hound
Endra
Folmyr (Rage, 10 damage, Sickened 1)
Captain Barnaby (13 damage, Off Guard until Argoni's next turn, Reload in Round 3)
Don Jurri (Immune to White stench, Sickened 1, Slowed 1)
Aerin (53 damage, Immune to White stench, Enlarged, Clumsy 1, Stupefied 1, Fort Save vs Sagebane, Fort Save vs Stunning Flurry)
No matter what, you take a -2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and recovery from the sickened condition while you are within the aura.
Success You are immune for 1 minute.
Failure You are sickened 1.
Critical Failure You are sickened 1 and slowed 1.
Failure You are stupefied 1 for 1 minute. If you were already under its effect, this Failure resets the duration to 1 minute and increases the stupefied value by 1 on a failed save, to a maximum of stupefied 4.
Failure You are stunned 1.
Critical Failure You are stunned 3.
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There is a moment.
One where, perhaps, a gentle, more empathetic soul would relate and sympathize with someone who had, not seconds ago, poured out the contents of their heart.
But that person is not Don Jurri.
No.
Instead: "Have you looked at yourself, Captain? Who could love a face like that? Certainly not her!" he points to Ghessa, and briefly touches his breast pocket where his gun is stashed "And even then, where will you go? Forgot love, you are a pathetic wastrel condemned to an eternity of pain and suffering, unworthy of anything save, at most, a swift merciful end" he lets his words cut in, then pours salt on the wound "And this community you have discovered here, granting you acceptance. You would walk away from that! So, to add to hideously ugly, we have irredeemably stupid!" dusting his collar as if to brush the "ugly" and "stupid" off of his person "I will take your treasure, you daft ghoul, and then I will end your unlife. At least show up to your execution with your head high. Now. Fight me. En Guarde!"
Klank gives chase and clobbers Ghessa once. Argoni hurls a vial that shocks her. She is barely keeping it together. "Baru- er, Barnaby, help me! They'll kill you once they're done with me!"
"CAPTAIN Barnaby, of the Ghoulship Rapscallion!" He keeps his gaze on Don Jurri. "Heh, you Pathfinders love stumbling into ruins and taking stuff for yourself? Just like me. The difference is I'm proud to be a pirate! You ever wonder how long undead like us will be tolerated? I bet Pharasma's going to 'accidentally' hit this town with divine lightning someday."
"But let's hurry this up, eh? To the winner goes the spoils, that's the Pirate code!"
The remaining hound howls and tries to bite someone.
All it earns is a quick Riposte.
Ghessa (89 damage, Off guard until the start of Argoni's turn)
Klank (4 damage)
Argoni (4 damage)
White Hound (15 damage)
Endra
Folmyr (Rage, 10 damage, Sickened 1)
Captain Barnaby (13 damage, Off Guard until Argoni's next turn, Reload in Round 3)
Don Jurri (Immune to White stench, Sickened 1, Slowed 1)
Aerin (53 damage, Immune to White stench, Enlarged, Clumsy 1, Stupefied 1, Fort Save vs Sagebane, Fort Save vs Stunning Flurry)
No matter what, you take a -2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and recovery from the sickened condition while you are within the aura.
Success You are immune for 1 minute.
Failure You are sickened 1.
Critical Failure You are sickened 1 and slowed 1.
Failure You are stupefied 1 for 1 minute. If you were already under its effect, this Failure resets the duration to 1 minute and increases the stupefied value by 1 on a failed save, to a maximum of stupefied 4.
Failure You are slowed 1 until the end of your next turn.
Failure You are stunned 1.
Critical Failure You are stunned 3.
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Yeesh! The action keeps moving down the stairs. I guess that's the law of stairs and entropy... or something.
She jogs out of the corner she'd previously been backed into, and into the open where we regains a clear'ish shot of Ghessa between Argoni and Klank.
Incoming! The speeches are getting longer.
Folmyr swings wide and Ghessa laughs. "Ha! You Pathfinders are pathetic! The Whispering Tyrant will devour your souls, and we will rise above you all. You will die eventually, why delay the inevitable?"
Endra has had enough of the long diatribes. Her first arrow grazes Ghessa's shoulder blade, and the woman quickly loses her balance. "Wh-what?" is all she can mutter before collapsing into a mass of twisted limbs.
Aerin's large form provides some cover to the remaining two threats, so she's not sure what to do.
Captain Barnaby, on the other hand, knows exactly what to do. "Times like this I'd throw some sand from me pockets at your eye. No sand here, though." He begins coughing and ejects a stream of bile on Don Jurri. "I have a back up plan, though!"
Then he follows up with his scimitar. "Ghessa's gone. Time to turn up the heat." He is filled with bravado and gets a bit stronger.
White Hound (15 damage)
Endra (1 Action remaining)
Folmyr (Rage, 10 damage, Sickened 1)
Captain Barnaby (13 damage, Off Guard until Argoni's next turn, Reload in Round 4)
Don Jurri (26 damage, Immune to White stench, Sickened 1, Fort Save vs Paralyzing Spew)
Aerin (53 damage, Immune to White stench, Enlarged, Clumsy 1, Stupefied 1, Fort Save vs Sagebane, Fort Save vs Stunning Flurry)
Klank (4 damage)
Argoni (4 damage)
No matter what, you take a -2 circumstance penalty to saves against disease and recovery from the sickened condition while you are within the aura.
Success You are immune for 1 minute.
Failure You are sickened 1.
Critical Failure You are sickened 1 and slowed 1.
Basic Save to reduce Poison Damage.
Failure Unless you are an elf, you are also paralyzed. You can try again after each turn, and the DC decreases by 1.
Failure You are stupefied 1 for 1 minute. If you were already under its effect, this Failure resets the duration to 1 minute and increases the stupefied value by 1 on a failed save, to a maximum of stupefied 4.
Failure You are stunned 1.
Critical Failure You are stunned 3.
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"Make SURE she's destroyed Folmyr!" Klank hollers to the sprite while pointing to the downed Ghessa before he takes off back up the stairs with armor rattling and helmet bobbing until he just reaches the Captain.
"FOUR!" He hollers, swinging his warhammer from low to high at the dead man's snout.
Ghessa's blows left their mark on Aerin, but he perists and crushes the undead hound in a single blow.
Klank climbs up the stairs and gives Barnaby a solid blow to the snout. "Cheaters, the lot o' ya!"
Captain Barnaby (29 damage, Off Guard until Argoni's next turn, Reload in Round 4)
Don Jurri (26 damage, Sickened 1, Fort Save vs Paralyzing Spew)
Aerin (53 damage, Enlarged, Clumsy 1, Stupefied 2)
Klank (4 damage)
Argoni (4 damage)
Endra (1 Action remaining in Round 3)
Folmyr (Rage, 10 damage, Sickened 1)
"Huh, what a fitting end..." Argoni's ghost charge burns Captain Barnaby's joints. "A pirate's life for me. Besmara's waited too long..."
An eerie silence fills the cavern as the energy finishes sizzling.
Aerin (53 damage)
Don Jurri (26 damage)
Folmyr (10 damage)
Klank (4 damage)
Argoni (4 damage)
Ghessa carried an extra set of dresses and discarded them in the corner when she attacked. They lay still in this chamber. You notice a small pouch hidden in the folds of her clothes emblazoned with the sign of the Whispering Way. Inside is a short missive on a folded parchment bearing the seal of Casnoriva in the top right corner.
The pouch radiates with magical energy.
Ghessa’s discarded locket has an image of her as a ghoul instead of her normal state inside. The charm was broken when she threw it off.
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Klank wastes no time giving the fallen an extra blow from his warhammer. Maybe he's merciful, maybe he's just thorough. Or maybe he likes swinging hammers a bit too much. "Best heal you up somehow Aerin, you look like you took a few too many hammers to the chest."
Not being a healer himself, Klank fixes up any light damage to his shield before checking out what they've found.
"Ya, we found our anchor, and the source of all the weird undead food on the island. This thing needs to be better protected."
With Ghessa's plan stopped, you encounter no resistance through the hallowed halls.
You make your way back to the mayor's office. Dead Doug is seated, but stands as you approach. The mayor looks to you. "Greetings, everyone. Did you find anything- where's Barnaby? You certainly found something, the scent of blood is fresh."
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"Dead. Again. Sorry." Klank apologizes for the bad word play, not the destruction of the Captain. He starts laying out the evidence found at the scene as he found and understood it.
"It was indeed as we thought. Ghessa was a double agent." He reveals the extra set of clothing and parchment. "Captain made poor choices."
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"It's true. He was was reluctant, but he still turned against us. We had to put both of them down." Argoni seems sad about the outcome. "But we found the artifact that seems to give the Crypt of the Vibrant Dead it's nature. Plus it binds the Maze of the Open Road too."
"Oh and we found this too. Dunno what it does, but it's magic." He plops down the small pouch.