'Gallows of Madness - The Festering Blot'

Game Master Shadow Dragon

So instead of bats in the belfry we have a cat beating on the belfry? I have seen enough to know I have seen it all! 8)

As a reminder Daegon is UP!

sorry..missed the post Daegon moves up and flings a handful of acid at the creature, leaving a spot for XI to get in close with it.

touch: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 71d3 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

The giant centipedes move out of the stalls to attack Guardian XI and Grizzlebin who both reek of goodness!

Smite Chomp!: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 71d6 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 + 1 = 2 (Guardian XI)

Smite Chomp!: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 41d6 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 + 1 = 2 (Grizzlebin)

But the goodness is so bright it must've blinded the centipedes!

Round 2 – That's not a horse...

Cannoli
Daegon
Giant Centipedes
Jakeric
Grizzlebin
Vreekka [-1 HP]
Guardian XI [-3 HP?]
Lucinus

Jakeric, Grizzlebin, Vreekka, Guardian XI, and Lucinus are UP!

These centipedes are as blind as bats! Pitiful...

Guardian swings for the mercy kill.

[standard] attack ORANGE
cold iron greatsword attack (furious focus), slashing damage (furious focus): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 262d6 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (4, 5) + 6 + 2 = 17

[move] 15ft IIF the above attack killed ORANGE

I think all of the spots next to potential targets may have been taken, but just in case Lucinus is able to get next to a foe and attack it...

Jakeric decides to stay at the back, and make sure no more of those centipedes or sneaky mites are planning a surprise attack!

We'll call that Total Defense and an active Perception check.

"Ah, they ain't nothin' but dumb beasts--but demon taint ain't nothin' to mess around with!" growls the eidolon Grizzlebin, clawing and biting at his multi-legged foe.

Full attack.

Claw # 1: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Claw # 2: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Bite (w/ magic fang): 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 1 = 12
damage: 1d6 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 1 = 8

Guardian XI, cooled by the breeze of the whiff, does not miss and cuts the centipede in half.

Lucinus takes advantage of Guardian XI opening the path and strides forward and overhands his greatsword and lands a killing blow on the last centipede!

Combat is over! Congrats!

Those near the stall see what the centipedes were doing: guarding their eggs.

Well, tht went about as well as could be expected. I'll take care of the eggs...I'm not letting them survive to hatch... Daegon explains as he covers the eggs in acid repeatedly.

gonna spam acid splash until they're gone...

Everyone hears the sounds of sizzling eggs but Daegon is doing a different kind of cookin - with acid! The eggs dissolve into pools of goo - ICK!

Where will the adventurers head next?

Guardian suggests they sneak over to the other separate building to the East.

Cannoli looks through her hole in the roof with disappointment, ”Aww, I was gonna drop through all angry like and smash something. Why’d ya all have to be so good at killing?”

She turns and admires the view from an elevated position, looking the mansion and yard over again.

Perception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4

Not that she can see much, but maybe notices an open upstairs window or something?

Before the party leave Lucinus makes sure to clear up any remaining demon bile using his cold iron sword.

@Cannoli: With a 4 you surprise yourself - you didn't know your tail was that color! ;) No open windows or anything of note.

Lucinus clears the demon bile from the infected centipedes as he ducks the many acid splashes Daegon rains on the remains.

The group moves to the east where the overgrown condition of the estate is clear as the path is barely big enough for one person at a time.

Hidden amid a copse of gnarled trees sits a large mausoleum of polished granite. Statues of weeping angels of green-tinged bronze flank the closed entrance. A tarnished silver doorplate on the black steel door reads, “Sarini.”

What do you do?

The catfolk climbs down off the roof and comments, ”I added some ventilation and a skylight for sunlight up there. That should help prevent future evil infestations.”

She heads on over to the masoleum, ”Anybody know the going weight for scrap bronze? The silver is valuable too. Who brought their pry bars?”

Appraise the Value of the Statues: 1d20 ⇒ 13

Cannoli thinks the angel statues have some value being fine Chelaxian quality.

Guardian wonders if the door here is trapped, or maybe the statues are part of a more elaborate trap.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Guardian XI sees no signs of traps.

Daegon will scan with his arcane sight.

detect magic...just in cse...

Daegon will scan with his arcane sight.

detect magic...just in cse...

Daegon's eyes glow What color btw? as he surveys the area but does not detect any magical auras.

Guardian shrugs and opens the door (or, if it is locked, tries).

Appraise: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Vreekka estimates the value the angel statues, too. Then she checks the door for traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Guardian XI tries to open the door and finds it is locked. Vreekka thinks the angels have value but are more trouble then they are worth.

Note: The module doesn't list a value; I guess they didn't consider desperately poor low-level PCs will take anything that isn't nailed down. 8)

@Vreekka: You'll have to move to the front, putting Guardian XI right behind Vreekka, in order to check the area. I've moved your token to the required spot.

Vreekka checks for traps but she reports not finding any but does confirm that the door is locked.

"We might have to b-b-break it down!"

"Yeah, mebbe. Or maybe some lazy idjit hid the key under a rock."

Grizzlebin snoops around the outside of the building.

Perception check: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

He'll keep his nostrils open--he's now got Scent--to see if he picks up the smell of anything concerning.

Random, Alphabetical: 1d7 ⇒ 5

Grizzlebin doesn't find a key but his sense of smell ferrets out that Jakeric did indeed have a second helping of beans...

"Dang, kid! Ya just put the demons of the Worldwound to shame."

Cannoli’s jaw drops again, ”What, are Vreeks and I just chopped liver? Mhhhmmm, liver. Anyway, we have both literally opened like ten locks each in front of you. Lemme at it already.”

She pulls out her lock picks, moves up and starts messing with the mechanism.

Disable Device - ACP + MW Tools t: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 9 - 2 + 2 = 11

When that fails, she keeps trying.

Disable Device - ACP + MW Tools t: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 9 - 2 + 2 = 13
Disable Device - ACP + MW Tools t: 1d20 + 9 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 9 - 2 + 2 = 25

let's go with dark purple...kinda spooky

Cannoli’s jaw drops again, ”What, are Vreeks and I just chopped liver? Mhhhmmm, liver. Anyway, we have both literally opened like ten locks each in front of you. Lemme at it already.”

She pulls out her lock picks, moves up and starts messing with the mechanism.

Daegon's eyes glow with a dark purple as he scans the area for magic or its residual auras but doesn't locate any.

Cannoli's first attempt to pick the lock has an unexpected consequence: The angels' wings unfurl and slice the space Cannoli is standing in!

Slice!: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 231d4 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3

And the wings connect, slashing into Cannoli's arms. However she keeps working on the lock and it opens on her third attempt.

Cannoli takes 3 HP of damage but the door is now unlocked and you're free to examine the trap if you wish.

Cannoli jumps back, annoyed. She pulls out a wand and heals her wounds.

”Yeah, no traps. Sure. Good work looking out for innocent ole me.”

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

She steps back after working her magic and motions at the door, ”There ya go. Open er up.”

Guardian squints and runs his finger along the line where the wing-blades unfurled.

Huh. I guess I need to adjust my sensors.

Guardian XI checks the angel statues but doesn't open the door. Neither did Cannoli; do they suspect there could be more danger?

Who's going to do the honors? ;)

Somebody with better sensors please try perception :D

Returning from his search for the key, Grizzlebin sees the door unlocked but no one going in. "Geez, you mortals can be so timid!" He walks up to the door and opens it.

Returning from his search for the key, Grizzlebin sees the door unlocked but no one going in. "Geez, you mortals can be so timid!" He walks up to the door and opens it.

Everyone (well maybe just Jakeric) holds their breath as Grizzlebin boldly strides up to the door and opens it. What happens next is all too shocking: The door OPENS! No further traps, no angry monsters, nothing exciting to report.

Grizzlebin steps in to have a look around, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness within.

He's got Darkvision, should it be relevant.

Guardian offers Cannoli entry first, seeing how she was damaged by the traps. He follows in after.

Darkvision 60 + low light vision

Guardian XI offers Cannoli the opportunity to enter first, since she's already bleeding, but Grizzlebin bypasses her to enter the mausoleum.

Inside the mausoleum, two stone coffins stand on a dais, and several more coffins lie on shelves built into the walls. The coffins on the dais were made for the baron and baroness, but their bodies were never laid to rest, and the coffins remain empty.

I'm going to assume people are searching the mausoleum:

Wow are those some rolls! So everyone but Jakeric lol:

Jakeric, still embarrassed by Grizzlebin calling him out for his love of legumes, is the only one who doesn't notice one of the other coffins contains the bones of an adolescent boy. The corpse is still clutching an old journal, whose dedication reads “to Luca.”

Also in the coffin is a palm-sized golden disk with a winged eye carved onto it.

Vreekka can't fail this DC even on a 1; others may roll a Knowledge (Religion) if they wish:

Vreekka tells the others that the disk is a holy symbol of Aroden. It tracks with the time period in question as Aroden was the patron deity of Cheliax. So, at one time, Marcius Sarini revered Aroden before turning to diabolism.

Vreekka also determines that, despite the damage to the journal, some of it might be legible if the group is willing to spend the time to read it.

It's up to you all if you want to spend the time 'deciphering' the journal (basically trying to piece together the surviving texts to make sense of them) now, later, or never. It's a Linguistics check which, again, Vreekka can't fail. Darn cheeseweasels! ;)

kn. religion: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

i'm willing to try to patch things up for the journal...

He definitely turned his beliefs around completely. How can someone go from Aroden to diabolism? It is boggling my mind... Daegon says as he examines the journal, his meagre knowledge of languages apparent.

Cannoli politely turns down the offer to send her in sooner than usual, ”Uh no thanks, I learned my lesson about who goes first with the goblins. Just look out for traps better next time.”

She scans the room and items with detect magic.

Answering Daegon she suggests, ”Peer pressure probably? Convinced me to dye all my fur black once. That wasn’t fun.”

The once-Goth Cannoli's eyes glow What color? as she checks the area for residual magic but finds none.

A warm yellow light emanates from Cannoli’s visual sensors. Sorta like a faded sunrod inside a hooded lantern.

”No magic here, you all done with that journal yet?”

She doesn’t seem to be in a hurry though, so you can probably take your time to decipher it.

Knowledge: Religion t: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

”I know some religious stuff, but it’s mostly about erm… punishments. You know, spankings and stuff like that.”

Neither Daegon nor Cannoli can verify Vreekka's claims of religious knowledge. Perhaps she is trying to pull a fast one on the group???

You know, that explains a lot... Daegon says flatly and smiling at Cannoli.

This is just gibberish to me... he says after looking through the journal.

You know, that explains a lot... Daegon says flatly and smiling at Cannoli.

This is just gibberish to me... he says after looking through the journal.

Sorry I'm waiting on the Linguistics trained individual to chime in and the rest of the group to vote on whether to spend the time now, later, or not worry about it.

yep..i know...just taking pokes at Cannoli...

"I'm happy to wait while we study the journal."

”Oh good! Another interested person in my life and how I became the awesome person I am today. If we take the time to read this journal I will treat you all to a mere glimpse of my one catwoman show! A single hour preview, but don’t worry it’s a full ten hours right now so you won’t get the whole story ruined.”