Sure, we can leave the campaign here. It was fun while it lasted :)
Thanks everyone!
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"Dangerous to enter wizard's den uninvited" Benedict mutters, remembering the dead kobold front of Hunclay's door. "But there might be some clues on his motivations" "But first, the baroness" he then states, and starts following Peka.
"Don't like the idea of walking into kobolds' lair," Benedict thinks aloud. "We have done what we promised the baroness, time to go back and report our findings."
"Many questions unanswered: Why the tower collapsed? Why the kobolds and the wizard are here? Why the dead kobold in front of the wizard's home? I feel this one is not giving the answers..." Benedict puts away the whetstone, and gets up. "I want to get back up, too. Is there another way out of here?"
"We only ask for the truth.."Benedict mumbles, and puts away his bow. To replace the weapon, the priest draws his greataxe. He sits down, and in starts sharpening the edge, while waiting for the kobold to correct his story.
While waiting for the boss-kobold to come about, Benedict uses his magic to stabilize the other kobolds. Perhaps they deserve to be spared, perhaps not. It all depends on what the kobolds have to say for themselves. "We have no plans to kill" Benedict explains calmly, standing behind Peka. "Just want to know why the tower collapsed." If the kobold is willing to speak, there is little need for harsher measures. But if it comes to that, the priest is certain his companions are much better than him in making others talk.
It looks like bows are far from the optimal weapons in these corridors - so many arrows are ricocheting off the stone walls. Nevertheless, Benedict aims him bow at one of the minion kobolds, releasing another arrow. And this time, the warpriest is able to find a better shooting lane, and the arrow flies where he means to.
Oh, Right, XP... I've already forgot one might need more than three of it to level up :p Too much PFS I think...
In the end, there is very little movement involved in shooting with a longbow. With Benedict's aim already in the goblin, all he does is move his fingers slightly. The string slides past his fingers, giving it's deadly force to the arrow. The other arm keeps the bow steady while the arrow is released and crosses the distance between the shooter and target.
Do all kobolds speak Common so well? "Tower collapsed. Kobolds around. What are you doing here?" Benedict barely moves his lips, concentrated as he is keeping the kobold on his aims. He is nervous, and feels his hands getting slippery from sweat. The warpriest knows they would need the answers from the little creatures, and this is the only thing that keeps him from shooting the kobold.
"Yes, spells that would allow us to talk to the dead would be helpful right now," Benedict answers Rose, either ignoring the taunt, or missing the idea behind the suggestion altogether. "Maybe they were just after the gold?" the warpriest thinks, trying to come up with the reason for all this digging. "We might find some answers from the wizard's home, after we're done here." Then, he starts following Peka, renewing the magical light into a new arrowhead.
Ever so practical Benedict stuffs his pockets with gold and gems. "Let's pick the those copper coins on our way back. Might need a few return trip to take it all." -- "One part of our quest resolved," the priest mutters, pointing at the deceased wizard. "But what he was doing here?" Benedict some of the rubble away, to confirm there was no fighting between Balthus and the kobolds. Were they here together? What was the old man up to? Half-consciously he picks up the keyring, and secures it on his belt. Maybe those keys will prove useful later on.
"Are these locked?" Benedict tries to sound calm. A priest of nature-god, he should be above material things like gold and silver. But standing in the front of such promise of wealth - it is sure exciting.
"How many traps and locks there can be?" Benedict wonders aloud, but waits patiently for Peka to complete his search. Once the crates have been declared safe, he moves to help in opening them.
Benedict nods, and picks up the other dagger. Following Peka's example, he carefully slides the dagger into the slot. "On three. One... Two..., he says, and starts turning the dagger like a key. ..Three!"
Oblivious to any secrets the room might contain, Benedict leaves Peka to struggle iron bars, and walks over to the hole in the wall. He wonders what is the story behind the corpse - was it guarding the room when the kobolds came. Kneeling down, Benedict studies the ground to see if there any tracks, telling how many creatures have passed through here.
"I suppose this is where the kobolds came from," he says, peering into the darkness of the hole. The priest casts a new light spell on an arrow, and shoots it into the hole, letting the light show how long the tunnel goes. Then he turns back, and walks to the cage. "The imp told of Canteclure clan's blood money. If there was any truth is it's words, this might be it. You look like you are keen to get your hands into it." But if the strongest of them couldn't get the bars to move, brute force is not the way to get through. "Something that goes into the slots?" he guesses. But what? Sconce, plenty of small spears... Benedict returns to the corpse, and checks it for anything that might pass for a key to the slots.
"Here you go" Benedict tosses the set of all found keys to Peka. He stays in the doorway, taking care not to stand on the trapdoor. Just in case trying the key would trigger the trap.
"Peka, you are brave, but that was unwise. " Benedict complains from the other sise of the door. It wasn't pleasant to stand by the locked door, and listen to the trap trap triggering. But luckily it seems if wasn't so dangerous after all. The priest joins Rose in trying to pry the door open, pulling it with all his strength.
"I don't think that was the right passphrase, " he shouts to Peka, while working with the door.
"Can we take the door back there off hinges? Use it as bridge?" Benedict offers. He has used traps to hunt, for sure. But these pits of acid are a bit odd compared to his normal surroundings.
Benedict ponders about Peka's thoughts of Canteclure's blood money for a while, and ends up not caring about it. "Perhaps we find answers here. If not, maybe someone in town knows more about he clan. " And glancing at the large crest, he silently agrees with the brawler. No point of carrying such heavy item around, it would only slow them down. He follows the group through the tunnel, until motioned to stop. Being careful goes without saying, but he senses Peka's eyes on his face as the man speaks to Rose. And as if sensing his thoughts, Benedict gives him a nasty frown back. But without saying anything, he steps to the ledge and starts moving forwards. Keeping balance is not hard, as the years in the woods have made him very agile. But the dungeon floor is very different from a natural ground, and the thought of falling down to the acid makes him a bit nervous. But Benedict keeps calm, and moves slowly sideways along the ledge. And surprisingly quickly, he has crossed the acid pit and he is standing again on sturdy floor. "We made it, " He sighs, relieved. "But what purpose does such pit serve?"
Benedict mutters a curse when his arrow misses, but otherwise the priest does not seem to react much to the failed attack. Stoically he stands still while drawing and releasing another arrow towards the imp. This time, however, the Erastil's follower feels a mystic force guiding his arrow for better results.
"Where it go? " With the enemy nowhere in sight, all Benedict can do is keep his bow ready. He scans the room for any sight of the imp, and is prepared to relese the arrow at first glimpse of the devil. Ready action, if imp becomes visible:
"Erastil! Grant me your blessing to vanquish this wicked creature!" And Benedict's short request if followed by golden aura emanating from his bow. Old Deadeye has given His blessing, good good to beat evil.
"Bah. A devil." Should have known.. Benedict pulls the bowstring slightly, but does not aim his weapon at the imp. Yet... "We know where to go. What prevents you from leaving, devil?"
"We can find it on our own. No need for gifts of blood. This is evil, here." Benedict's voice barely above a mumble. He is itching to sink an arrow or two at the obviously evil creature - whatever it may be in it's true form. "This room we haven't searched yet." And as he speaks so, the warpriest moves into the room, in hopes the way onward would be revealed.
The phrase in the plaque is a solid advice, and one Benedict is no stranger to. Beneath his tunic, his back is filled with scars from self-flagellation, and even now they remind the priest of the relieving touch of pain. But while surely a sinner, Peka doesn't seem quite a repentant type. And yet he spits out confenssions and forces himself upon the chair. Something is not right here... And the appearance of the raven doesn't make this any less strange. "We seek no treasure. Just the reason why the tower collapsed." It looks like a raven. But real birds don't talk, nor appear from thin air And anyone demanding payment in blood cannot be up to any good. Not moving an inch closer to the chair, Benedict moves his hand almost automatically to grab and nock an arrow. "Who are you?, and why you want blood" he demands.
"Let's search all the rooms here. Then search rest of tower." Benedict loses bit of his tension, now that Peka wasn't going to pull the lever. Wiping cold sweat from his forehead, the priest moves back to the corridor. There he places himself in position by the next door, waiting for Peka to open it. All the while trying to forget the horrible churning in his stomach.
"Careful with that.." Benedict mumbles, remembering far too well the strange dangers this old tower hides within its crumbling wall. "Perhaps we better search rest of the tower, first," he advices. But in case Peka decides to pull the lever, the priest stays back, fingering nervously the bowstring in his right hand.
Benedict feels a lurch in his stomach, and suddenly an immense, ravenous hunger overcomes him. He looks back and forth, trying to find something, or anything, to eat. But before he is able to take a single step, his knees fail him, and the priest falls towards the cold dungeon floor. His consciousness fades into black, and in his last thoughts Benedict wishes he had brought some food with him.
"How long have you been here? Do you know why the tower collapsed?" Benedict lowers his bow, and approaches the prisoners. "Do you have any food or water with you?" he asks his companions. "I left mine at the inn."
@GM: your tagline links to the map from Confirmation :) I think I created Benedict in Hero lab, so I should be able to get the paizo format output from there. Some minor changes were required IIRC
Benedict grunts, suddenly losing his balance. His head is spinning, as if the world had suddenly went upside down. The priest leans against the dungeon wall, and rubs his temples. Then, the feeling passes, and the world feels stable again. "I'm fine," he says, and readies the bow once again. "Are we going?" |