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Phineas continued on the path of Erastil, rising to the rank of head rector of the parish there in Kassen, sending many other coming of age youths on the same quest he went on, though none again had the same struggles he, and Athromar, and Blacklock did once upon a time!
I agree. It was fun and the end was challenging enough that I was worried we were going to die at the last stage! Fun enough to finish with just three. Glad we had many channels... Thanks again!
"Very well, we are pleased to be of service. With your leave, we will return to the village bearing the flame, and a tale few will believe." Phineas bows low, doing just reverence to Kassen, and if given permission, makes ready to depart. "Is there more that we need to do in this place?" he asks the others once they are alone. "We got the flame and saved the girl. I don't know if there was any more?"
"I think we found evidence of these tomb raiders in several places throughout the complex. So they took something that belongs to you, Kassen? Is it something we can recover to ease you?" Being the spirit of the town founder, Phineas is very reverential to the ghost of Kassen, whereas he has great animosity towards most undead.
Once the lady is safe, Phineas bends to the work that they came here for originally, taking the ornamental lantern from his belt and lighting the wick from the flame above the crypt here. "Well, that wasn't too bad..." deadpans the Erastilian."Now we just have to make it home again."
Leaning heavily on his staff for a moment, Phineas can hardly believe the fight they went through. After regaining his breath, he leans down to tend to Blacklock despite the pain and wounds he feels himself. He pours all the connection he has with Erastil out in a series of prayers, trying to bring some healing to both of his fellows. Once it appears Blacklock will recover, Phineas stumbles over to the prone form of the girl, hoping she is unharmed, or at least not beyond saving.
Not about to allow the bony foe to brush past him to get at Athromar. The young priest gathers his strength, reaching down for that last moment of strength and determination. "For Kassen! For Erastil" he cries as he brings his staff down upon the foe.
Rising from the prone position, Phineas 5' steps forward, swinging his staff at the undead champion once again. "Back to the Eternal Sleep with you, foul abomination!" he cries.
After seeing his young life flash before his eyes, before crumpling to the blow from teh skeletal warrior, Phineas is surprised when his eyes flick open and the battle still rages. Lying prone, with no weapon, he looks up at the warrior's back side reaches for his staff, which lies nearby. Still lying prone, he takes a swing, trying to catch the undead horror, unawares.
With little other good options, and knowing one stroke could be the end of him now, Phineas trusts in the good guidance of Erastil to steady his hands as he swings the quarterstaff at the head of the skeletal warrior once again.
Moving forward to supply some aid to Blacklock, Phineas twirls his quarterstaff around his head once before sending an end slamming into the skeletal leader.
Seeing his fellow priest use the positive energy to harm the skeletons, Phineas uses his divine power once again to heal the crew which is barely hanging on. "Father Erastil send us your blessing, deliver us in our hour of need!" he cries holding his holy symbol aloft again.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Phineas knows that the healing power of positive energy is the only thing that can can get Athromar back on his feet and help save them. Consequently, he calls forth that power once more, hoping that Erastil will protect him from the blows from the mighty skeletal warrior.
Knowing that his wounds are getting very serious, and Athromar's look nearly fatal, Phineas calls forth the positive energy of Erastil once again, but this time tries to heal his allies within 30'.
Bleeding profusely from many wounds, Phineas calls on the power of Erastil to smite all these foes surrounding he and Athromar.
Will be traveling for the holiday starting tomorrow through Saturday, will try to post, but may be shut down for most of the rest of the week.
Unlimbering his quarterstaff and moving forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Athromar and keep the foes of Blacklock while he recuperates, Phineas readies to swing at the next foe that gets close enough.
I am traveling for work tomorrow and Wednesday, so run me if I am holding things up. Typically channel vs skeletons, quarterstaff if they close in, since bow is likely ineffective against skels.
Seeing Blacklock swarmed by undead, Phineas snarls in outrage and rushes to the top of the steps grasping his holy symbol and holding it out in front of him, he invokes the good power of Old Deadeye. "I call upon you again, Erastil, to lay waste to those abominations that threaten life with unlife. Bring an end to their days on your fair earth!"
Knowing this fight will be difficult, Phineas calls forth the blessing of Erastil on his allies and himself. "Deadeye, guide our hands and protect us as we do battle with the unquiet dead. We ask for your blessing to save this woman and end the blight that infests the resting place of Kassen himself."
Phineas removes a 50' coil of hemp rope from his pack. "Never leave home without it," he says grinning sheepishly. "May Erastil watch over you as you venture forth, my friend." he says touching him gently on the shoulder and trying to impart some divine aid to the rogue.
Phineas snarls a bit at that thought. "Then we should destroy that place. I can't believe the resting place of a hero like Kassen is so infested with the abominations. I am glad we came here to make it pure again. Let's be about getting that flame and finding Roldare's missing sister." He hefts his pack and sets back out for the unexplored parts of the basement.
Phineas will pray for some different spells for this day. He will add Protection from Evil as his domain spell, and replace Detect Evil with Shield of Faith. His other first level slot will still hold Bless.
Reluctantly, Phineas agrees that a night's rest to recuperate and reenergize would do them all some good.
As the bats batter and bruise Phineas, he begins to panic, but slowly regains his composure. With no way to stop the swarms besides his calming spell which is already used, he retreats beyond the door, hoping Athromar can still slam it closed.
Phineas steps back inside the doorway, then he turns and sighs. "Athromar, close the door if this doesn't work..." He then begins casting a spell learned from his days caring for the farm and woodland animals found near Erastil's temple in Kassen. The spell soothes savage or angered animals, making them docile and harmless. But Phineas doesn't know if it will work on this cloud of bats.
As Blacklock flees in fear, Phineas eyes the rustling sound with alarm. Thinking its better to approach whatever this is at full strength, the stalwart acolyte shuts the door, standing guard against anything that might come through from the other side.
Once the exploding zombies are dispatched, Phineas looks over the sack stashed in the room. [?b]"This curative potion may come in handy before we are done. Think Blacklock should carry it, in case he gets into trouble. The coins can be donated back to the church in Kassen, right?"[/b] He tucks the pouch, the map, and the handbill into his bag for later investigation. When everyone is ready, he motions to the door on the south wall, asking Blacklock to do his business there.
Firing at the zombie in the back of the room again, Phineas tries to thread his arrow through the doorway, around Athromar, and away from Blacklock who now is behind the zombies. "Watch it if they explode again when hit hard." cries the young acolyte.
The exploding zombies surprises Phineas the first time it happens, but as it happens a second time, he is a bit more prepared and covers his nose and mouth before inhaling any of the spores...he hopes.
Stepping forward, a bit in awe of Blacklock's elusiveness, Phineas brings his longbow to bear on the one zombie he can see from the hallway, firing an arrow at the walking corpse, but the arrow caroms off the doorjamb ricocheting to the floor harmlessly.
Sorry, Ill get out the way next round No worries, using the doorway to bottleneck traffic is perfectly appropriate, but that crypt behind the door stymies my shooting a bit. Do what you think it best.
Effectively blocked from attacking the undead (although he really wants to) Phineas touches Blacklock on the shoulder passing limited power of good to the rogue.
"These are not typical zombies, but disease-carrying plague zombies. Avoid their touch if at all possible while we dispatch them." Readying his bow, Phineas will fire around Blacklock as soon as one of the undead makes an appearance.
Now with some of his strenghth back, Phineas offers the Ring of Swimming to Blacklock. "Maybe we have done all the swimming we need, but if not, there's this." He keeps the magical dagger for himself for now, unsure if it will still be needed before they find Kassen's fire and Roldare's sister. He follows closely, but not too closely, behind the scrappy rogue.
Glad that the others are getting some relief from the shadow's touch, Phineas sits down with the unknown magical devices and tries his best to divine the meaning of the magical auras that emanate from them.
Phineas adds a level in Ranger, which increases BAB to +2. He chooses Archery combat style, which grants the precise shot feat and then takes Two-Weapon Fighting feat for Ranger level - which allows him to make double attacks with quarterstaff without severe penalties. I did add a rank in Spellcraft so will take some stabs at identifying the magic items now as well. Profile and headline updated for new stats etc.
"Erastil is good," says Phineas with a deep sigh. "This refreshment just when we need it. I suppose that only means there are great trials ahead."
Phineas holds out the items to Athromar. "I have no skill in discovering the properties of these. Maybe you will have better luck."
"Well done, but it seems we shall have to be patient to see what effect the turning wheel has had. It appears we have to backtrack a bit."
Surprised as the floor seems to drop out from him in the watery room, Phineas slips under the surface with a shorty cry. He surfaces again briefly, bouyed at first, but as his gear and clothing starts to get water-logged, it is all he can do to try to keep from falling under again as his feet scramble about furiously for purchase on the floor once again.
Round 2 Seeing his deity provide enough power to almost clear the room, Phineas withstands the one painful scratch with aplomb. Whirling his quarterstaff, and putting all his temple-taught hatred of the undead behind his swing, and misses...
Moving forward, Phineas calls forth the positive energy of Erastil to wreak havoc on these undead monstrosities.
Phineas shrugs. "Undead leave no magical aura, so we may be in for a fight if they animate, but we have handled such before. Athromar's deity and mine should be enough power of good to unmake most of them if they arise. We won't know until we try it, and I think we need to turn that wheel."
Phineas comes up behind Blacklock and looks over his shoulder into the water-filled room, ready with bow in case something moves to attack. For as far as the spell will reach, Phineas casts Detect Magic as well.
Still feeling the wounds after Athromar radiates positive energy, Phineas also channels the outward power of his divinity, trying to mend the last few hurts of the group. Nodding at the consensus of the group to keep moving, Phineas examines the other door out of the crypt room, stepping out of the way so Blacklock can do his bit of business.
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