The Ghostlord studies you with a cold, piercing gaze. His hand drifts towards a wand which fairly crackles with energy. However the moment Ambrose mentions having the Ghostlord's most precious possession, his brow furrows slightly. Hand drops away from the wand. "You have it with you?" he queries with rasping voice. Quicker than you can react his other hand moves in an arcane gesture and he speaks a terse word of magic.
Knowledge (arcana) DC 25:
The Ghostlord cast Detect Magic.
"You have my attention. If you have what I seek in your possession, return it to me now and I may let you live." Bones grind as he cocks his head and studies your reply.
With your expert knowledge of alchemical agents and magical dweomers, you reckon you could concoct a formula that at least temporarily nullifies the necromantic power of the orb. It might not destroy the artifact, but would render it unusable for influencing necromancy spells for a time.
You could probably do something similar with the pool, mixing some of your reagents to counter the liquid's preserving qualities.
After conferring, you gather behind Harek as he puts his dwarven senses to the test. Where would an ancient undead lord be lurking? Harek slowly turns towards the discovered secret door radiating cold, and raises his axe towards it.
The door opens surprisingly easily. Looking beyond the doorway, the floor of this chamber has been polished to a mirrorlike sheen. Intricate carvings of lions in their natural habitat adorn the walls, but unlike with the carvings elsewhere in the complex, the great cats depicted here are healthy and alive. The grandeur of nature is apparent in every aspect of the masterful carving, except for one lone figure in the southern wall. The lions on this wall recoil in horror and disgust from this human figure, whose face is downcast and whose arms, held palms out, hang limply at his side. At the figure's feet is a single dead lion cub.
A gaunt figure stands motionless, gazing at the carvings. Slowly the figure turns towards you. The face, dark leathered skin pulled so tight so as to appear skeletal, framing amber eyes that glitter with a cold, unnatural light. Ragged, mouldering tawny robes hang off the emaciated body, bedecked with tufts of lion mane. Weirdly from his back a rack of animal ribs - perhaps from a great cat? - claw at the air.
The figure's eyes shimmer coldly as they regard your intrusion. It speaks with a sombre, grating voice. "You dare to trespass in my domain? Explain yourselves."
The orb is unnerving, and you keep away. It seems to be the dark heart of the Ghostlord's complex, and tampering with it could well bring down the lich's wrath.
You are left debating - do you continue your explorations with the risk of making contact with the Ghostlord? Or, do you withdraw now that the agents of the Red Hand have been defeated?
The rules seem a bit vague in respect to Knowledge checks. In general I'd say no to taking ten, unless there were specific circumstances that might allow it, such as if you if you had access to a library or archives. You either have the knowledge or not.
You could certainly try destroying the pool or sphere or otherwise spoiling their magic effects. It's a unique item and the exact means of deactivating it are pretty esoteric. A Knowledge (alchemy or arcane) check against DC 20 would reveal a way to dismantle it. Or you could just smash it.
Aleste closely inspects the pool. It appears to be a unique, necromantic magic item. Odorless, on touch it feels warm but strangely numbing. After several minutes' examination, you reckon that anything placed in the pool would be kept perfectly preserved. The dead dire lion, almost certainly is being kept intact for a later ritual.
During this time, Harek discovers a cleverly concealed door hidden in the stonework of the southern (left) wall. The artistry appeals to his dwarven love of stonework. It looks like it could be opened fairly easily, though you sense an unsettling cold rising from the other side.
With keen elven senses Shaylar discovers another secret door, at the western (bottom) end of the chamber. It opens onto a small T-junction, with a door at one end and a blank wall at the other.
What really captures your attention, however, is the chamber that opens up behind you at the eastern (top) end of the chamber. A short, narrow passageway opens into an oval chamber empty except for a single massive sphere of polished black stone that floats over a low dais. The stony sphere is about four feet in diameter, and whirling streaks of pale orange vapor orbit the stone in a frenzy of activity. Closer observation reveals that there are seven different orbiting shapes...each of which almost resembles a distorted ghostly lion.
DC 20 Knowledge (religion) or (arcane) check:
This four-foot thick sphere of obsidian appears to be another powerful magical piece with necromantic powers. It must weigh several tons, and could only with great difficulty be moved out from here. You would wager that this item's dark heart could be used to enhance the casting of a create undead spell, if incorporated into the spell's casting as an additional focus. In particular, you sense it could have led to the creation of the many ghostly lions you have encountered round about the Ghostlord's lair.
Round 3 continued
Leonar holds back, observing the unfolding fight, weighing where he can tip the balance in the party's favor.
Helaku slings two burning rays at the nearest bonedrinker. They inflict two glancing blows, but both only appear to singe the pallid flesh and don't deal any real damage. Cast Scorching Ray, both touch attacks missed.
Harek lays into the nearest bonedrinker within reach with lightning speed, letting it feel the sting of his axe. With a crunch the dwarf carves hunks from the undead and it quails visibly. First and third strikes hit dealing a hurtful amount of damage.
Round 4
Shaylar grips his bow and grasps several arrows. He pivots to put the bonedrinker in the middle in his sights. The arrow takes the bonedrinker right through the forehead, and the creature collapses. Shaylar turns and put his next arrow into the bonedrinker pressing Ambrose. A shot through its black heart, and that creature goes down too. Two more arrows into the remaining drinker pierce it in the brain and heart, knocking it off its feet and nearly pinning it to the stone wall behind. With a flourish he sweeps his bow to the side, making it look as if it had been as simple as target practice. Seriously, save some for the rest of the party! A serious Legolas moment.
You pause, tense, poised, ready for any further adversaries. When none appear, you lower your guard and have a closer look around the chamber. It seems like some sort of sanctum, clearly the site of unspeakable rituals. The center seems to be the pool, which fairly stinks of necromantic magic. Peering in, the pool seems to be about twenty feet deep. An enormous lion, almost certainly dead but very well preserved, lies at the bottom.
The great statue behind you, of a rotting lion, appears to embody a theme of corruption of nature.
Ambrose grins over the clamor of battle with the twisted abominations. Blue light dances off his blade as he slips past the bonedrinker's defenses and hack away dead flesh. Two successful hits, significantly the successful critical hit.
The bonedrinkers pause, surprised at the amount of resistance, but are determined to feed on the living. Their tentacles whip forward hungrily. Just as Ambrose lands telling slices on one, it lunges forward and attempts to entangle him with its writhing tentacles. The cavalier beats away one but the other tentacle slaps him upside the head, a ringing blow that temporarily causes him to see double. 8 points damage to Ambrose.
Another continues to try to engulf Harek in its dark embrace. But the dwarf tucks into his armor like a turtle, ducking this way and that and keeping the monster at bay. Ambrose isn't so lucky, as the bonedrinker looming over the pool sends its tentacles snaking impossible long around the pool, slamming into the alchemist and attempting to drag him into its dark embrace. Successful strikes with both tentacles deal a total of 21 points damage, if you had been Small size it would have been allowed a free grapple attempt. For now its tentacles grasp all over, trying to pull you into biting range.
Round 2 continued
Leonar mentally commands his flaming sphere to roll forward, following the bonedrinkers' advance. It strikes the middle fiend, fire bathing its rubbery skin but doing no discernible damage. The lion shaman draws his weapon, preparing to bring battle to the nearest monster. Bonedrinker failed its save, but still benefited from its fire resistance. I didn't move you forward, as to do so would risk an attack of opportunity, but I thought you were close enough to the nearest bonedrinker to be considered the frontline of battle.
Eyeing the flaming sphere, Helaku targets the same bonedrinker with a spell of his own. With a wave of his hands he conjures the arcane magic and the bonedrinker halts, stock still. The flaming sphere lashes about its body, burning away any remaining hair and fur. Casts Hold Person on that middle bonedrinker, which failed its save. Paralysed for the next eight rounds, though it can attempt another save each round to break the enchantment.
Harek lays into the bonedrinker between himself and Aleste. One, two, three swift slashes hew away chunks of flesh and bone. If this thing weren't a corpse already, surely it would be now. Briefly the monster sinks to one knee, it looks ready to keel over. All successful strikes, with that kind of damage it's wavering.
Round 3
Shaylar creates a new pincushion as he turns and plants three arrows in the chest of the bonedrinker advancing on Harek and Leonar. He keeps Fang well away from the reach of the monsters' tentacles. Three successful hits (including the manyshots), on the bonedrinker on the far-right. Aleste's correct, between the haste spell, Many Shot, Rapid Shot, and your attack bonus you can take one more attack roll on a full attack, at your best attack bonus.
Aleste draws a silvered mace and steps up to the nearest bonedrinker. Despite his skepticism, the strike smashes into the monster's face, splintering bone and what may once have been brains. The creature's skin also seems to react to the silvered head of the mace, blistering and turning black. The thing soundlessly collapses in a heap, tentacles twitching limply on the ground. The flanking bonus helped your last attack, and just enough damage to take it down, super!
Updated Battle Map - Only three bonedrinkers left. The one in the middle is paralysed from Helaku's spell.
I'm still going through the threads myself, though I expect to get the same results as Ambrose. It's more for my benefit, just wanting to do due diligence as a GM. Slow going as I didn't want to slow down the game, but I'm hoping to have list confirmed by the time the group is somewhere they can spend the loot.
I'd suggest, if it doesn't look like we've sold it, go ahead and use the mace. It has been quite a while since the group has sold gear, so you all have quite a bit of goodies to choose from.
Thanks for the reminder Ambrose, I didn't go far enough back through the thread when I was getting caught up. No problem taking the 5-foot step.
Round 2 continued
With the bonedrinker still reeling from Aleste's acid bomb, Ambrose follows up with a series of strikes with his frost-rimmed sword. The bonedrinker's flesh seems to resist the natural cold, but the cavalier's blade hews slabs of dead flesh off the creature. Two direct hits, your haste attack misses as you try to adjust to your speeded up reflexes.
The bonedrinker retaliates. It lunges forward and reaches for Ambrose, while its two tentacles plough into the knight and attempt to wrap around his arms. With a cry, Ambrose manages to shrug off the tentacles threatening to tear him apart. Two successful slam attacks for a total of 18 points damage. The successful hits also mean it gets a free grapple attempt, luckily which if fails. One of the other bonedrinkers lumbers forward from the back and throws a upward attack with its claws that Ambrose is easily able to dodge.
The other two bonedrinkers push into action as well. One (the one that was being shadowed by Leonar's charges up and its tentacles explode outwards, attempting to pull Harek into its grasp. The dwarf holds his own, calmly batting the appendages away. The last bonedrinker lurches into speed and takes a leap to vault over the pool, landing within reach of Aleste. A strong arm rakes claws across the alchemist's face. 9 points damage to Aleste.
I certainly can do a map - how about here. Basically the first two goons did drop with no real movement since the last post, however we've had a gap since the last update so a new map could be useful.
