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As you drift off, you're vaguely aware of the humanoids talking nearby... About watches?

You come awake as someone touches your front shoulder, pushing you back and forth, not quite a shake. "Mr. Sverri?" It's the black-bearded one, Horgus.

You note that they've set up the light-stones around you, lighting up potential entrances to the cave while leaving you an area of shadow where the light won't disturb your sleep. Nearby, both the elf and the human woman are rolled into bundles of cloth, fast asleep.

The woman in particular is snoring.

Takeshi's search does not reveal much of interest. The hillmen are mostly wearing scrap metal and skins - even their shields are little more than frames of wood with uncured hides stretched over them.

Their commander, however, is clad in gear that any warrior would be proud to possess. From his crimson silk cloak, down to his ritual wakizashi, all of it is top quality.

Otherwise, they have remarkably little noteworthy or even personal items. There's a few necklaces and hidden trinkets, but nothing of personal value. A few of them have small containers of homebrewed alcohol hidden in their pockets.

13 heavy wooden shields, 13 longbows, some 60 surviving longbow arrows, 13 leather lammelar armor equivalent, 13 shortspears. Mwk Tatami-do, Mwk Katana, Mwk Wakizashi, crimson silk cloak.

"Nala or Nuna or something the like. Quite a few young people left town back then - it was hard times, if you can believe that. We've cleaned up since then, though. Most went to Magnimar, looking for a new life, and that's what I imagine she did too. Those "pathfinder" fellows have an outpost down there, yeah? You could ask around when you return, her and her father had angel's blood in their veins, hard to mistake for anybody. She was a Tobyn like her father, with white-gold hair. I remember that."

The cathedral was quite imposing in the evening rain.

A flustered looking acolyte lets you in when you knock, and shows you to a side office where Zantus comes to meet you.

Zantus nods along with your introduction, but perks up when you mention the remains. "This is true?" his voice is low and rumbly, with the horseness of an old man. Hemlock nods in confirmation. "That's horrible. Who would do such a thing?" Like his acolyte, he seems tired.

Skin tears and blood wells in your mouth, warm and thick as you clamp down on his throat. Despite your best efforts, you can't help but notice that it tastes good. His heartbeat pumps a few more spurts out, before slowing and stopping.

Horgus stares, looking more than just a little horrified. "... Right." To his credit, or perhaps not, he quickly starts picking through the dwarf's ragged belonings, evidently careful not to get blood on his fingers.

The doorway leads to another cave. This one has evidently been the home of the dwarf in quite some time. There's a bedroll, the remains of a small cooking fire, a small pile of darkmantle bones sitting next to a smaller pile of kindling. Gods know where he found that down here.

Beyond that, there's just his stash of belongings, set down on 'shelves' and cracks in the cave wall.

Another opening leads to a tunnel spiraling steeply upwards. The as ascent has been set with iron spikes and rings hooked into the stone, making climbing it feasible. It's a long way up in the darkness.

Horgus hedges. "Weeell, we're moving slowly as it is. A prisoner would slow us down even more, and there's no telling what we're in for once we get out of here. We might have to run, you know."

Anevia seems conflicted, but tired enough that she doesn't speak up, leaving the discussion to the rest of you.

Aravashnial weighs in, "Leaving him here would be a death sentence. If we're not bringing him along, it would be more kind to outright kill him."

I seem to have made an accounting mistake.

Amon's heavy blow lands on the dome of the golem's head, and it splits right down through the middle, falling to pieces on the forrest floor. You stand victorious, surrounded by dead and dying assailants all around.

Only one hillman was lucky enough to get away, retreating down the game trail leading south, where the reinforcements arrived from.

There you go, you just hit level 3.

He shrieks in response, a primal sound full of anger and challenge, more animal than something you'd expect out of a humanoid.

Your teeth and claw tear into his flesh, and the dwarf collapses, unconscious and bleeding heavily.

"There's not much to tell. The temple caught fire by accident while he was closing up for the night. That was five years ago. Come along."

He gets up, picks out an oilskin cloak and leads you out onto the drizzling streets, presumably headed for the new cathedral to inform farther Zantus of what you've learned.

"As I said, he died in the fire. He favored Desna, but the temple had icons and niches for several of the locals, and he tended to all of them. He was a community leader, but a bit of a recluse as well. Not much in the way of family or close friends; his daughter had run off to be an adventurer like yourselves beforehand, and hasn't been back here since."

You don't notice anything - until it is too late!

Surprise!

An explosion of colors reveals a small grimy dwarf before you, with his hand outstretched. He's speaking the telltale nonsense words of magic, and you and Anevia are covered in a blast of colorful sand. His outline appears quite fuzzy against the backdrop of the now well-lit cave.

Will Save DC 13 or become unconscious, for 2d4 ⇒ (2, 3) = 5 rounds, Blinded & Stunned for 1d4 ⇒ 1 rounds, then stunned for 1 round.

Anevia Willpower: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (18) + 0 = 18
Sverixalint Willpower: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Initiative
Dwarf: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (6) + 0 = 6
Sverixalint: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14

You start off. There's 5ft. of clear space between you and the dwarf.

Round 10, Kiyoshi, Kyūzo, Nidashi, Takeshi, Yangsheda, Go!

It looks like we can pretty soon move on from this introductionary battle, which has admittedly gone on to last longer than I'd planned. Still, it serves its purpose, but I'm excited to get on to the real stuff of the story.

As for healing, I'm afraid that if you want a wand of Hex Vulnerability, you'll more or less have to make it yourself. Level demographics of e6 means that CL 5 caster types are relatively rare in the first place, and that's the prereq for making wands, nevermind that there's only two classes with hex vulnerability on their lists at all. Scrolls of CLW are much more readily available than wands of CLW, too.

You've sourrounded the thing, and are beating on it hard. Kiyoshi drives Peacebringer through where the statue's gut would be, and Nidashi hammers his sword into it, causing a wide crack to appear in its emotionless face.

It has few ways to procceed from here, and is forced to attack Amon to have room to use its spear.

Longspear vs Amon: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6, 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Amon & Sakiko!

Horgus appears largely uninjured. "Just a bruise." He rubs his arm where the bat-thing slammed into him.

"Quite." Aravashnial preens, "I have limited resources however, and so am conserving my energy - I shant be able to gather more power before I am able to read aga-" the elf's head snaps around as he hears some sound you can not. "Who's there?"

These last few days have been quite hectic - and this next week will be worse. I'll try to keep up, but it's very likely that I won't be posting much in this coming week. I'm starting at a new job on monday, and that's bound to take up time.

Just wanted to let you know in advance.

As Kiyoshi has rightly surmised, we're on to round 9. Kyūzo, Nidashi, Takeshi, Yangsheda.

They do have reach with their longspears - Takeshi is the one to trigger the first AoO.

AoO vs Takeshi: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24, 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

The stone man is surrounded, but continues his heavy, measured movements, fighting to the last. He turns and returns Nidashi's well-aimed strike with a thrust of his spear.

vs Nidashi: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24, 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Round 8: Amon & Sakiko

"It used to be, father Tobyn rested there, only one to have a mausoleum in the whole graveyard. He died in the fire, back when the old church burned down. A right tragedy that, but it was years and years ago. I can't imagine what anyone would want with Ezakien's bones."

Still, he seems very unnerved. "I'll have to notify father Zantus."

The thing twitches severely as the lightning wash over it.

Deprived of its cover of darkness, and seriously burnt by the ligthning, it silently retreats back up into the shaft in the cieling. Apparently, it can fly, although it doesn't appear to be flapping its tentacle-wing.

Aravashnial barks orders at his orb of light, and it touches several stones, causing the to burst into apparent flames, before the orb disappears, leaving the 4 burning stones behind.

"Unpleasant," he remarks. "Is anyone injured?"

Horgus gets up and dusts himself off. He seems little worse for wear but for a few bruises. Anevia is unconscious, however.

Reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

The grappling creature has taken more hp damage than it has max hp, so it's dying. Yes, it also let go of you. As for lightning breath, I believe grapplers no longer share the same spaces in pathfinder, so yes, wierdly enough you can hit only one of them if you want to. Not my favorite rules-change, but eh. You'll have to spend a move action getting the right angle, but that's probably not a problem for you.

You kick out with your front leg, and find purchase on something, dragging your claw though its flesh. Large amounts of nearly black blood pumps out on top of you and the rocky floor, and you're pretty sure that the thing is done for.

Grapple vs Anevia: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16, 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (2, 1) + 4 = 7

Anevia screams - the sound is muted under the cover of the other creature, having completely enveloped her.

Aravashnial barks something in a language you don't understand, and the orb of light seems to swirl, before two beams of light shoot at the octopus-creature.

touch: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
touch: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
1d6 ⇒ 4
1d6 ⇒ 5

Both go wide, and a voice emits from the orb. Aravashnial nods.

1d20 ⇒ 18

There we go. Your turn now.

Feel free to roll the last claw attempt as well - it's really just fluff, no mechanical effects of it. From a fluff perspective, you're clawing around in its insides. And it's okay to whine when things look bleak.

You awkwardly clap your maw around one of the bony tentacle ridges and clamp down, until you feel something break and part of the 'wing' go limp.

You make your way back to the guard headquarters. Hemlock has returned, and one of his aides show you into his office on the second floor.

It's fairly spartan as these things go, but kept clean, especially the well polished brass plaque that announces that this is indeed Sheriff Belor R. Hemlock's Office.

He's quite concerned when he learns of your news. "And you're certain that the casket was emptied?"

You claw at the darkness, trying to locate the attacker. However, your attacks find no purchase.

Whatever it is notices your efforts though, and give up on the easier prey of Horgus in favor of attacking you.

Slam vs Sverix: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16, Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4, Grab: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15, Constrict Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Something large and sinewy thumps into you, and wraps around your side, enveloping one of your front legs and your thus far underdeveloped wings. You're reminded of the feeling of wing membrane, except there's a lot of force being excerted here - the thing is definitely bent on crushing the life out of you.

Slam vs Anevia: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20, Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3, Grab: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25, Constrict Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Anevia Escape Artist: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

You hear more sounds of struggle in the dark. Aravashnial's spell is finally finished, and after a brief pause, the scene is plunged into light. Horgus lies on the ground just beside you, desperately fiddling with the lamp. What's more immediately concerning though, is the thing that's wrapped halfway around you. It looks like a black leather octopus, except its tentacles are connected by thick sinewy wings, which are currently crushing you.

Some distance away, Anevia is in the same kind of trouble, trashing in the grasp of another beast.

In the middle of the room hovers a golden globe radiating light, evidently the result of Aravashnial's magic.

Round 8: Kiyoshi, Kyūzo, Nidashi, Takeshi, Yangsheda.

Let's see; 3d5 ⇒ (5, 1, 3) = 9

There's a rule that says you can make a touch attack as a standard action to grope around and locate the target. Takes up your action though (being a standard, not an attack), there's the normal 50% concealment chance, and there's no guarantee he won't just move during his next turn. Alternatively, you can designate squares and attack those, hoping you happen to be aiming at the right thing.

They're too hard to make out. There's a bunch of stuff that could be them, but the rain is annoying, it's dark out, and the mixture of rocks and grass makes for a hard ground to track on.

You follow the tracks you think are it into the trees, but lose them entirely not a minute after entering the copse.

Horgus is unarmed, yes.
You skitter across the floor, and is happy not to be bipedal - you'd have fallen a bunch of times if you weren't stable on four legs.

Monster v H: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19, 1d4 ⇒ 1
Monster v An: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23, 1d4 ⇒ 3

Grab v H: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Grab v An: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

"Ah! Get it off of me!" Horgus shouts. He's evidently right in front of you.

Anevia: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10, 1d2 ⇒ 1, 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Aravashnial continues to chant behind you, probably pressed against the wall.

You go again!

Yangsheda has read legends of great and terrible mages who can create servants out of dead objects, who serve him unquestionably. He also knows of the proccess of baking clay, which is pretty clearly how these statues were made. He knows that, to destroy the magic, you must destroy the vessel, or somehow strike directly at the curse that keeps them alive.

[spoiler=Fighting Defensively & Aid Another]Both of these are their own standard actions (although FD can also be a full round action), much like Vital Strike or Cleave. They do not combine.

Therefore, Yangsheda does not fight defensively.[Spoiler]

Kyūzo and Kiyoshi continue to crack and carve mighty chucks of burnt clay from the statue.
Peacebringer in particular slices through the stone as if it was nothing, actually shaving off pieces instead of merely hammering against the thing and causing fault lines to appear.

The statuemen are hard pressed for room to swing their spears, and must step back to use them.

Stone Spear vs Kyūzo: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23, 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Stone Spear vs Kiyoshi: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10, 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Round 7: Amon & Sakiko!

Chetsworth takes a nice long peek over the wall, but true enough, even the light rain has obscured most of the available tracks.

You hear a scream of pain, from two directions. One is female while another is male. Meanwhile, Aravashnial starts saying indecipherable words very loudly; you're pretty sure that means that he's casting a spell. Maybe it will create light.

Round 1. We're not going to bother with initiatives, your action is now.

Chatsworth looks down the casket, and finds it entirely empty. No decaying body, nothing that rises to devour the souls of the living.

Outside it has started raining, a slow but permeating drizzle, and the sun is just about setting on the horizon.

Arthur finds nothing more than you've already found.

"You tell me." Aravashnial calls, some mirth in his voice.

Aravashnial fumbles his way to one of the statues, tracing its outline with his hands.

Anevia and Horgus sit down on two different large rocks.

You find a gateway that leads further beyond this chamber - work has been done to make it more of a doorway than a fissure, you can tell.

Something drops out of the shaft, hitting the ground with a small thunk, and the light from the lamp is extinguished. Even your darkvision has given out.

The robe is very faintly magical. His spell also reveals a slightly sweet, rotten aroma that Chatsworth associates with necromancery.

Round 7: Kiyoshi, Kyūzo, Nidashi, Takeshi, Yangsheda

The woman is getting slower as you hobble along, and Horgus is clearly getting more impatient.

You're headed generally south for the next long while, through a series of tunnels and caverns. On two occations, the cieling rise beyond the edge of your darkvision, but at no point does the cave walls become more spacious than you can see both walls at once.

It feels like a couple hours later when you . In the cieling, a single roughly circular vertical shaft rises out of view.

The walls are lined with yet more statues. These crusaders seem decidedly saddened, their faces heavy with sorrow.

This appear to be the last of the skeletons. Chatsworth pokes his head inside and looks around - it's a single chamber, with a stone sarcophagus depicting an authorative figure in long, flowing robes. In the corner of the room lies a discarded black cloak.

The lid of the sarcophagus is just a touch askew.

Kyūzo rushes in to meet the clay men in battle, and one of them lowers his spear in response.

stonespear AoO: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9, 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

The samurai brushes the spear aside, and swings his blade at the stone of the man's chest. Large shards of baked clay in the likeness of armor breaks off, and falls heavily to the ground.

Kikko: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21, 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Nidashi takes his foe's head clean off, blood pumping out onto the forest floor.

Kiyoshi interposes himself between the constructs, trying in wain to break their spears.

The lone remaining mountainman breaks and flees to the south, trusting in the men of clay to bar your pursuit, at least for the moment.

The two constructs step back, pointing their spears at Kiyoshi.

stonespear vs Kiyoshi: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19, 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14
stonespear vs Kiyoshi: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14, 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Round 6: Amon & Sakiko!

Botting Kyūzo Sadamune.

The sparks dance along the bones of one skeleton, and they collapse into a neat pile.

The other one continues to claw singlemindedly at Arthur.

1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3, 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17, 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Anevia's face falls, but she does get to her feet. "Right. Which way?" Horgus asks you. He's keeping his voice low, but the room provides extensive echoes nevertheless.

Takeshi drives Matsukaze through the chain that makes up the backdrop of the enamel scales, and buries the blade in the man's upper abdomen, piercing the heart from below.

The three survivors await you outside, huddling in their meagre circle of lamplight.

Sverixalint removes the ring without trouble. He doesn't have much experience with touching humanoid hands, but he's pretty sure the texture is off - all hard, as if he was made from rock. Still, the effect has to stop at the surface, because the fingers bend well enough when he pulls on them.

Arthur heaves, and the doors come open with sound of stone grinding on stone - you catch a brief glimpse of the room beyond, with a sarcophagus prominently placed in the middle, before you're attacked by a pair of white, clean-boiled skeletons that shamble out the doors.

Init:Arthur: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (6) + 0 = 6
Init:Chatsworth: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
Init:Skeletons: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

No map for this one. The doors are 10ft. wide, the chamber itself is 20ft. by 20ft.

The pair shamble towards you, reaching for arthur with the bones of their clean-picked hands.

Claw: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22, Damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Claw: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13, Damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Sorry to take so long to turn the round. Round 6:

Nodashi feels emboldened by Sakiko's display, while Amon brings death to the warriors who oppose him.

Round 6: Kiyoshi, Kyūzo, Nidashi, Takeshi, Yangsheda!