That's a shame. Hope things get better and less stressful soon Stomp. I enjoyed your DMing.
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Gael stays slightly behind the others - within hearing of Feraya. "Keep looking for traps and call out if you get in a fight. I'll come quickly. Hard to protect everyone at once when they split up like this...
"Or perhaps this really is all more testing. I don't see that the skeletons fit with that thinking though."
"Good work Ember. Hagin, that is a door - but we should make sure we've found all the traps and have a clear path before we go through. I'm also curious about these levers... Any bright ideas?"
"Careful everyone, I suspect traps. Art, can you check the floors for anything suspicious before we go further? And what do you think that lever might do?"
Hi everyone. Heads up that my internet access will be a little spotty over the next 4 weeks. I'm travelling to the UK to visit family. There's a twenty-seven hour flight to kick off with. Then I should have good internet access for most of the vacation, but there might be travelling days etc sporadically. Intend to post most days, but happy for others to handle Gael in fights to keep momentum.
Gael lets out a long sigh.
"Good work Art. Let's make sure that all our spell-casters are rested before we explore further. We need to be ready for more danger! Hmm, I guess our spell-casters are everyone but me now... How about I take first watch while you all study or sleep or pray?"
"What wailing noise? I don't hear anything."
"Ember, this room is well defensible, and we don't know what we will find through either door. Feraya is right, we should rest here, and keep careful watch." Gael gathers some of the bones, clearing a space on the floor. She uses larger bones to wedge the two doors shut. The smaller bones she piles up next to the doors where they will clatter if the doors are forced open. "Let's clear some more floor and make camp."
Gael gets... Extra hit points: or 5+2, whichever is higher. +1 BAB
Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, a paladin gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (+2) on all Saving Throws. Lay On Hands (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a paladin can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can use this ability a number of times equal to 1/2 her paladin level plus her Charisma modifier (3). With one use of this ability, a paladin can heal 1d6 hit points of damage for every two paladin levels she possesses. Using this ability is a standard action, unless the paladin targets herself, in which case it is a swift action. Despite the name of this ability, a paladin only needs one free hand to use this ability. Alternatively, a paladin can use this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures, dealing 1d6 points of damage for every two levels the paladin possesses. Using lay on hands in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity. Undead do not receive a saving throw against this damage. Smite now does +2 damage (+4 against undead or evil outsiders). Skills ranks in:
I'll update the character sheet sometime this weekend.
"Well, Art, that was quite something. What do you remember from before you passed out? Any visions? Any voices?"
"Back on your feet Ember. We're not done yet!". Gael steps round behind the skeletal captain, teaming up with Art, hoping to end the fight quickly.
Gael risks a glance back over her shoulder to see how the rest of the party fares, "Good work!" she cries as she sees most of the skeletons are already down. Her attention is quickly drawn back to the enemies infront, and again she chooses to attack the weaker foe first, striking at the skeletal minion, isolating the captain.
Gael steps up to the skeletal captain, putting herself between her friends and the greatest threat.As she moves she brings her greatsword round in a low deadly sweep at one of the undead minions, don't want to get surrounded.
Gael doesn't seem surprised as the skeletons assemble themselves into undead warriors. She reacts quickly, sweeping her sword in a high arc at the closest enemy.
Gael moves in slightly ahead of Ember and Hagin.
"Good move, Feraya," Gael remarks as the elf throws a lightsource into the room. She looks intently at one of the revealed skeletons, trying to determine if it is just mortal remains, or something more sinister.
"In a moment we will enter this tomb. Art and I will go first. Feraya and Ember will fall in behind us bearing light. Hagin, you guard our rear and be ready to heal us if there is trouble. We explore quickly, light the torch, and leave." "Anyone have any further suggestions? Now is the time."
Gael nods gravely at Feraya's words. "You are right, Feraya. This is no game and no test. We must be ready, and wary. And brave." A moment of consideration, then, "Art, what have you found? Can your eyes make out anything in this dimness?"
"Let's get under cover, but don't go far in yet. No further than the daylight reaches. We need to get organized and we need lights." Gael heads into the mouth of the tomb.
Gael sits up, dazed, as Hagin saves Feraya's life. "Thankyou Hagin. Appreciated." looking round, "Everyone else made it down in one piece?"
Gael is keenly aware of danger posed by the weight of her armor and the treacherous footing. Before descending she finds a suitable tree branch and makes a rough hiking stick -three legs are better than two! Even with the extra support she climbs down slowly an carefully.
Gael will stay to help Hagin, and witness the rite of passage. If the lake-shore is stony she will help Hagin cover the corpse with water-rounded stones in a small cairn. Only when the rite is finished Gael asks, "who can best use this blade? It is very fine and of no use to this poor soul. Art, perhaps?"
"That's a good suggestion, Hagin. Did anyone's pack include a shovel?"
Added some IC comment to have Gael and Art at the front for protection plus perception. Tactically I would suggest Ember and Feraya next and then Hagin at the back. Hopefully he won't be tempted to poke Feraya in the back with his spear...
Art catches up with Gael at the head of the strung-out group. She's been walking ahead of the others all day, anger and tension still clear from the set of her shoulders. "They're at each other's throats because they are a pair of childish, stubborn, fools who have no respect for each other or the rest of our team." Gael isn't looking at the lake, but reacts as Art points. "What do you see?"
Gael goes to bed stony faced. Children. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day.
Hey peeps - you are welcome to respond to Gael's little speech however seems most in character, but I'd just remind you that she's a charismatic leader figure with skills in diplomacy :) Don't make me come back there and knock your heads together!
Gael bows her head and sighs, the boil unlanced festers, the fear unconfronted grows... "Hagin, please come back out here. We need to deal with this now or it will become a problem." "Hagin, we cannot assume that all the dangers we face are tests. Many dangers in this world are very real and can kill us very quickly if we are not prepared. We need you, and we need you ready. There are better ways than sarcasm to respond to criticism. You should apologise to Feraya, and help us to think if there is anything that we should do differently next time." "Feraya, Hagin made a mistake. Given that the previous attack was in fact an illusion it was a reasonable mistake to make. He then contributed well to the team. You should apologise to Haginand think about other ways to make suggestions so that we can improve." Gael looks sternly from Hagin to Feraya and back again. Someone has to be the adult here. Sometimes they seem so very young...
Hah! Welcome to emo-ville. It's like a cross between Dawson's Creek and a 30 seconds to mars concert out there.
To Feraya, "Well, eating stew was at least as effective as my damfool waving fire about. I should've attacked immediately, that would have meant one less wolf snapping at you and Ember. Don't forget that both I and Ember owe our lives to Hagin's quick healing. Once he finished his important meal, of course."
Gael thanks Hagin as the healing energies wash over her. Then she sets to work cleaning up the campsite. She piles the wolf corpses to one side of the clearing, and carefully checks her weapon and armor for damage. "Well. We were lucky."
Sorry Art - ninja'd your crit. There will be others :) Hagin might want to channel a bit more healing around the group, now that the wolves are down for good.
Hey Stomp - happy to take the full 1d6 damage for the fire, but figured that trying to leap over it was suitably heroic. And I think we're actually doing fine in this combat - there's plenty of healing left to come, and I think Art and Gael just probably finished them off...
Gael ignores her minor wound and flicks wolf blood from her blade. Looking round she sees both Ember and Feraya in trouble. "Art, Hagin, help Ember! I'll help Feraya," she calls. Gael's eyes almost seem to glow with holy wrath in the firelight as she charges the unfortunate wolf that is trying to drag Feraya away.
T'was a very nice attack from you, though. Should've done that first time round, but wanted to be cinematic :)
Yeah, we seem to have an issue with enemies charging straight past the armored front line and ripping into our cloth wearing buddies.
Gael roars in surprise and pain as she is knocked to the floor. She surges to her feet, drawing her greatsword in the same motion, and strikes out at the wolf attacking her.
"You three stay back behind the fire," Gail calls to Feraya, Ember, and Hagin. She grabs a blazing brand from the fire in each hand, and takes a large step forwards. Waving the flaming branches in large circles above her head she yells, "Hai! Hai! Away! Away!"
"They do seem closer, don't they. Let's make sure we have plenty of wood for the fire."
"Perhaps after Feraya. Hagin, are you happy to take the dawn watch?"
"Yes Feraya - we must learn such lessons as come to us, no matter the source. Only then will we be ready for the true perils ahead." "I will take first watch. Feraya, I'll wake you in two hours. Art, perhaps you should just sleep through tonight."
"Spot anything, Faraya?" Gael is keen to move on, and once it is clear that Art is feeling better her mind quickly turns to travel.
Phew - wasn't sure that was a hit. Maybe we should have a little debrief after the excitement, work out what went well and what we might do differently. Either IC or OOC would be useful...
"Rest easy a moment, Art. Safe now." Gael leaves Art to Kitten and Hagin as he recovers. "Feraya, you have sharper eyes than I. See anything?"
Gael, aware that the orc is not real, doesn't yell a battle-cry, doesn't charge. She calmly moves beside the figment and attempts to run it through. Very deliberate and very controlled, to avoid accidentally spitting either Art or Ember.
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