Garret Fallows's page

Garret suddenly drops to the ground, sitting unceremoniously on the hard stone and rubbing his eyes. He murmurs something about artifact level necromantic power as his eyes lock on one of the jars.

”Too big for an arch-lich’s phylactery, surely. Another necrotic bomb—but where is the corresponding corrupted life energy? Perhaps a prison for an undead lord of some kind?” he trails off quietly, seeming to have forgotten all about the current negotiation or dire peril he is in from the bridge guardian.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

Noticing one jar does not look like the others, Garret focuses his Detect Magic on it, hoping to learn something useful.

Arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

”Indeed, it is a pleasure to converse with a being as powerful and erudite as you,” says Garret. ”But what is the purpose of a bridge if no one may pass? Surely there are some exceptions, otherwise it would not be in existence at all,” he reasons.

”We have business with these death cultists and seek to preserve the lives of all creatures from the horrible atrocities imposed by their necrotic cataclysms. Surely there is some accommodation we can reach that doesn’t include unnecessary violence with you,” he proposes.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (12) + 22 = 34

”I have nothing that would directly help against profane blades, though perhaps if someone can Dispel Magic we might be able to pass,” answers Garret in response to Silvia’s question.

”Thank you again for your help, priest. Might I know your name, that I may remember you in my own prayers?” asks Garret carefully of the spirit.

Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 4

Striding over and retrieving the rapier, Garret hands it to whomever seems to be interested in having such a magic weapon.

”Thank you for your help. We should be going soon—What kind of prayers can stay the halite bridge guardian?” he adds as he prepares to depart.

”Thank you very much,” responds Garret, pausing a moment for others to ask questions if they wish.

Then he adds, ”Perhaps that magic rapier under the bed would be of use as well—may we take a look?”

Religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

”Greetings, Foe of the death cultists,” responds Garret, making the title into a honorific. ”We seek to destroy the death worshippers and foil their plans to corrupt the living in the city above. If possible, we would also restore this holy place and help you find your eternal reward,” he adds.

”With that in mind, can you grant us any information that might aid our cause, or perhaps items of power that may aid us in defeating our common enemy?” requests Garret, his eyes cutting briefly towards the area under the nearby bed.

”Pray stay thy hand a moment and hear our story. We are not here to despoil your home, but to redeem it! Search my heart—I am devout as you once were in life!” proclaims Garret passionately, adding in Celestial, ”The dawn brings new light.”

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (9) + 22 = 31

Peeking into the room, Garret sees the apparition and lines up an attack with the only spell he thinks might have a chance against the undead.

Searing Light Ranged touch with Reclaimer trait: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 7 + 1 = 19

Divine Light damage vs Undead with Reclaimer: 9d6 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (1, 2, 6, 5, 2, 1, 5, 6, 5) + 9 + 1 = 43

Nodding, Garret climbs aboard and keeps up his magic detection, hoping to get early warning of any arcane attacks.

Waiting for the others to investigate, Garret does eventually say, ”I am no expert, but perhaps if we could repair the statue, the spirits would be mollified. I have no magic to reassemble it, though.”

”Nicely done, Ketra,” says Garret admiringly, ”Yes, let’s follow your plan.”

Arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

(Garret hopes to figure out a way to make the guardians inactive, perhaps some phrase or prayer to the appropriate deity? Otherwise, interested in energy resistances or immunities.

Garret starts drifting towards the brazier, saying, ”I detect the remnants of a powerful blessing…”

Focusing his spell, Garret tries to recall if he learned anything about such iconography in his admittedly scant religious studies.

Religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Standing down from combat readiness at Ketra’s words, Garret casts Detect Magic and scans the room, including the dead sealbreakers.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Working his way down the steps and into the room (30’ movement rate), Garret gets line of sight to a door on the western side of the room but not quite to the last Sealbreaker. He readies to cast a spell on the foe if it comes into his view.

Ear-Piercing Scream, DC 20 Fortitude save for half damage and no Daze: 4d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 3, 6, 6) + 4 = 21

Staying in the back and out of the way, Garret releases a silent scream completely contained within the mind of the blue Sealbreaker!

Ear Piercing Scream Sonic Damage plus 1 round Dazed, DC 20 Fortitude for half damage and no daze: 4d6 + 4 ⇒ (2, 3, 1, 1) + 4 = 11

(If positioning of the spell doesn't work, use rod of selective spell to avoid hurting his allies.)

Sliding to the side, Garret gets an angle on the room past the Sealbreakers and detonates a fireball inside!

Fireball, DC 22 Reflex Save for Half: 9d6 + 18 ⇒ (6, 1, 6, 3, 2, 6, 4, 2, 4) + 18 = 52

Garret offers to load a spell into the spell-storing dagger if desired. He casts See Invisibility on himself and then Shield as soon as they are about to enter.

Garret investigates the figure, murmuring, ”Royalty, perhaps?” as he tries to recall if he has heard of such a person before.

Knowledge Nobility: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

He also looks for patterns of wear or cleanliness on the stone that may indicate repeated touching that might open a secret or magically hidden portal.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Garret spends his time helping to instruct the guardsmen in this dangerous crossing, with a focus in avoiding angering the great beast.

Handle Animal Aid Another: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

Let’s distribute the wand of lesser restoration and the wand of cure moderate to Silva. Garret will keep the cure light wounds wand and take the wand of magic missiles VII. Sounds good?

(Garret has to roll a 20 or higher to use the wand of CLW, but he gets 1d20+17 to do it)

(Garret has the Wand of Lesser Restoration and a Wand of Cure Light Wounds—I think Sanduro had the Cure Mod Wand. Can anyone else use the Wand of MM?)

Garret reviews their resources and girds himself for battle, casting Mage Armor on himself as they prepare to move out.

”Ketra, I have an additional potion of invisibility, and I can grant you the power of flight for 8 minutes, if you still want to try this. Or we could just wait and deal with it in the morning—I don’t have the type of magic needed to calm the creature, though, so it would have to be a very quick recon,” offers Garret.

”Good idea,” says Garret.

Garret has enough spells remaining for another couple of combats, so if we want to push forward, that is okay too. Thankfully sorcerers get a good amount of spell slots to make up for limited spells known.

Garret looks a bit worried about the upcoming fight, but he puts a brave face on the situation, saying, ”I know we are in a rush to foil the plans of the cultists, but I have used much of my magic today. Could we rest for what is left of this night and start the assault in the morning at full strength?”

”Ah, we will have to either use magic to free your priests from the mind control or dispatch the cultists exerting the mind control,” says Garret.

”That does make things more complicated, especially if your priests are forced through the mind control to attack us. Still, I think we should try,” adds Garret.

”An excellent idea,” suggests Garret to Ketra, ”Especially if we have a way to identify ourselves as allies to these priests when the time comes—perhaps as simple as ‘Grimetongue sent us to rescue you’?”

”Indeed, we have no quarrel with you unless you are part of this cult that seeks to do harm to our city,” adds Garret, stepping up with empty hands open to show a lack of hostility.

Diplomacy Aid: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (6) + 22 = 28

Dungeoneering: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Garret remains silent, but prepares to jump in if Ketra wishes negotiation backup.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

As he stops, Garret hears something too. He tries to determine what direction it came from.

Arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Garret shrugs his shoulders and casts Detect Magic, searching the cultist knights for anything of use.

”Well, it worked last time,” thinks Garret. He sends another volley of magic missiles at the cultist knight.

Magic Missiles: 5d4 + 10 ⇒ (4, 1, 4, 3, 3) + 10 = 25

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (8) + 15 = 23

Noting that the blinded knight cast Bull’s Strength in himself, Garret hopes he has neglected to cast Shield as well. He shoots five missiles of force at the knight, hoping to take him out of the fight.

Magic Missile: 5d4 + 10 ⇒ (3, 2, 4, 1, 4) + 10 = 24

With one golem going down from the party’s ferocious assault, Garret decides to continue to focus on debilitating the cultist knights instead of trying to damage the golems with magic. He sends a silent scream into the head of the purple cultist (non-blinded one).

Ear-Piercing Scream: 4d6 + 4 ⇒ (1, 3, 6, 4) + 4 = 18 Sonic damage and dazed 1 round
DC 20 Fortitude save for half damage and not dazed.

As they prepare for battle, Garret refreshes his Shield spell. Combat starts, but the foes are too far away to capture all with one spell. He whispers to Ketra, "Go ahead and engage, I'm going to try and debilitate the cultist knights. I'll hit the golems next."

Calling on the holy power of pure light, Garret summons a sphere of radiance around the knights, hoping to blind them!

Burst of Radiance with Intensify Spell Rod -- Damage versus Evil: 9d4 + 9 ⇒ (2, 1, 4, 2, 3, 1, 4, 1, 3) + 9 = 30

Burst of Radiance Blind if fail DC 21 Reflex Save -- # rounds: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Garret quietly describes what he knows about these golems. He is unaware of any particular control mechanisms, but he at least knows how to fight them.

"Hmmm...How does one 'handle' a golem? Some kind of control mechanism perhaps? My guess would be that if we take out the cultists before they can repurpose the golems to attack us, we may prevail," suggests Garret, considering what he knows about golems.

Arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

Garret will have Detect Magic up and usually taking a 10 (for a 15 Perception), primarily checking for magical effects.

Arcana if they run into magical effects: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

”A little stink isn’t going to slow me down,” says Garret bravely, ”Let’s keep going while the tracks are still fresh!”

”What do you guys think of these drag marks?” Garret asks, following the path of the scuffs with his eyes to see which way they went.

”I would guess these are the betrayed Crows that rose as Exiled Shades,” says Garret. Casting Detect Magic, he scours the area for clues magical and mundane. He also puts another Searing Light into the spell-storing dagger.

Survival: 1d20 ⇒ 20
Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Looking into the building, Garret sees the frightening shades flit around, his Deathwatch eyes confirming they are indeed undead. Gripping his Selective Metamagic Rod, he carefully casts a roaring fireball into the room, its magic seeking to incinerate the spirits while leaving his allies unscathed!

Selective Fireball, DC 22 Reflex Half: 9d6 + 18 ⇒ (4, 3, 4, 1, 1, 4, 2, 6, 5) + 18 = 48

”Exiled Shades—incorporeal undead! exclaims Garret, wishing he had refreshed his Shield spell before entering the battle.

(Looking for energy resistances/immunities)

Religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

”Excellent plan, Ketra,” says Garret. ”Now that the lieutenant is safe left us clear the main house while there may still be crows alive left to question.”

Garret prepares to follow the group into the main building.

Realization dawning, Garret answers, ”My guess is that your location is a bargaining chip any remaining crows are using to stay alive assuming they are being interrogated by the cultists. Evil groups feeding on each other seem to have given us the opportunity to pluck you from both their clutches.”