Petronicus takes advantage of the creature's momentary confusion as it rights itself and inflicts a nasty wound. ,
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Petronicus grins as he dispatches the first creature. "Well, they can be cut, that's for sure!"
Um'bala's magical bolt barely misses Petronicus' head and impacts the wall in the chamber beyond.
Petronicus ducks out of the wizard's way. "Hey, watch where you point that finger. I don't know what in the 9 Hells these are supposed to be. Something the runelords summoned, no doubt!" He then moves into the room, his cold iron ranseur held out before him and takes a whack at the nearest creature, keeping up his guard as best he can. [dice=Ranseur attack on "normal" creature - Combat Expertise - PA]1d20+5[/dice],
Petronicus chuckles at Um'bala. "Well, aren't we a cheery Mwangi today!" He moves up ahead and takes a look at the door , trying the handle when he is convinced its not trapped. "Um, this seems to be locked. Anyone have a spare key or lockpick?"
Petronicus scratches his head. "I've studied Azlanti writing, but that's not it. Probably Thassilonian, considering where we are. Unless it's Abyssal, Mach?"
"Well, if you're going to start an art course here, I'll make sure we don't get ambushed," Petronicus remarks with his trademark smarmy smirk. "I'll go check out the far end of this bloody big hall. Somebody stay behind" Asking Um'bala or Quintus to recast a light spell on his guisarme, he carefully makes his way to the far end of the room, stepping around the larger pieces of debris lying on the ground. As he and his light reach the far end of the hall, you can see that it is quite long, around 120 feet. A corridor continues westward past the end of the room that immediately turns into a staircase heading up, while there's a door in the southeastern corner along the southern wall. He carefully peeks up the staircase and listens to the door (). When he's finished he gives you the "all-clear" sign, but stays near the far end of the room as a guard.
Petronicus glances at the murals, but can't make heads or tails of them. "Damned if I know what that's supposed to be. Um'bala, what do you think that this place was for?"
Five minutes of looking around the broken items plus a DC 22 Knowledge (arcana) check: It is most likely that this was a laboratory for fleshwarping.
Petronicus looks like he's about to blow up in another ignorant, hate-filled, tirade, but catches himself, taking several deep breaths to clam down. "Sorry, sometimes my anger gets the better of me. Either that or this place is getting to me." He then walks a bit back north to calm down more.
"What are you, my mother?" -Posted with Wayfinder
Petronicus nods and takes a closer look. He jumps back as if he has been bitten by a snake. "There's a trap there, there's a trap there, I'd swear it! Mach, do something!"
"Like completely fail at remembering names, for instance?" Mach tosses out as he moves past Petronicus. "What are you talking about? I know everyone's name. You're Mach something, he's Mylo Banderlog. What more is there to know?"
Petronicus turns on the halfling. "Impress you? Why would I bother wanting to impress the likes of you? I have better things to do with my time." He then stalks off back to the intersection and waits for the rest of the party to figure out what they want to do.
Petronicus folds his arms in protest and turns his back, which is quite a feat considering he is holding his polearm. "Fine, but tell Mr. Devilpants to stop taking over my territory. He's the sneaky thief, I'm the strong one!"
Petronicus puts up his hands in mock protest, and plasters his most unctuous smile all over his place. "No, no. After your performance with the polearm and the statue I've come to realize that you are the stronger of us two. If you can't open it, then it can't. be. opened."
Petronicus smiles at Mach. "Did you try pushing?" -Posted with Wayfinder
Petronicus takes out a rag and wipes his silver warhammer clean. "Well, that was effective. Disgusting, but effective. Good job everyone." He then winces slightly looking down at the wound at his side. "Hey Grumbling Bear, mind hitting me with the healing? Wouldn't want this to become infected."
"Let's hope these things don't remember my face when they appear back in Hell. Wouldn't want them to inform on me." Petronicus charges the nearest Nupperibo. , The silver hammer decimates the head of the closest devil-being, causing it to collapse in a pile.
Once everyone gathers in front of the door and draws their weapons and equipment, Petronicus hefts his silver warhammer. As soon as Quintus opens the door, he quickly moves through into the room towards the nupperibos. "Great horned god, but they are ugly," he mutters.
Petronicus nods at Um'bala. "The wizard is in the right. You need aligned weapons to hurt these beasts, however, and since they are basically mindless, spells that target brains do little to nothing. Oh, and they also are resistant to cold and acid. I say we just rush them and take them out. From what my uncle has told me, they are not terribly dangerous."
Petronicus waves his hand, dismissing the halfling. "Whatever, if you feel like lugging the stuff around, fine." He then turns around and walks over to the doorway heading east, grumbling under his breath the whole time. "Don't like people touching my stuff. Why can't those slips keep their hands where they belong? Thieving rats, all of them!"
Petronicus notices the halfling picking up the gear he placed next to the statue. "Hey Bandersnatch, that's my stuff! What are you doing with it? I left it there for a reason."
Petronicus smirks at the tiefling's bumbling. "Might want to try that again, sir."
Petronicus shrugs, and replaces the ranseur he's been holding with his own guisarme. "I think we'll be facing fights no matter which way we turn, Mr. Bandersnatch." He then looks at both the halfling and Mach. "Do either of you want to sneak ahead to scout, or shall we just forge ahead together?"
After hefting the cold iron ranseur, Petronicus moves about a bit with it, swinging it to and fro, but keeping it well away from his companions. He grimaces once or twice with annoyance as he does this and finally takes off his backpack again, placing it on the ground next to the statue. He then takes out a climber's kit, 50' of silk rope, and the second-story harness he took off the robbers and places it next to the statue. "I'm too heavy with all this stuff plus the ranseur. I'll leave this hear for now. I'm guessing from the disgusting state of the room that nothing has interrupted our fiendish friend here for quite some time, so there's a good chance that whoever is down here knows to leave the room alone. Hopefully no one will chance by and take off with it." After rearranging everything in his backpack again, he puts it back on his shoulders, and then turns to Milo, hearing his voice. He listens to his question then comments: "Yeah, I'd rather not meet anything that can summon a summoner from Hell, thank you very much. I'm guessing that even something as pitiful as that thing is hard to bring to this plane permanently, eh Um'bala?" At Milo's second question he nods. "I think I'd rather investigate the fire. I'm getting a chill in this place."
Petronicus grabs the polearm out of Mach's hands to take a closer look at it. "I just loosened it for you, is all. Now what was that about steps?"
After a strong pull, the ranseur comes free in Mach's hand. Petronicus whips around and glares at the tiefling.
After Um'bala gives him the go-ahead, Petronicus walks over to the statue and tries to slide it out. After a few heaves and pulls, he puts down his backpack and other weapons to stand up on the statue's pedestal to get a better grip.
The weapon still doesn't budge. He strains again, trying to pull it loose ...
... but to no avail. Petronicus then jumps off the pedestal, wiping his sweaty brow with a rag. "Well, that's impossible, it can't be done!"
Petronicus shakes his head. "Yeah, I'm loathe to grab at something that once belonged to a runelord without know what we're dealing with first. Um'bala, Quintus, any ideas?"
He glances at Standing Bear sympathetically, relieved to see the Spirit Speaker is standing despite his wounds, and then turns to the statue, "Anyone know who that is? Might she have anything to do with this 'damned soul from hell's' presence here?" Petronicus cleans off the blade of his polearm as he walks over to the red statue, walking around it until he can see her face. "Hmm, this seems to be the Runelord Alaznist, although Mr. History could probably tell you more, since he's the one with the Shard." he mutters, gesturing at Um'Bala. "Alaznist was the runelord of Wrath, if memory serves, and she ruled ... um ... Bakrakhan, which this part of Varisia once was known as. Well hello now, what is this?" Petronicus approaches the statue carefully, taking particular attention to look at the ranseur it is holding. "That's a real, functioning ranseur made of cold iron. And a very nice one at that." Detect Magic:
This is a +1 cold iron ranseur. The statue also radiates faint divination magic. Detect Magic + DC 20 Spellcraft check: The statue once may have served as a sort of remote observation device or even as a guardian, but now no longer functions
Petronicus walks over to Milo and pulls him off the dying creature. "There, there, now, Milo, I think he's dead." He then turns back to Standing Bear who received the worst. "Ouch, that looks painful. I think the healing wand will get some use today!"
Petronicus hacks at the Abyssal larva, trying to hit it as accurately as possible. , hit! The creature slumps under Petronicus' blow and stops to move.
Petronicus charges into the room, his polearm held high. "No good trying to trip something with no legs," he mutters as he tries to slice the creature, but cuts nothing but its protective layer of fat. "Ugh, how revolting! Go back to Hell, Pitspawn!" ,
Petronicus grimaces and quickly calls out: "It's a damned soul from Hell, called here by Infernal magics. It's not quite yet a devil, but careful, it's hide protects it from fire, cold, and acid. It's also insane with pain and misery, so mind-warping spells won't do any good. "
Petronicus holds on to the other end of the rope. "All right. One tug means "give me more rope" and two means "drag me back". That sound like a good plan?"
Petronicus chimes in. "You can let Um'bala cast a light spell on your clothes. That should be plenty of light, in my opinion." He then takes off his backpack and pulls out a long piece of hemp rope and begins tying it around the halfling.
Petronicus moves over to Zuuga and hits him over the head with the flat of his polearm, knocking him out instantly. He then searches through his belongings, grumbling when he finds nothing. He rips his "crown" off the mite's head and tosses it to Um'bala. "There you go. Now you, the halfling, and the Magnimarian can fight over who gets to wear them. To nobody's surprise, the mite has nothing of value on him, most especially a diamond the size of his head. I'm guessing that it was in his head the whole time." He then give the unconscious mite a swift kick in the side.
Petronicus throws up his hands. "Fine, fine, I'll help carry the blasted thing." -Posted with Wayfinder
Petronicus shakes his head. "You can carry him if you like, Bandersnatch. It's not worth the effort to me. If he wants him, he can come here and get him himself."
Petronicus chuckles and thanks the Shoanti for the healing. He then turns back to Milo. "No, you daffy halfling. He tapped me with the wand, not the creature." "So I guess we take the bracer by the the King and see what reward he has for us. Is that the consensus?"
Petronicus nods. "Makes sense to me. After all, he found his "crowns", who knows what else he might have uncovered."
Petronicus smiles at Um'bala's comment. "Well, at least one of us have to have some sense about him. Might as well be me." He walks over to the comatose cave fisher and tries to lift him. After struggling for a few moments, he looks over to Standing Bear. "This thing has bene eating a lot of spiders. I think it will take at least three of us to carry it."
Petronicus cocks his head at the conversation going on. "What? You want to bargain with him? You did notice that he is as nutty as a holiday pudding, right? And when have we had any trouble getting through his territory? I haven't seen a mite ever since we entered this level."
Petronicus groans as he stands up, using his polearm as leverage. "Standing Bear, give me a tap from the magical wand."
Petronicus lies on the floor holding his head. "Ow, ow, ow, ow. Good shot though from ... whoever that was. I was too busy watching my life flash in front of me as the creature's claws got closer."
Petronicus tries to pull himself free of the filament, but is unsuccessful. "Kill it!" he screams, "Kill it!"
Petronicus begins to chuckle as he looses another arrow at the creature. "I think this cave fisher is not going to catch anything today." , miss!
"We're almost there, just hold still you damned thing!" he yells at the strange creature on the ceiling as he pulls another arrow from its quiver. Sadly, the arrow bounces off the creature's hide.
"Damnation, that thing is tough," Petronicus bellows as he looses another arrow against the cave fisher. The shot hits it in a non-vital area.
Petronicus winces as he sees the gigantic claws on the creature. "Quick, let's kill it before it gets down here!" Stepping into the room a bit, he pulls out his shortbow and fires an arrow at the creature above.
Petronicus looks around at Mach and the others. "So back to the healing pool then?"
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