Well, glad to be your travel guide once again, my friends. Thank you for your generous donation to my future Quinlan University! Lovely to meet you, Goodwife Kaltgeboren... Quinlan bows respectfully to Rapunzel and thanks her for her hospitality, having teleported the party to the Black Forest, and going with them as far as Rapunzel's Tower to look upon the legendary beauty of the Fey woman and her fabled magic hair... To Johann, he says with a wink: Now, ye best finish that honeydew list, Meister Johann! Don't want this pretty and charming young wife o' yorn to be upset with ye, ye wild galoot!
He then bows to the party and teleports to the nearby German city of Freiburg to do some research in the university libraries and spend some of whatever the party would pay for his services as a wayfarer in the fest halls.
Why walk to the Black Forest when your good old buddy who teleported you to the green slime pits in the Catacombs can do that again, for a small donation of your treasure, allowing Mwikali to prepare her spells more freely?
Tuesday 2nd September, 9:30 PM:
Quinlan casts teleport, transporting the Mighty Ones onto the rotating stone bridge that spans the green slime pit on the fourth level of the Catacombs. (Area 15 on this map.)
At the moment, there are no apparent enemies or other dangers other than the obvious hazard presented by the green slime below...
Godspeed, my friends, and good fortune! I shall depart at once. Quinlan then teleports away, leaving the heroes to their task of searching for the lock on the lowest level...
Then I will teleport you all to the chamber with the rotary bridge and green slime pool on level four when you are all ready.
The copper key unlocks a lock in the lowest level of the Catacombs. declares Quinlan after further divinations to pin-point specifics...
The silver key unlocks a lock in the lair of the ancient green dragon Grunrreaver, in the Black Forest... Quinlan winks at Johann. Looks like you're going back to your old romping grounds, Meister Bear!
Holding up the gold key and staring at it, he says, And the gold key lock lies in the lair of Wormwood, Dragon of Revelation, in Mount Vesuvius that blasted Pompeii and Herculaneum!
If the Church were an apple, Nero would be the worm that tries to corrupt it from within. Very insidious... Quinlan rubs his horns...
Yes, of course I can help you, my friends. My powers have grown greater with each day since we parted ways... The old gods show me strange and wondrous visions in my looking glass, or in the entrails of a rooster...
Slurping his mug of ale, he wrinkles his sigil-tatooed brow... Ye know... The Pope's attitude toward me changed shortly after you all set sail for Africa... He went from polite tolerance to warnings that my pagan ways were of the Devil...
Wow! So the Pope is the Antichrist? Wait. What??
Seeing Ogon Fox with Johann, Quinlan grins. And the famous Ogon Fox is here as well! Splendid! To what do I owe this merry reunion, my friends?
Michael Johnson 66 wrote: Johann Kaltgeboren- Dire Bear! wrote: Johann and whoever likes to come makes his way to Palazzo D'Borja, homebase for the Crusaders whenever they were in Rome.
"Ah Foxy... place still feels like home, but it is an empty home without our lost and departed friends. Grrrr... Still... sniff sniff sniff. Quinlan was here with us for weeks; and perhaps he has been back. I will hunt for his scent."
[dice=survival/follow tracks]d20+25
[dice=perception]d20+19
Johann sniffs around in the guest room at Cardinal D'Borja's palace where Quinlan stayed, picking up the tiefling wizard's unique scent.
Following the strongest trail takes the Werebeast of the Black Forest on a hunt through the ancient cobbled streets and alleys of the Eternal City. It is dusk by the time Johann tracks his elusive former companion down at a tavern at the eastern edge of the city, drinking ale and dining on fish stew and hearty bread. Quinlan is momentarily surprised to see his old friend The Bear poke his snout through the tavern door and sniff in his direction, as are the other patrons, some of whom seem a little alarmed at the sight of a giant brown bear entering the tavern...
Ah! Johann, old friend! cries Quinlan, grinning and waving Johann over. To the other patrons in the tavern, he gives assurance: Fear not, noble Romans! This is no common wild beast, but rather the brave hero and Crusader of the Catacombs you have no doubt heard of, Johann Kaltgeboren, shapeshifting woodsman from the Black Forest! He's a good fellow, and is not here to eat anyone, right, my friend?
His smile fades... What brings you here, Johann? Is everything alright?
Johann Kaltgeboren wrote: I think we should get magical help in the search for the phylactery. Hopefully there are other heroes who can slow the dragon down. We need a powerful scryer. It is probably protected from magical divination! Your former companion Quinlan is still in Rome, and may be able to point you in the right direction for scrying aid.
The Ogon Fox wrote: Quinlan GM bot wrote: "Also, if anyone wants to be able to fly when the dragon attacks, I have prepared several fly spells to cast on you!" "I will need it, my friend. But we will wait until the dragon gets closer." The distant rumble of what first sounds like thunder becomes audible even down beneath the limestone of the catacombs...
I think it has arrived, Mister Fox... Quinlan waits a little longer, and when the roars and rumbling threats in Draconic become unmistakable, he nods grimly at Fox and casts fly on him...
Time to drink those potions of fire protection, my friend... Quinlan says, taking out a potion himself...
Approaching his former adventuring companions in the catacombs, Quinlan hands a newly crafted magical headband to Cardinal Lucius D'Borja, saying: A gift, to augment your already exceptional wisdom, Cardinal Lucius... Also, if anyone wants to be able to fly when the dragon attacks, I have prepared several fly spells to cast on you!
During the past few days, ever since he retired from active adventuring with the Crusaders of the Catacombs (right before their trip to Marrakech to overthrow the tyrranical Al'Haaq), Quinlan Ifrean the tiefling wizard has been busy working alongside famous alchemist and wizard, Nicolas Flamel, to formulate an alchemical flame retardant to treat the wooden structures of Rome with.
The two mages have succeeded in creating an effective fire retardant that can be mixed in water and applied to wood to make it fire resistant, but the problem they still face is formulating enough of the stuff in time for the Saint Valentine's Day Holocaust...
We need to recruit more alchemists, Master Flamel... We will never make enough of this stuff in time to be of any real help when the dragon comes...
Pope Eugenius IV wrote: The Holy Father replies to Quinlan's request for more scrolls of teleport: I will see that several such scrolls are secured for your use, Mister Ifrean, but it may take as long as a week to gather or scribe them. We shall need them to enter or exit the lower catacombs from now on, Your Holiness... The horned tiefling bows in a show of reverence...
Quinlan takes it upon himself to request more scrolls of teleport from the library of the Castle Sant'Angelo from His Holiness, and spends the remainder of the day eating, resting, and meditating to restore his magical potential for spellcasting.
Quinlan agrees with Cardinal Lucius and Ogon Fox, and retrieves the scroll of teleport from his pack, unravels it, instructs everyone to grab onto him, and reads the magic script aloud, adding the sanctuary of Saint Peter's Basilica as a destination,and the Crusaders are transported by conjuration magic to the safety of the sanctuary, along with the two maidens!
Another flight of amber hornets fly from the tiefling wizard’s wand to sting the remaining devil, dealing 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 1, 3) + 3 = 10 force damage!
Quinlan jabs the hornet wand at the wounded barbed devil yet again, incanting HORNITOS!!, and sending another trio of amber force hornets to sting the spiny brute! Amber hornets of force deal 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (4, 1, 4) + 3 = 12 force damage!
Another round of hornets! 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (4, 4, 1) + 3 = 12 force damage to the wounded devil!
Quinlan aims his wand of magic missiles, with its petrified hornet inside a shard of amber at its tip, at the wounded devil and shouts, Hornitos!, evoking three hornet-shaped missiles of amber-colored force, which buzz angrily toward the barbed devil and sting it viciously before vanishing!
3d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 2, 1) + 3 = 9 force damage...
3rd round of pre-combat prep:
Out of useful spells, Quinlan pulls out his trusty wand of magic missiles and moves to the south most archway...
Should we need to evacuate, come to me! I will use the teleport scroll!
Having enchanted Dire Bear Johann’s natural weapons to be good-aligned, Quinlan beckons Zagathoth over as he produces another such scroll (wisely scribed during his crafting time), and says, Come here, Green-Guy,, I have something more useful than bull’s strength or enlarge for you... This will make your weapon count as sacred against these fiends! He casts align weapon off the second scroll, aligning Doomcrescent good...
Quinlan sets the bridge to span north-south and then quickly produces a scroll of align weapon and casts it, touching Johann on his furry dire bear head, temporarily causing his bite and claws to become good-aligned weapons...
Quinlan, hearing the approaching enemies, quickly grants Johann access to the rest of the party, or vise versa, with the levers...
After much careful consideration of whether or not Quinlan should pull either of the bronze levers with a magic hand, the Crusaders assemble at the north end of the green slime pit, with the throne island to their left and the other stone quay to their right, and pulling the eastmost lever with the mage hand, resulting in a deep grinding, rumbling rotation of the central span along an axis in between the the two columns, so that the span of limestone now connects the west most quay with the throne island!
Aha! I see! A controlled audience with one upon the throne is thereby ascertained... extrapolates the wizard.
Back in the green slime throne room:
Come to this side, everyone... orders Quinlan as he moves to the north corridor on the far side of the bridge... I’ll conjure a mage hand to pull the levers...
Casts mage hand once everyone is on the north side...
I am sorry, friends, but I used up my most powerful spells fighting the dragon and the vampires, I’m afraid... But those levers on the columns there... They might cause this section of bridge to rotate, granting access to the throne... Or, they might be another devious trap that dumps the foolish into the green slime...
Quinlan rubs his chin thoughtfully...
Orpheus Thrush wrote: Orpheus sighs and bows humbly toward Quinlan from his perch on Fox’s shoulder. Apologies, Mister Quinlan... They are so young, so fragile... I mistook your words about the damsels as a question rather than a statement... The thrush looks with pity and empathy at the two young maidens... Quinlan looks at Orpheus sympathetically and smiles sadly. They aren’t Eurydice, Master Orpheus... We will bring these fair maidens out of this Underworld, My little friend!
Orpheus Thrush wrote: First, it’s summoned monster abuse, now it’s abandoning naked damsels in distress, Mister Quinlan!? chirps Orpheus crisply! Damn it, nobody abused any summoned monsters, you self-righteous little turd-dropper! It was just an idea, I was thinking out loud... I don’t even HAVE that spell, you pea-brained... GRRR!! Fox, will you tell your familiar to cut me some slack!? Jeez!
Sighing and wringing his hands in frustration, Quinlan shakes his horned head...
We can’t leave these girls here and come back for them when we’re ready for me to use the teleport scroll...can we?
Knowledge (religion) 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18
Fire, maybe? The Church is always burning witches and werewolves... Might work with vampires too... Here goes...
Ignus Manua! chants Quinlan, aiming a burning hands at the pair of poisoned pine coffins! Dealing 5d4 ⇒ (2, 4, 1, 1, 1) = 9 fire damage to the coffins!
Quinlan carefully navigates the path of tiles... apple, bee, cup, devil, egg, etc... until he is safely across the chamber... Pausing a moment to contemplate the infinity symbol, he almost succumbs to the urge to step upon it, perhaps gaining immortality... but he does not...
I have expended all of my most potent spells for today... But I have lesser magics still in reserve to continue and find these monsters’ graves...
Shaking his head, Quinlan stands back up! I’m not dead yet!
Reflex 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11 vs DC 17 fails!
Quinlan jerks spasmodically in the chain lightning and then falls, smoking and lifeless onto the apple tile!
This is a shot in the dark, but here goes...
Quinlan steps onto the apple tile and shouts Immortuos animae, te iubeo consumite!, points at Donna Bella, and then beckons her to approach across the deadly trap tiles...
Command undead Will DC 18.
Round 1:
From the western archway, Quinlan chants words of evocation and drops a fireball behind the two vampires, just catching the undead in the edge of the blast (but only warming Cobra Johann up a little)!
Fireball deals 7d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 4, 4, 6, 6, 1) = 28 fire damage, Reflex 19 for half...
*KA-BOOOM!!!*
Orpheus Thrush wrote: If perhaps a bit cruel... remarks Orpheus... Hey, we don’t know what’s gonna happen... could be something good happens when you step on the right tiles, we don’t know... It’s not cruel, thrush!... I mean, we wouldn’t send a valued familiar like yourself to test out the trap—er, puzzle! So just...give me a break, okay!? I’m just thinking out loud here!
Ignoring for the moment the voices from the southern archway as he scrutinizes the tiles with their glowing symbols, Quinlan says, Hmmm... Now I wish I’d learned summon monster I... Would be handy to have a summoned creature test the tiles...
Johann Kaltgeboren- Dire Bear! wrote: "Gahhh! That blasted Fox keeps giving me zingers when I can't talk back. I'm going to have to do something about that!"
I wasn't planning on it, but may have to take a feat to talk while in form because it is frustrating without it! (and not just because of the Fox)
Feeling confident with such lucious buffs and healing thanks MJ , the bear releases his grip so he can get a devestating full attack off on the dragon.
[dice=Claw Attack 1 & damage]d20+9; d6+10+d6 str 5 bab 6 pwrattk -2 size-1 amulet 1; str 5 pwrattk 4 amulet 1 acid amulet d6
[dice= Claw Attack 2 & damage]d20+9; d6+10+d6 str 5 bab 6 pwrattk -2 size-1 amulet 1; str 5 pwrattk 4 amulet 1 acid amulet d6
[dice= Free Grab attempt]d20+18 4 damage Kraken style when grab is successful
[dice=Bite Attack & damage]d20+9; d8+10+d6 str 5 bab 6 pwrattk -2 size-1 amulet 1; str 5 pwrattk 4 amulet 1 acid amulet d6
No! Loses his grip!
HP: 65/84
Don’t forget about haste Mr Bear...
Just before entering: Quinlan casts fly on Johann... Fugit ursus... Fly like an eagle, Johann! A giant, furry eagle...
Initiative 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
When the dragon hits him with its breath, Reflex 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 fails and he takes 25 electricity damage after resistance...
Quinlan jerks in the lightning, groaning in pain... Boga... a little help, please?
Round 1: Casts haste on his allies...
Fortitude vs DC 21 stunning screech 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17 fails!
Quinlan is stunned by the vrock’s undulating screech!
Quinlan backpedals away from the ghasts to the southwest, gagging and retching, and manages to gag out the incantation to ward against physical blows, casting mage armor on himself...
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