Gripping the staff in his left, Yodi follows Brennan. The north man looks down each hallway.
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Leaving his spear behind, Yodi files into the hallway behind Brennan.
"We'll watch your back." Yodi backs up his words by moving closer to Brennan, without crowding the other man.
"There's magic here. It might be a low level evocation laid on it." He hefts the staff. "If no one objects, I'll hold on to this for now."
After a few moments, Yodi shakes his head. "I can't figure it out.
"Yes it was well done. Especially our knife wielder here. I had another friend who liked knives, but I've never seen them used so well." Satisfied that the statue won't rise again. Yodi smiles behind his veil and accepts the staff. "Now let's see what we have here..."
"Watch it in case it heals itself." Yodi pushes the wand back into his belt, and grips his spear with two hands. He wedges the tip of the spear into a crack in the statue and tries to wedge it open.
Yodi pulls the wand from his belt and taps Brennan with it.
Yodi steps in toward the statue and swings his spear to distract and hinder its staffwork.
Yodi steps forward, concentrates, and asks any god who's listening to help smite the statue.
"I will not argue. Let us reduce this guardian to dust and take the treasure he guards." Yodi checks his gear one last time. The curing wand, his weapons, his belt pouch. "I almost forgot. I've two vials of oil, infused with magic to enchant a weapon. Can anyone use them?"
Before going back into the building, Yodi uses his wand to heal some of Ciyradyl's wounds.
In the small chamber at the foot of the stairs, Yodi lays hands on Brennan and Ciyradyl wishes confusion on the instruments of Nethys. He removes his pack and moves the curing wand to his belt, so that it will be handy when needed.
Additions to the plan: 1. Heal up Ciy. How far down is she? When we get downstairs: (Brennan and Ciy buff themselves -- Omen's shield for Brennan. CIy's shield and mage armor for her.) 2. Cast protection from evil on Brennan, Ciy, Yodi, and Omen if he wants it. In reverse order. 3. Get inside statue room. Establish flanking for Ciy and Brennan, and cast bless while waiting for the statue to activate. Anything else?
"The real prize could be behind on of those doors. I don't know. If we can look behind them first, there's no harm done."
"I doubt it was grasping the staff that awoke it. It probably just took time for it to sense that I was in the chamber. Maybe if we move quickly we can pass the doors before it wakes."
Yodi pulls himself haltingly to his feet. His veil has come loose in the night, and the scars and sores on his face are revealed. He turns away from the party to gather his goods, and refasten the veil. "No one came in or out last night. We just have to get past that statue. I am sure there's treasure behind a guardian of its quality. We just need a better plan."
Moonlight Bridge:
Moonlight Bridge (Su): You summon a bridge of shimmering moonlight. The 10-foot-wide span touches the ground at a point adjacent to your position. From this point it can extend in any direction for 10 feet per oracle level. The path persists until you have crossed over the bridge or for 24 hours, whichever is shorter. You may summon a moonlight bridge a number of times per day equal to your Charisma bonus. Should the bridge be attacked, treat it as a wall of force.
Yodi nods, waves gratefully and returns to his bedroll, upon which he sinks prone and is soon snoring.
Spear raised and directed at the giant spider, Yodi steps toward to apply the first rule of the spear. ...
Yodi swivels his head toward Cyl from his place on his bedroll. "Giant spiders!" He stands his spear vertical and clutches it to pull himself upright. Then he staggers toward the fight.
Yodi groans faintly in his sleep, shifts uncomfortably, and rolls over.
"Let us camp outside then. We shall keep watch and if Velriana and her band try to poach, we will let them soften up that statue."
"It didn't want to chase us when we were right in front of it. I don't think it will come after us tonight. Let's stay here and keep the jackals off."
"Why I went in there, doesn't matter. I was doing what we all came to do. Sooner or later, Brennan would have been in there, with or without me. "And you are right. We are all UNcommon rabble."
"Childish? Tantrum?" Yodi barks a single HA of laughter. "I don't have the words to describe the depth of my hatred for the gods, especially Nethys whom I loved. That feeling is forged, tempered, and quenched in the injustice that they did me. The gods took my friends, my home, and everything that I treasured about myself. What would you know about that? Who are you to judge me?" "We're all just grave robbers in the world's biggest burial yard. We're here to steal the treasure and secrets of the dead. That's what I was trying to do. Brennan and Ciy came to help. When Brennan fell I didn't run, but stayed to drag him out. Ciy stepped between us and the statue to make sure we got out. All you had to do was hold the door. "I'm not the man I was, but I haven't sunk so low that I'd threaten to leave my companions in danger.
Yodi produces his wand and begins casting with it. When he's finished, he's in a sober mood. "We were lucky to get out alive. How are we going to beat that thing?"
Without her armored form, the elf sees no point in continuing combat and retreats past the gate, behind Omen.
After lifting Brennan, Yodi begins backing toward the door, step by limping step. He scuttles past Omen and swings Brennan around to try to clear a path for Ciyradyl.
Yodi feels the strength flow into him, and glances to Ciyradyl. "Thanks." The response is uncharacteristically warm, but necessarily brief. The man jerks Brennan upward to get a better grip and resume pulling him toward the door.
"That's it! Run Ciy!" Yodi stoops to grab the harness of Brennan's pack and begins dragging him toward the door.
Hit Die rolls, level 2 and 3. We rolled stats, so why not stick with the theme.
"Can't leave Ciy or Brennan behind. So hold that door. I'll be the last out." Yodi sidesteps to try a lunging feint beside Ciyradl, then jabs his way over to Brennan.
Yodi steps back, only to lunge forward again in a bid to spear the golem's throat.
...
"You arrogant &~!&*+~$+@@! Don't I even deserve your ire!? " Yodi raises his spear and swings it at the stationary statue's arm. ... He tries again, then staggers back and to his right to let Brennan in. ...
Yodi swings his spear up to knock the statue's staff aside and thrust at its body. ..
Yodi looks back at the others then shrugs. He strides forward, looking right, left, up, and down. He stops in front of the statue. "I missed you for a long time. Even after you abandoned me and the breadth of your betrayal became clear." He reaches out for the staff.
Yodi looks back at the gate, then, jerks his head in a quick survey of the room. The quick movement seems to overbalance him and he props himself up with his spear. "Are you going to settle me now, Nethys?"
"The statue's staff has creation or energy magic. It is not strong, but it is there. Let's see if we can claim our prize." Yodi steps into the room while looking around for the nearly inevitable guardian or trap.
Seeing Brennan having some trouble, Yodi lays a hand on his shoulder and offers encouragement.
While Brennan perseveres, Yodi examines the room beyond for magic.
"Thanks." Yodi takes the stone, and holding it up, approaches the bars.
"I can't make out all of the next room, but there is a statue. Some more light would help."
"This looks like a sanctum. Could be more traps." Despite the cautious words, Yodi strides into the smaller chamber and looks around at the blank tile. "What's behind the bars?"
"I am sick of this place and the gods. I just want to be through with it." Yodi swings open the lower doors.
"Let us be better than they; let us be equal to the challenge." Yodi shoulders his spear and marches forward to throw the door open.
"Or the Good Magister could be Nethys himself," Yodi muses. "In any case we're not invited. Once I thought I was one of his favored, but no longer. He's let my life be ruined, but the gods haven't been able to kill me yet. I will hazard the door and dare him to end me."
Yodi looks into the corridor, then steps to the right to look into the library again before returning. "There's a shoulder's width between this hall and the scroll room. Plenty of space for some kind of trap."
Yodi looks up from where he has been reading over Omen's shoulder. "Interesting." He pushes his magic scroll through his belt, intending to store it more carefully later and scopps up his spear before following the rogue to the offending door.
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