Rasina, a sneak attack won't kill off more than one of the grubs, I'm afraid, but I'd allow that all the precision damage would go to the parasite.
Alia, you hit the thing. Gurg flinches, but it's still moving.
Durnast, Gurg is not much on conversation at the moment. He's in a great deal of pain and, literally tongue-tied. (If you were actually inquiring, you should have a pretty good idea where he ran into this infestation.)
Looking at the giant in excriciating agony, Mikka says loudly enough for him to hear, "I'm sorry for the pain this will cause Gurg."
Calling upon the earth's power from deep within her core Mikka reaches to the elemental fire within the earth itself calling forth small fire elementals to attack the grubs.
Mikka, you were only going to generate a single fire elemental from Freya's Hearth, but ...something... seemed to reach out and use your own rage to bring forth a second one as well.
If Mikka can make a Knowledge (religion) check, DC 15:
Artimus helps as well, applying points of healing, while also using what Diplomacy he has () to keep Gurg calm in the face of repeated fire and piercing attacks.
You can all tell that Artimus is almost succeeding, but a fire of hatred smoulders in Gurg's eyes as you repeatedly stab at him and Mikka's fire elementals sear his skin. Would anyone care to assist Artimus in his pacification, either with Aiding Another actions or giving him some sort of bonus?
Assuming you can keep him from attacking you in a blind frenzy, you should be able to burn the grubs out with no further expenditure of spells.
Alia: half hour.
Rasina will start singing a rather bawdy sailors ditty, which was a favorite of her fathers. She figured Gurg will be distracted long enough to let the group finish removing the grubs from his body.
Artimus helps as well, applying 1d8+4 points of healing, while also using what Diplomacy he has (1d20+18) to keep Gurg calm in the face of repeated fire and piercing attacks.
You can all tell that Artimus is almost succeeding, but a fire of hatred smoulders in Gurg's eyes as you repeatedly stab at him and Mikka's fire elementals sear his skin. Would anyone care to assist Artimus in his pacification, either with Aiding Another actions or giving him some sort of bonus?
Assuming you can keep him from attacking you in a blind frenzy, you should be able to burn the grubs out with no further expenditure of spells.
Alia: half hour.
"Gurg, listen to me. The worms are nearly gone. Just a little more. you can survive to get your revenge."
Aid another diplomacy
Concentrated on her worm hunting, Alia words do not reach Gurg but she carries on her knife work.
Right now, Artimus' Diplomacy check is at 35, which is not quite enough to keep the hill giant docile through the operation.
Alia,
Durnast's concentration on the threads of time and space heighten Artimus' perception and presence as he tries to calm the giant with his honey words, while Cam's arcane acrobatics help soften Gurg's hardened will to allow the blessing of friends and allies to reach him.
'I can't believe i am doing this for a giant' Nadeq thinks before taking Gurgs huge hand and say "Gurg, I know it hurts but you must trust us. Me and Rasina are doctors and we know what we are doing. We have treated this kind of worm infection before, and yours does not look so bad. You are going to be fine if you just hold still"
bluff
Gurg rages. He reaches into his mouth, tears out the worm, and flings it aside. As Mikka's fire spirits and Alia's knife try to find the grubs under his skin, the giant roars and flexes his muscles, despite the pain, making the parasites show up in higher relief. He coughs up another bloody, slime-covered worm, and clubs it with such force that the hills echo with the impact.
Between Durnast's support and the distraction others provide, Artimus is able to keep Gurg's ferocity focused on the worms rather than the brave souls piercing his skin.
"My thanks," Gurg says, through small coughs. "That would have been a humiliating death." He looks to the west, at the storm stirring the Dead Fields. "Where did you say this shelter was?"
Spurred on by Alia, you move to the east. During the trip, Gurg warns, "Avoid the road. That's where I ran into some spider / lobster things, 'bout the size of a pig. They could not stand against me, of course, but those snake-things jumped out of the bodies, and chewed their way into me.
"They must have done somethin' in my head, 'cause I didn't want to kill them. So I just kept walking. I would have ... Thanks."
At first, the mesa doesn't seem to be there, but Rasina catches sight of a high hill off to the southeast (you followed Gurg far enough to the north that you passed by the hillock). The hillside is, remarkably, made of harder, calcified rock, and the footing is more secure.
You climb 40 feet and find a small structure. The edifice rising before you is constructed of dense gray stone. A buttress emerges from the center of each of its four walls, reinforcing its squat structure and making it look impregnable to any assault. On either side of each buttress is a large statue in bas-relief of an armored knight, hands crossed at his waist and resting on the pommel of a down-turned sword. His bare head is bowed with eyes closed as if asleep or grieving — or perhaps dead. Each statue is subtly different in its details but appears to depict the same individual. The gray walls and statues are stained darker by centuries of weathering. Atop the entire building is a dome built of the same gray stone. The look of impregnability is belied here by a large crack that has formed at the apex and runs partially down one side of the dome, probably from years exposed to the harsh conditions of the Desolation.
There is no visible entrance.
Rasina motions for the rest of the group to stay back, while she checks out the exterior of the building. She dismounts and slowly approaches the structure, her eyes looking for any signs of ambush.
"Hurry up, the storm is on us. If we don't find an entrance, we can at least be shielded by the building. Take cover on the east side."
Alia dismounts and, leading her horse, she circles quickly the structure towards its eastern side, looking for tracks and possible entrance.
Survival to look for tracks
Perception to look for an entrance
She then instructs everyone on how to protect best from the sandstorm.
Survival to help everyone get protection from the sandstorm
The base of the square building is 90' on a side. Extending from the center of each side is a decorated buttress, 10' thick and extending out another 20' from the walls.
Alia, there are some tracks from a large arachnid here and there, some fresh. Otherwise, nothing.
If anybody wants to understand the specifics of the bas-reliefs, the appropriate knowledge skills are history, nobility, or the planes.
Rasina finds no ambush.
Alia sets the party into the south-east corners of the building, so that the structure itself and the buttresses serve to keep the windstorm at bay.
After a quarter-hour, the shrieking winds suddenly change their pitch. Ninety seconds later, the winds die down. You see the storm move off to the south, on a bee-line to where the Camp should be.
Knowledge (nature) check, DC 10:
After the storm passes, Montague decides to study the bas relief's engraved close to where he rode out the storm (As far from Gurg as possible).
Heeding Alia's advice, Durnast hunkers down in the shelter offered in the corner of the buttress, waiting as the winds drown out any words or sign of life. After the storm passes, standing up and dusting himself off, he frowns at the track marks Alia pointed out. "Giant spiders, you say, Alia? Hmmph, sounds like Gurg's friends have at least passed thru here recently..." and he peers at the crack in the dome as perhaps a likely spot for spiders to nest.
Checking out the rest of the structure, he paces around the building with Chamomile darting around, looking for any signs of hidden entry-ways as well as appraising the relief statues.
Perception Checks (me/Cam): ,
Know: History to see if the architectural details or image of the knight ring any bells
Durnast moves around the building carefully, methodically, checking each aspect, each bas relief, every section of stone. () The dome is too high above you to search without a Climb check.
The knight is middle-aged, dignified and noble of bearing, in each picture. His armory is: "A mullet of nine, and on a chief, three martlets." (The tinctures are missing of course, because it's a stone carving rather than a painting.) That sounds ... familiar, as if you'd studied it, in passing, long ago.
The architectural design is clearly intended to suggest a tomb.
As the sun sets to the west, an unusual play of the light catches Durnast's eye. On the northernmost carving on the west side of the building, the mullet on the knight's shield seems to be carved from a different piece of stone than the surrounding relief work. Nadeq confirms that: it's an ancient, time-worn trigger.
Rasina sees the good work of Nadeq and Durnast, saying "Good job, this may be a trap though, let me examine it more closely..."
No traps, you're pretty sure, but a redundant locking mechanism. As a matter of fact, you can't find any access to the lock from the outside. Whoever locked this, and that seems to have happened a very long time ago, did so either with magic, or from the inside.
(And they might still be in there, or else they might have escaped through the crack of the dome ... ?)
At hearing the information disclosed, Montague volunteers to climb up and check out the upper areas.
Climb (1d20+7=13)...struggling and slipping in the sand newly deposited on this side.
"Perhaps I should try the side that was just blown clean".
"Montague, there does not appear to be a way to open it from out here, see if you can find a way inside the dome when you get up there."
The knight is middle-aged, dignified and noble of bearing, in each picture. His armory is: "A mullet of nine, and on a chief, three martlets." (The tinctures are missing of course, because it's a stone carving rather than a painting.) That sounds ... familiar, as if you'd studied it, in passing, long ago.
"Hmmm... this ancient is one who should be in histories..." Durnast muses, tracing a relief of the armored knight.
No traps, you're pretty sure, but a redundant locking mechanism. As a matter of fact, you can't find any access to the lock from the outside. Whoever locked this, and that seems to have happened a very long time ago, did so either with magic, or from the inside. (And they might still be in there, or else they might have escaped through the crack of the dome ... ?)
If anybody wants to try climbing up, Durnast and Cam will give them a hand (Aid Another +4), though Gurg could probably be a good ladder. I also remind whoever is climbing that discretion may be advised when walking around the roof of a building with unknown inhabitants.
Durnast also takes advantage of the vista to get a better idea of the surrounding terrain and other features visible from the mesa... keeping an eye on the ragged-looking giant.
No traps, you're pretty sure, but a redundant locking mechanism. As a matter of fact, you can't find any access to the lock from the outside. Whoever locked this, and that seems to have happened a very long time ago, did so either with magic, or from the inside. (And they might still be in there, or else they might have escaped through the crack of the dome ... ?)
Durnast, you remember, in passing, a discussion about the Army of Light from your childhood studies. You identify the starburst symbol on the shield to belong to the aasimar hero, Argos, who disappeared
from legends around the time of the Battle of Tsar hundreds of years ago. There's a saga told about Argos in a particular epic form that spends the last fifth of the poem discussing the hero's death and tribute, but the poem about Argos is missing that last section. (The poem is notable because of that missing section; you've never read the extant verses.)
Imagine a door that's barred from the inside. The inset device on the outside sets into play the mechanism that dropped the bars and snapped them into place. Moreover, there are two independent and reinforcing locks, as if there were two bars which help to reseal one another. Somebody really didn't want you to unseal the door.
Gurg sees Durnast ofering a foothond, and Cam grabbing the monk by the collar and lifting. He asks Montague: "Would you like a hand up?"
()
As soon as Nadeq understand the lock mechanism and the nature of the building he starts smiling, and he gets a gleam in his eyes he gets everytime he is presented with an obstacle like this.. or when he realize he might soon get an opportunity to loot some tomb.
He takes a step back to survey the whole thing, rubbing his chin.
"There's got to be a way in" he mumbles to himself.
He follow the monks initiative and start climbing the building as silent as possible.
climb
Stealth
Perception
"Nadeq, can you throw some rope down to me when you get up there, you know I cannot climb very well."
Quietly Mikka begins to climb the face.
"Everyone .. please be careful .. it seems someone either locked himself in and didn't want anything to enter .."
"We don't want to be the ones that unleash something evil upon the world .. "
"Very true, Richard... Perhaps one of our stealthier companions can get a better look at the cracked dome and we can leave it at that. We can camp down here for the night."
"Richard, I understand your concern, but whoever was imprisoned may have already escaped."She points out the crack in the dome. "This looks like a tomb for one of the heroes of the Army of Light. Perhaps it will be safe to rest here? Alia, do you think the storm will return before morning?"
"Nadeq, can you throw some rope down to me when you get up there, you know I cannot climb very well."
Nadeq fold out his rope of climbing and command it to knot it self, so Rasina and anyone else can climb it.
Perception
"Hey Durnast. I've read about this spell that will turn you into a gas, making a person able to pass through a crack such as this. Unfortunately i'm not skilled enough in the Arts to cast this spell, but perhaps you know it?"
"If you do, i was thinking you could cast it on me and i could slip in and open the door from the inside. I'm confident that i can hide from most things, should it be so unfortunate that the host of this tomb has not already left it many years ago"
The crack runs several feet long, in a crooked manner. It's about an inch or two wide for most of its length, and it lloks to be about a foot or more in depth. (There's a shear in the crack, so you can't see straight through into the building.
Anybody up top want to make a knowledge (engineering and architecture) roll?
It seems unlikely that another storm will be brewing tonight.
Listening carefully, Nadeq think he can hear something moving inside, like a door being slammed shut.
Assuming Nadeq stealthily comes back down to share his findings,
Durnast will step away from the building a bit to discuss the situation in low tones.
"Indeed, I know of that spell, and have a scroll of it saved even if my own memorized spells are mostly depleted for the day. Perhaps it might be better to save such exploration for the next day when all our energies are more replenished? If you run into trouble or decide to re-solidy within the tomb right now, I don't know if I have a way to help you get out again."
"This tomb is interesting, apparently of one of the famed heroes of the Army of Light, whose ending was lost from history. We were sent to investigate what came to the contingent that stayed at Tsar itself, but perhaps this tomb could give us information relevant to that, more than what we have from the Elders of Muir, which is almost nothing. I thinking staying overnight so we can better explore it tomorrow could help further our expedition. What say you all?"
Rasina will join her companioms in counsel. "I agree with Durnast, we should rest here tonight, and tackle the tomb in the morning. It sounds like there may be an undead creature in there, from what Nadeq heard in there. If there is no threat of any storms, then the only thing to worry about would be the creatures roaming the desert. We can set watches for them, though."
Rasina will join her companioms in counsel. "I agree with Durnast, we should rest here tonight, and tackle the tomb in the morning. It sounds like there may be an undead creature in there, from what Nadeq heard in there. If there is no threat of any storms, then the only thing to worry about would be the creatures roaming the desert. We can set watches for them, though."
Alia watches everyone trying climbing this building with a puzzled expression then turns to the horses to check their state and hobble them for the night. She sets up the camp for the night without a word and when the explorers come to the conclusion that its better to wait for the morning, she agrees : "We are all tired and for some out of spells. We need rest. Come and eat. Then go to sleep. I will take the first watch. One last thing, when you are on watch, do not forget too look upwards. Something can climb up and down that building to surprise us. I saw spider tracks around and they can climb."
All right. It's currently an hour past sundown. After another hour or so, you hear the rush of air as Durnast's conjured mounts dissolve.
You have twelve hours of darkness. Where are you going to camp? (If up on the hilltop, will you be wandering around the building, or staying put with the sleeping party members?) How do you want to set watches? Will you light a fire? Who's sleeping in what armor? And spellcasters, under what circumstances do you want your sleep disturbed?
By the way, what is your current hp?
All right. It's currently an hour past sundown. After another hour or so, you hear the rush of air as Durnast's conjured mounts dissolve.
You have twelve hours of darkness. Where are you going to camp? (If up on the hilltop, will you be wandering around the building, or staying put with the sleeping party members?) How do you want to set watches? Will you light a fire? Who's sleeping in what armor? And spellcasters, under what circumstances do you want your sleep disturbed?
By the way, what is your current hp?
Alia will sleep in her armor as it is light and she has the endurance feat. HP is full for both Alia and Swiftpaws.
Under Pathfinder rules, four three-hour watches will allow spellcasters to take a middle-of-the-night watch, and even engage in a single encounter sometimes during the night, and still prepare their spells in the morning.
(If a wizard is preparing spells earlier than the end of the night, let me know.)
Wizards, what spells are you preparing: your default suite, or something more tailored to the challenges you anticipate? Divine casters, remind me: what time of day do you pray to receive spells?
Rasina says, "I can take any watch you need me to, but I cannot see in the dark. Also, I am still recovering from the initial fight backat Camp".
Oh, and I suppose I should ask: rope trick or out in the open?
Mikka walks over to a spot near the building and sheds her armor, laying out her bedroll.
"I'll take the last watch," she says without preamble before curling up by herself.
"It does not matter when I sleep, I have magical means so I need just two hours of rest to regain my spells."
"I'd like to take the first rest then, after that I can cure anyone of their other ails."
Montegue, the moon is still mostly full, so there's some light to see by, but it's still going to be dark. Particularly if the party decides to keep a fire burning.
So:
First Watch, approx. 7:00 to 10:00 -- Alia and Swiftpaws (scent), Gurg (low-light vision, possibly murderous tendencies),
High Watch, 10:00 - 1:00 -- Richard,
Deep Watch, 1:00 - 4:00 -- Artimus, Montegue,
Dawn Watch, 4:00 - 7:00 -- Mikka (low-light vision),
Still to be placed: Durnast and Chamomile, Nadeq, Rasina.
Still to be determined: where are you camping -- rope trick or on the ground; with a fire or not. Where are you patrolling (other than Montegue on the dome)?
Everybody's had an opportunity to express their preferences, so feel free to speak decisively.
"I will take High watch with Richard, I can see well in low light conditions."