Duchesses of Diamondell

[BlueWizard]

Inside the Castle of Diamondell:

The court of Kerafin is very well designed with a woman's eye in mind, however the elaborate throne-room features a frescoe of mighty dragons and humans in battle in the sky. The large scale battle sky is painted upon a light blue ceiling, with billowy clouds featuring all the colors of dragons. Even non-combatant jeweled ones who sit and watch on edges. The main 'villain' is a silver dragon with red swirled stripes, riding it is a female rider in silver and red. Together they wreak havoc upon metallic dragon forces. All the halls of this castle have been redesigned, like ALL of Diamondell with a lot of money!

Outside a new city is being built, inside the city's elite soldiers and young dark robed wizards line the hall leading up to the leaders of state. These guardians all wear the city's red with black theme.

There are three thrones decorated, one is dark, magical, and mysterious.
This purple-black jeweled throne is empty.
Seated in the other two are impressive figures in equally impressive thrones are the other two duchesses of the city.

In the center 'seat', is the blonde steel-dragon knight Kerafin, also daughter of the Northern Queen. Her resemblemce to the blonde warrior in the ceiling battle is uncanny. It is she who stands, and applauds on your entry. Though only she claps, which is actually quite loud in the grand hall.

The lady occupying the throne next to the Steel-dragon Knight, is one who's allure and charm is that of a demi-goddess. Ker-iki-skara may think this one of his father's wives. This woman is infamous Arha, a woman known in history, once was betrothed to the Lich-King.... hundreds of years ago. Now here she sat, this legend among nobles. Young and pretty.
{Only Thaliana would know much of this legend.}
{OOC- I will leave Arha's description and throne to the player.}

The Red Dragon Knight, that leads this group of adventurers to the Court of Three, is the formerly disgraced wife of the former Emperor. She is now a guardian of the city, and in service of Arha. "May I present to you the Duchesses of Diamondell. Her Grace, the Duchess Sharon apologizes, she is away on business. I am to act in support of her in all manners." Rhianna removes her helmet, kneels after climbing the 30' high dais, the pretty blonde puts her face to Arha's calf as her supplicant.

The steel dragon-knight, Kerafin stands. "Thank you, Rhianna. I am the Duchess Kerafin and this is our Lady Duchess Arha. I have heard you have braved the former depths of chaos, and we humbly ask for your assistance once more. We have allowed the Goblin-kin to exist in the woods now called Gobton. However, much of the kython hunters still remain. Through reports, I have already recieved, you seemed to have located a Cthulhic temple. My Grace Arha has been tasked to keep the peace in the land... and really to prevent pissing off my mother by keeping the goblins contained, since they're all such superstitious rabble. Right now we have a strong chieftain. This hobgoblin has united the tribes. And we must keep them this way for peace.

Lady Arha is, as you may know, a great wizardess. I don't care if you know the truth in who her master was. She's great. Period. I was trained by a silver dragon... hmf... and now look at me.

I do have scries and priests about, but please introduce yourselves, so all in our realm may know its heroes.

I know you Sister Thaliana, for Father Hiram has spoken highly of you, and wishes to see you as soon as possible. You will be impressed with what he has done with his... office, in the... lower regions of the castle."

OOC- At this point I leave it to you guys for your descriptions and greetings if so needed. Holm, the NPC-that-he-is, will hang back in the shadows, waiting for the rest of your introductions.

The PCs:
Arha- {wxdruid}
Thaliana- {Airanath}
Ker-iki-skara- {Togarn}
Agathe- {LordoftheDuck}
Holm- NPC assassin


Welcome ALL!!!

[wxdruid]

Arha

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i262/wxdruid/Town/ArhaErinyes.png

Arha's seat is black as ebony and seems to drink in the light. She sits a little forward, making space for her wings behind her. Two small skeletons stand unobtrusively to either side of her throne. Arha is human/erinyes and she's dressed in a slinky black silk dress with red trim. Her arms are covered with scars, old and new and she has quite a few pouches for her components around her waist. She wears gold bracelets on her wrists and a gold chain disappears into her cleavage.

When they approach, Arha stands up a heartbeat after Kerafin and defers to her. She acknowledges Rhianna's fealty with a casual twist of her fingers in the other woman's hair, but she doesn't take her eyes from the group in front of them. She waits for their introductions, she's heard a bit from the goblins, but she's interested in hearing from them.

[Torgarn]

Ker'iki'skara simply stares into space for a moment, before shaking his head violently. He looks Kerafin in the eye,I am Ker'iki'skara, son of Asmodeus. Unfortunately I've never had the pleasure of your company before. He nods his head ever so slightly in respect. His mouth twitches subtly as he speaks.

[Airanath]

Thaliana gives a half bow, acknowledging the fiendling, but not implying she is in an inferior position, setting a starting point of neutrality.
"I am Thaliana, of the Church of Power, likewise, pleased to make your aquietance lady."

[GrassyGnoll]

(Gah, I'm typing thia out rather clumsily on my phone. Editting the rest of the post in.)

The ranger is the last to respond. Clad in a drastically unfeminine longcoat, she pulls back her hood and wrappings to address the lords.

"And I am Missus Agathe Wauer."

Revealed are the ghoulish features of the undead adventurer. Dull, colorless skin stretches over her sharp face. Her listless eyes reflect the light cast down the hallway like a night-walking cat. Short, dirty hair trickles off her scalp in withered strands. The late ranger looks half a lad in her oversized hunting gear.

"Forester, tracker, gunner. Mother of one. I hail from just south of the Chessa Peaks. Born and buried in Chester. If you've heard of the town, I'd be much obliged if you could lead me to any survivors."

[BlueWizard]

{OOC- Wrote a long post, but lost it. I will try to capture at least the info, if not my inspired description of the moment. Sorry for the delay.}

Rhianna seductively reaches into Arha's dress and pulls out a scroll. "You forgot..." Rhianna stands, descends the dais, and hands the scroll to Holm the assassin. This slender fellow, in all black with a ninja-like mask with only a slits for the eyes, looks suspiciously at the scrolls important golden seal. He breaks it and unrolls the scroll, reading it rapidly.

After reading this scroll Holm kneels before the dais near Rhianna, but looks to Arha and Kerafin above. "I am now in your service. At least until the 'master' says otherwise. Seeing the appearance of... the winged-duchess, it reminds me of something I found." He smirks, a little nervously before such prestigious hostesses, glancing to those arriving with him.

Kerafin listened carefully to the devil-prince and priestess, she is however unaccustomed to dealing with peasants, let alone dead ones. She is tight-lipped and somber as she informs Agathe. "Your home is no more. The survivors of Chester took shelter at Fort Jamestown, but I fear even they have fallen to the forces of chaos from the Underdark."

Kerafin turns to face the rest of you, "My mother, the 'holy' queen, has let too much freedom reign in her lands. Oppressing worthy servants like the whole of the goblin-people needlessly. Yea. Some of these cretins must be destroyed, for they seek to awaken the beast of the sea. They seek one of the keys to unlock the Beast's prison. We must destroy all trace of the dark ones. You must beware most of all of the drow serving Lolth in the Underdark, they seek to gain an advantage should Cthulhu rise."

[GrassyGnoll]

At a loss for any courtly manners, Agathe idles in the nobles' presence. She does not blink and there appears no visible evidence of her return to mindedness.

"Frankly, lady, duchess. We can snuff out a cult, loot relics or prospect ruins. But we've not had a successful claim since we started."

Not keen to the demon statue in Thaliana's possession, Agathe continues to blunder and tip cards to their hosts.

"And we've been hounded by a pack of ape demons. Maybe one of your priests knows the name of its chief."

[Airanath]

Knowledge Religion:
Knowledge Planes: [roll]120+14
Both to try remember the name of the lord of the apes.

"We can confirm there are still kythons about, we killed a legion of them and torched their nest, losing an ally in the underdark, and another who probably went to seek him. Unfortunately, we weren't prepared to destroy the whole kython population, their numbers were easily above 80, we only torched the nest by sneaking past a huge patrol with that many creatures."

"As for the goblins, their shaman warned us they have heretics within their tribe, mayhaps some examples should be made, some minions of hell called to kill clearly traitorous goblins to let them know who watches them, and whom they serve. The drows are most likely seeking a way to commit suicide fast, awakening the old ones? That is beyond stupid."

"Finally, there is something I must show the father, it may or may not be the reason we were sent there, but its better to let him judge."

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha hides her irritation at Rhianna, she would have gotten to it, eventually.

She directs a question at Holm, "Found what exactly." It's clear she expects an answer.

She crosses her arms over her chest and listens to the rest of the conversation, kythons, the underdark and creatures best left unmentioned. She knows Sharon's distaste for the last one. She telepathically asks the Eye if she knows of anything of interest about the kythons.

[BlueWizard]

Kerafin calmly speaks to Agathe, starting to relax with the undead 'commoner'. "You have seen them. And you know the way. From what I hear, my lady Arha's subjects of Gobton have been celebrating a priestess and her devil-prince. I think this is all a good sign for our domain."

Holm sheepishly looks to Thaliana in response to Arha's question.

Thaliana may be thinking of Demogorg, the partially ape demon-lord god, and likely part of this whole chaotic force issuing forth from the Underdark. {OOC- Not sure which 'ape-lord' referring to?} There was one Bar-lgura, who seemed to be the 'elder' demon of its kind. Thaliana with some minor study or prayer might get this guy's name.

Kerafin will immediately act upon Thaliana's words to see the Father, and dismiss her guards.
Kerafin will take you into the depths of the castle, toward the centre of the Temple of Power.

There is a not-so secret door behind the throne, which Kerafin make no attempt to hide from the guards. Rhianna stays behind, she bows to you all.

Duchess Kerafin leads away proudly strutting in her steel dragonscale armor, carefully studying Thaliana out of the corner of her eye. Arha will notice Kerafin's distraction around the priestess.

Once deep in the cold belly of the lower palace Kerafin will whisper when addressing Arha. "Best to keep an eye on the 'Red' Queen. I feel 'our-lady' is still tainted by the Merchant King." All the rest of you will hear this, Kerafin even nods to Thaliana. Arha will know that Aust and his minions are near these halls. This is also where her small skeletons are. Thaliana will feel as if these halls are filled with undead guardians, but none make themselves 'apparent' in your passing.

Farther into the earth, via the a modernly installed magical elevator, you will reach an ancient underground foyer carved from a black rock. The astrological signs of reddish-orange are bizarre to all not of the hellish belief. This will feel like home to Thaliana and Kerik.

It is warm here, the black stone, glass-like walls' red carvings glow with orange-red heat, as if it were cooling lava. It is a warm summer day in here, and you might even break a minor sweat.
Thaliana will see indeed she is in the entrance to the temple of Power.

There are 2 devil-men guarding the massive stone doors in this underground cavern. A handsome fellow with dark features will come out from the magically opening door. He will not have any interest in speaking to anyone, but will motion for Ker-iki-skara to follow, he and the priestess.

Some time will pass.... Thaliana might have many words with Father Hiram.
Kerafin likely will take the rest of you to special noble quarters, giving Agathe access to one of Kerafin's personal priestess of Tiamat.

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe sits in counsel with the priestess. Ignorant to the process of scrying, she describes the demon as she can, "He's an ape demon, Bar-Igura, and living in the ruins under Gobtown. Red fur, taste for fey brains. I seen him twist off a changeling's head for some. And his pack abducted a catman named Garreth."

[Torgarn]

Ker'iki'skara follows silently, a grin momentarily stretching his face in a horrendous grin before he goes back to his usual neutral pout.

[Airanath]

"Father, I come to deliver our findings from the trip," Thaliana bows and offers the priest the idol, "This is the only religious icon we could recover, we couldn't enter the temple of the elder god, it was heavily guarded and traped to turn all those attempting to breach from the front door into nothingness. But we can retrace our steps back there, provided a more powerfull team, we faced an army of kythons in the tunnels, and were forced to flee with only this finding."
"We might also wish to search for the cat-man and the halfling lost to the tunnels, they are the key to the alliance with the bug man, and said creature was marked by one of Asmodeus underlings as a soon to be powerful minion of hell."
She holds her head bowed, waiting for a possible punishment for not fulfilling the priest expectations, or for losing the bug-men.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha nods at Kerafin's whisper, she doesn't trust her anyway, so Kerafin's words don't surprise her. She walks with the rest and says little on the way. She knows where each of her skeletons are, she can feel their presence in the darkness.

[BlueWizard]

Arha:
The Duchess Arha is not expected to entertain the guests, there are many fools, jesters, and tumblers around to do that if needed.

She is likely getting tired of the White-King's continual delays in their marriage. Arha's advisers say it is the doing of the Crown Prince.
Sharon is away trying to make peace diplomatically with her team of experts, and Kerafin now has Diamondell running well.

This leaves Arha with time to be the 'freelance' operative of the Duchessess.
Arha's adviser say she should leave her skeletons to guard her palace-abode.

{Side note: The Guildmaster has found other noble men for betrothal, he prefers Arha to marry. Younger and more interested men. Though none can improve the title Arha has already gained.}


The Temple of Power: {With Thaliana and Kerik}
Hiram will be pleased, and say it was wise to reveal the idol in private.
He will say that Arha is to be trusted most of all of the 3 duchesses, and Thaliana will also learn it is she who is the 2nd most powerful cleric of Diamondell. Her arrival with the devil-prince was highly anticipated.

He will explain that it is more important to destroy the temple, than the aliens within. Everything can be converted, he will remind.

Hiram will offer important noble rooms in the high tower. You will be near the Duchesses chamber, and have full running water and complete staff to run errands. Hiram will be respectful of the noble, and show a slight deference to the devil-prince, if only in private.

There are dozens of lesser priests who bow to the trio as they pass these temple halls.

{OOC- A former PC, Hiram, the DM will do as little R-P with him, but he is an important PC of Diamondell.}


Agathe and the Priestess of Tiamat:
The priestess is scared as she scans the water-bowl in front of her. "This demon... It is no clan leader, but has gained power in being here so long. I know not what his name is. It should be sent home as soon as possible. The... other side, needs no more allies here than necessary.

Do not concern yourself for your friend. Unless you seek to enter the Abyss to save him."

[GrassyGnoll]

Untouched by the priestess' apprehension, Agathe presses her harder for her services.

"If this chimp's not so high up on the totem pole, getting his name should be less of a hassle, right? I don't care whether you know the beast personally, so long as one of your lady's scyer's delivers me his name."

The hunter produces a boomshell from her coat and spins the metal ball on the table before them. The roll and patter of cold iron buckshot fills the dreary office. Agathe could recall configuring the particular cartridge, awake and alone in the Underdark, forging the tiny instrument of revenge while her companions slept.

"The magic in this bullet requires a name. So how bout you boil boil, toil and trouble over that bowl til you've got one."

[BlueWizard]

"What does this bullet do?" asks the priestess politely. "It may take some... funds to get what you want. The gods seek sacrifice you know."

[Airanath]

"I understand, we could attempt that, perhaps if we had some supplies to disable the traps, and find them without Milo help, he was our specialist, and he is lost in the underdark for now." the priestess starts planning, even without knowing if that is their mission yet, "I know they were magical in nature, meaning we could try to supress it with some anti magic preparation, and use mundane means to rig the temple, a new "ally" we found in the temple carries something she calls a boomstick, we could attempt to use the priciple that propels her bullets to destroy the temple maybe?"
She makes a few mental notes and then adds, "Or we could think on a big scale and just force a cave in over the temple, there are siege spells that can level castle walls, so I doubt they can't bring down the ceiling over the temple."

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha will fill her time with her obligations to Kerafin and Sharon. She'll look more into this temple the newest group came out of, see if there's anything interesting she can find out. Otherwise, she'll keep up to date on all her spells, potions and continue her research until it's time to go out and do something.

[GrassyGnoll]

"It's an old wives' tale," the late widow rasps, "And I'm one to talk."

"In the wooded hills, marksmen use message arrows to communicate and coordinate. An arrow that seeks a man, unerringly, miles away if need be. A message arrow is harmless and a proper reverend of some talent can craft them, but the freikugel is the work of deviltry and fiends. Every village has its own tale of a cursed shooting contest: bullets that turn in the air, an eerie flash of light and a ball inscribed with its victim's name. In each tale, a witch or a monster blesses the murderer's pouch, either by invitation or trickery. Sometimes it's the Burning Hate, if the victim was wicked or false."

Agathe bows her head in forgotten reverence, to speak of the Burning Hate in vain was immodesty heresy.

{Basically, freikugel= a spell-storing message arrows. Idea stolen from here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=148101).


Messenger Arrow
Price: 400 GP
Weight: 0.1#
(Ghostwalk Web Enhancement p. 8)
This one-shot arrow or bolt can be used to cast helping hand, which can locate *any* target within 100' in 1 round. This can be used to locate invisible or hidden creatures, even those with the Darkstalker feat. Heck, it's also an evocation spell, so it works against obscure object, sequester, and mind blank. For another +160 GP, you can add the Spell Storing property and trigger a faerie fire or glitterdust when the arrow lands (you can also do this by attaching a keyed Glyph Seal to the arrow, 1000 GP, MIC p. 161).

Message Arrow (Ghostwalk): Each of these masterwork arrows has the image of a pointing hand etched into its head and a small wooden sleeve on its shaft that can hold a single folder piece of paper. If a message is placed into the sleeve and the arrow is fired into the air, it speeds off in the direction of the intended recipient, who may be a specific individual or the closest person matching a given description, as explained in the helping
hand spell. Its maximum range is 5 miles. Locating a recipient who is within range takes the amount of time described in the helping hand spell, based on the distance to the target. While in flight, the message arrow is invisible and insubstantial, so it cannot harm creatures or be attacked. When it finds the
intended recipient or an appropriate match for the description it was given, the arrow strikes the ground at the feet of that individual, who may then retrieve the message from the sleeve. Once it lands, the power of the message arrow is spent; it cannot be used in the same way to send a response.
The message arrow cannot reach targets within a completely enclosed space, but it can accurately steer through any opening that is at least the size of an arrow slit. If the arrow cannot find the recipient or a suitable match within range, or if it is prevented from reaching the target by some barrier, it returns to the creature that fired it and embeds itself near that creature’s feet, its power spent and its shaft broken.
A crossbow bolt variant of this weapon can be fired from a crossbow instead of a standard bow. Either variety may be used as a masterwork item of its type if desired, though it has the normal chance for breakage
or loss, and it possesses no special combat properties.
Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item,
helping hand; Market Price: 400 gp.}

[BlueWizard]

Temple of Power:
Hiram mentions to Thaliana that when he spoke to the Guildmaster, he intended to send Holm the assassin along with the group for the very purpose of trapology and dungeoneering. Arha will assure his loyalty. Holm was originally part of a mission that Hiram himself had been a part of commissioning from behind the curtain. Holm also has ability with magical traps Hiram will assure.

Hiram explains a lot. Many 'looters' were seeking to unearth the Lost Cities of the North. Great and powerful artifacts are still hidden and must be destroyed or taken under the Church of Power's control if this is possible.
This is not an easy mission, for the drow rule ALL the underworld. ALL.
Only through sheer force via Aust the vampire, his minions, and the arcane ways of the Duchesses Sharon and Arha have the drow been pushed back from the 'crust' beneath Diamondell.

Hiram as well as this mysterious vampire that lives underneath the city will both be interested in seeing this undead-boomstick wielder in action, and want Thaliana and Ker-iki-skara to work on fully committing her to the cause of 'Power'.


Arha:
When Arha 'looks into' this Cthulhic temple, she is nearly blinded by the chaotic horrors in the planes protecting this underground blight. She will even have to check herself, for fear of losing sanity. Whatever protects this temple outside the material plane surpasses even Arha in power.

Likely, she will want to be close to Sharon after this. The twisted nightmares she glimpsed actually disturbed the dauntless Arha a little.
There is something else inside, this power is protecting, and will need serious consideration.

The priests say it is likely minions of Cthulhu. Minions of Cthulhu are very bad.

Agathe:
The priestess is fascinated by this new bullet concept, and then she will jump right interrogating Agathe on her tribes' mysterious technology.

She will also wonder if Agathe wants to live again. Her offer from the Tiamat-branch of Power:
"For 10 years of service. My master says he is willing to give you Life. Perhaps your families, for more service."

OOC- Kerafin also has seen the nightmares, and would have mentioned her sleeping trouble recently to Arha. Kerafin was a close bed-mate of Arha recently, and will be tight with Sharon in Arha's absence... however long it is.
The group will be politely entertained, but Kerafin will urge Arha to get the group moving. And some of the luxuries will start disappearing. 'What do you mean no room-service?'

[Torgarn]

That will be fine Hiram, If you give me but some time to prepare my spells, I will be happy to set out right away.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha is definitely feeling rebuffed from that view and she isn't trying that again anytime soon. She will spend more time with Kerafin and start arranging supplies for the trip and stockpiling her spell components.

[GrassyGnoll]

"A tempting offer," Agathe wheezes, "But Life's not worth much without loved ones. Leave me to settle my business in Chester. For now, I'm convinced this journey beyond the grave is a one-way path. Only the Sun rises again.""

[BlueWizard]

To Gobton:
Eventually, you will all need to return to Gobton. The roads are not bad, so it won't take long. No need to be surreptitious since you are with a Lady of the realm. By the time you reach the wood near the Goblinoid 'village', you will have heard the drumbeat and lit bonfires for miles.

Village is a bit of an understatement, since this encampment had tens of thousands of goblinoids from bugbears to hobgoblins, and even inbetween. The major mode of transit is a large lizard used as a horse, in labor too. These large lizards have poor vision, but can see in dark. There are a variety of colors from grey, green, and even white colors. They can be used on land, but they have trouble in daylight combat.

The whole community is awaiting the arrival of Arha and company, even if it only to pass by. The ground will shake, and all the birds of the woods will be fleeing the valley.


OOC- Eventually, likely after breakfast, the group will set off. The group could walk and easily reach the Gobton Valley before noon.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha will prefer to ride on a lizard. As they approach the masses waiting to greet them, she smile and wave to them as they head to their destination. Likely the leaders will expect to have a meeting with them before anything is actually done.

[BlueWizard]

The goblin chief-king is a hobgoblin in heavy plate, a wooden pyramid, and a wooden painted statue of Arha loom behind the chief's wood-palace complex. It is lit brightly by torches and bonfires.

There are drums, flutes, and horns playing music in celebration. Rockin' goblin scores on a level of artistry heard rarely by any non-goblinoids.

The chief-king and his 12 bugbear guardians in plate-armor, will be roaring in celebration as the sea of goblinoids split before the entourage.

Above a green flash will get everyone's attention, it is a green dragon-knight upon a juvenile or young adult dragon. The dragon is still fierce and lands mightily in a clearing nearby created by scattering goblins. Goblins celebrated and cheer as the dragon lands non-violently.

The rider dismounts, and will strut forward. He lifts the mask and removes the helmet, and kneels before Thaliana, but does look long and hard at Arha. He speaks to her mind. "Prince Kheva at your service please. Your present company is on the verge of greatness, and I wish to throw in with the Lady of Gobton, with the priestess's permission first of course." Because of Thaliana's relationship with the church, she will know this handsome raven haired fellow, with glittering emerald eyes, must be the Green Prince, or his father. Though this young man, could not be 25.

His gaze will pierce Arha's magicks, but she can resist his charm.
"I think the White King wastes your grace's time." His charm is powerful, and his voice will send warm-chills to parts down south when he speaks directly to Arha. Still, she sees him as a magicked-man. His green dragon-scale armor glitters before all to see.

Thaliana will be charmed outright, but he subdues the power on the priestess as to not upset the divine-one.

[Airanath]

Thaliana smiles at the knight, feeling that Asmodeus might be feeling generous sending one such exactly when they lack their strongest physical combatent, his mind tricks might prove usefull enslaving a new one.
"You are welcome Kheva, for glory and greatness belong to those with the power to seize it. Only the weak shall be judged unworthy and may the great one teach them strenght thereafter, for weakness is sin." the priestess nods aknowledging and accepting the prince, she them goes closer to Ker'iki'skara, and locks her arms with his, to hide her disgust at mind-magic, and calm herself further.

[Torgarn]

Ker'iki'skara giggles slightly at the attempt of Kheva to charm his companions,
Silly man think's we are easily manipulated his eyes glint dangerously as he looks as Kheva.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha takes in the sights and waves to the crowd. She's pleased with the progress they've made and the group's reception.

While the green dragon is landing, she'll dismount from her lizard. While Prince Kheva greets Thaliana, she gives him a long hard look. Privately she agrees with him, her intended seems to be backing out of the deal by delay after delay after delay and this Prince is looking pretty hot. She briefly wonders what his politics are (since she is with Kerafin and Sharon and they'd be interested in his potential impact on things) but soon she's back to admiring him again and flicking her wings a little draw his attention.

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe sits on her mount, draped in her over-sized traveler's cloak. A bulky blunderbuss taps her left knee at the rhythm of her lizard's crawl. Across her back hangs the double-barreled shotgun responsible for much of her dungeoneering success.

"One more princeling couldn't hurt," she admits, "But don't expect a walk through the gardens. This is real mercenary work."

[BlueWizard]

Before All of Gobton:
"My dragon is forbidden from entering the Underdark, but I pledge myself to the cause."

Kheva looks at Kerik for a moment, "You're no mere tiefling are you..." He is more curious.


OOC- Doh, mixed up some of what is said in mind to Arha and aloud, after this post, it will be assumed all have heard him speak and swear to Thaliana first.

Kheva eyes Agathe and raises an eyebrow, but isn't sure what to say for a moment. "I assure you. I have fought in a great many battles."

When Kheva has a moment, he will bow, and attempt to kiss Arha's hand. "The hand of Tiamat is only your better." He will savor moment with her hand openly.

He looks back to Thaliana. "My lord of the green church sends his might and fortitude your way."

[GrassyGnoll]

"Great," Agathe echoes.

The growing retinue of nobles began to weigh on Agathe. Their politics and motives were of no interest to her, but if she couldn't secure payment for her services she feared being left out in the cold.

"With this number of factions chipping in, just who's financing this expedition? Picking loot off corpses is what I was doing before you regal lot started taking notice. Now I'm picking loot off corpses and leading tours of ruins, free of charge."

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha will allow him to kiss her hand and she'll continue to flirt with him (although it probably isn't the most appropriate thing to do - oh well... :smallamused: )

"We'll be glad to have your company on this trip." She doesn't answer Agathe since as she recalls, she's the one that gathered up supplies for this trip.

[Airanath]

"I think I speak for the church when I say the Lord of the Nine could offer you your payment, I could summon his might as to repay you if you wish. Maybe find our where those you hate are, so you can send them into damnation? Or ask him about lost ones so you could attempt to retrieve them from whatever torments may have been forced on them. He might be willing to reverse the rotting in your body if you pledge yourself to him. Gold is not hard to ask either, we could voice your wishes to father Hiran next time in town, he will most likely understand." the priestess offers, attempting to tempt the undead woman, and at the same time hoping that the father might understand, he did, after all, ask her to approach her, and keep her close, even learn about her weapon and secrets.

[Torgarn]

Or we could offer to simply not destroy the souls of all who you have cared for, gnashing them and squeezing them into nothingness. Ker'iki'skara giggles malevolently.

[GrassyGnoll]

"I'll need the service of diviners, true. And a priest of influence. Throw in a couple wagons filled with gold and I can start my roaring rampage of revenge proper."

Agathe dismounts and begins the short hike to their excavation's entrance.

"Pelor willing," she groans over her shoulder to Kerik, "Those souls are at peace in Elysium inviolable. The likes of us will never see the inside of those gates."

[BlueWizard]

The Green Knight hears Agathe, but looks for Arha to answer. Then is pleasantly surprised when Thaliana takes over. He reads Arha's mind and looks back to Agathe with a smirk, "A golden wagon! Once I am a Duke. We all have our price. I volunteer to gain allies. Rest of us? Sure we have our motives... And you do seem quite capable of being our guide... " Kheva then looks suspiciously at Holm, who has been trying to remain hidden among the mass of surrounding goblinoids. He continues to talk to Agathe regardless of where his glittery green eyes look.

"If it is undead plague you seek revenge for then likely you will seek none other than, my grace's ex-boyfriend." Young 20-some year-old Kheva looks wisely into Arha's eyes, with a magical quick glance. This time you all see as his power overwhelms her, she finds him rather charming, even more so than the 20+ charisma calls for. All of you will see Arha swoon even more than she would've liked to before him, but this dark haired, green eyed fellow is quite attractive in his own right. Thaliana might even consider breaking some minor vows to get at his 'attentions'. Though his attention is now on mighty Arha. "I daresay, Agathe, I think we all may help one another. YOU seek the cause of the plague? Correct? Well, if not the minions... I can at least show you to undeath's current lord and master.

Arha... whaddya say, I can finance a trip to that bastard's backyard. I can borrow THAT much from my father.

You want revenge, Agathe?
I know where the g@#damn Lich-king sleeps!"

{OOC- All, but Agathe is aware of the charm now upon Arha.}

Arha OOC- She rolled a '1' that time. :smalltongue:

[GrassyGnoll]

"Liches don't sleep," Agathe deadpans.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha swoons and looks beautiful doing it, all of her thoughts and intentions vanish in that one moment of looking in his eyes. Later she'll probably hate her own reaction, but for now, she's enjoying it as she slips one arm around his waist.

As for his proposition, she does what the charming man next to her wants, but she does add, "I've already been there, he was nothing for me to worry about." It's clear she has a low opinion of the Lich King.

[BlueWizard]

Though he is paying little heed to Agathe he will cintinue to speak to her. The prince is continuing to have his own fantasies about Arha. "Well, they THOUGHT they put him to rest. We want to work with you, Mrs. Agathe.
I assure you, no temple is funded like the temple of Power, and we are very open minded. Thaliana and I serve different gods, and we each serve a special purpose. My goddess is the Guardian. Thaliana's god serves rulers and nobility."

Kheva slips his arm around Arha's shoulder, he speaks to her mind. "I doubt he would welcome such a return."

The chief-king by now has dismounted his wooden dais. He is loud, obnoxious, and lacks any manners. He hugs the Green Knight, startling him momentarily. "HEY!!! What's with this standing around!!! I am good host too!!! We celebrate Arha, and her mate!!! We have two lords of Power with us now." By 'mate' he is indicating Ker-iki-skara, and will go up to his former acquaintance. "Lord Kerik! What foolish being are you to not say you are lover to the anointed Arha?" He will then gruffly hug Ker-iki-skara, if allowed. The chief has had a lot to drink. The bugbear followers stay back.

With a wave and nod of his hand, Kheva will telepathically dismiss his dragon, though not all of you may know what he is doing. The dragon, about the size of a clydesdale with wings, flies off to the South.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Well, well, well, this is getting more amusing by the moment. Arha doesn't disabuse Chief-King of his notion that Ker'iki'skara is her mate and she grins in reply to his comments about being a good host.

"Of Course, Chief-King, you are most hospitable to everyone, what celebration do you have planned for our arrival? It must be great to invite so many."

[BlueWizard]

The Chief-King laughs, "Why a huge celebration!!! It will last for weeks in your honor, and I will sacrifice many virgins in your honor..."

The Green Knight is sarcastic, "Not unless you want to risk the wrath of the elves, goblin-chief. I seriously doubt we will have too much time to party. The more time we tarry, the more chaos seeps into this land from below."

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha grins at the Chief-King and winks at him before she leans close to Kheva to whisper in his ear that no, she isn't planning to stay for the party, but she has no objections to all of his subjects partying while they head off in the chaos that it'll cause.

As for Holm...he's staying back, watching, listening, gathering information.

[Torgarn]

Kahahaha Ker'iki'skara laughs madly at the thought of himself being linked with Arha. I would not lay with one such as her. One so easily dominated would not be a. Hrmm. Challenge.

[Airanath]

Thaliana holds back a laugh from Ker'iki'skara's comment and Arha's reaction both to the chief and the comment.
"Now, now Ker... Don't be mean to her, not everyone is as thick skulled as you to bounce back any charms like they were hitting a wall." she teases the demonling and holds her arm to his, giving a message that if anyone, she would be the deviling pair.

[Torgarn]

Yes, how... unfortunate. Ker'iki'skara says dryly, the mad smile still hanging on his face.

[BlueWizard]

Many ways down.

Agathe will easily be able to lead back to the route they fled from. Short walk from Goblin-king's temple grounds.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha concludes that Ker'iki'skara is an idiot and doesn't expect much out of him, since he obviously has no clue. She'll hang out with Kheva and she prefers to be in the middle of the group when they head underground.

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe leads the company across the temple grounds to the entrance of their excavation. Down a crumbling stairwell, through corridors splattered with ichor and blood, and left down a second staircase; she leads them to a circular chamber with twelve doors. She opens the fourth door from the left to a small room with a trap-door in the middle.

"Here we go," Agathe kicks the hatch open, "Down this ladder is a magical darkness and the hunting grounds of a Bar-Igura clan. There's a tunnel which leads to the inner temple either which way. Missus Thaliana here knows a spell to enable sight in the abyssal shadow, which I nominate to be cast on yours truly."

{Agathe has Darkvision 90' and a permanent See Invisibility enchantment. She'll lead marching order along with Rheva.}

[BlueWizard]

Kheva too takes offense at Kerik, but merely gives Arha a subtle look to let her know he is displeased.

Agathe's path will be interrupted once the group leaves Gobton proper. Now you would be out in the wood-folk goblins. Among these a woman in a hooded light blue robe, with dark pink trim stops you.

You can't see her face much, but her hair appears to be a light blue, her skin very pale. "You are not welcome here. Turn back now!" The woman doesn't even look up from the hood, but points with one finger back to Gobton, lit up with smoke and bonfires on the other side of the forest.

This woman has an imperial accent, and is above average in height, and a thin model build.

[Torgarn]

Who the hell are you? Ker'iki'skara says glaring daggers at her.

[Airanath]

"Prostrate and apologize woman. And then take the rabble with you out of our way!" Thaliana orders, her voice strong and ressonating, carrying hints of the lord of the nine voice on it, and his orders are absolute.
(Using Suggestion(DC:19) on the goblin woman. Been meaning to at least play with it for a while, also, under spoiler below, the list of spells prepared for this day).

0- Detect Magic (3), Create Water (1), Read Magic (1), Detect Poison (1)
1- Ebon Eyes (2), Healthfull Rest (1), Sanctuary(2), Blood Wind(1)
Bane(D)
2- Bull's Strenght(1), Fox Cunning(D), Curse of Ill Fortune(2), Dark Way(1), Cure Moderate Wounds(1)
3- Summon Monster 3 (D), Magic Circle Against Chaos(1), Cure Serious Wounds(1), Dispell Magic (1), Demon Dirge(1)
4- Sugestion (D), Summon Monster 4, Cure Critical Wounds(1), Air Walk(1)
5- Summon Monster 5(D), Summon Monster 4(Imbued Summoning Metamagic) (1), Vulnerabilty(1)
Any spells not on the SRD are from Spells compendium.
Dark Way creates a path made of shadows that allows us to cross over chasms or other troubles. It can be placed on any angle, the restriction is it must start and end on solid surfaces.
Vulnerabilty reduces an enemies Damage Resistance.
Blood Wind gives a creature the ability to use its natural attacks at range, its there to play with all those summon spells that my list is gaining.

[GrassyGnoll]

Not inclined to entertain further drama or mystery, Agathe steps forward to forcibly draw the woman's hood back.

{Ready a grapple check to detain if she turns hysterical}

[BlueWizard]

This pale skinned woman is no skinny hobgoblin, but her form and voice seem to be that of a human. There are goblins in the woods, but all are running the other direction or at the very least staying clear of all of you.

The goblins of Gobton know to stay clear of where Agathe was leading you all.

The woman snarls, and is defiant to Thaliana and Ker-iki-skara. "I would never bow to you! Limited-mind fools!!"

As Agathe moves in, the blue-haired lady reveals she is much more than a mere mortal. With incredible speed she steps back, reacting before Agathe, and will prepare to be grappled. Her hood moves a little, revealing a little of her chin, a grin, and some particularly interesting canine-fangs when she hisses. This looks like a vampire to Arha and Thaliana. The sun does bother her, and it is clear she is staying under the hood. Her hands are also wearing pretty gloves.

The lady stands in a ready defensive pose, but does not attack yet. She wears simple cloth, no armor, her hands look ready to cast. She holds, and likely, Arha thinks, that the pockets on her dress-robe are actually spell pouches. The lady waits for Agathe to come at her fully.

Initiative:
Blue-haired Lady
Agathe 5+7

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe breaks away from her attempted grasp and in a single motion slings her boomstick under the shoulder and level with her waist. With the clack of a safety lever and hammer, Agathe shoots point blank from the hip. There's a deafening flash of light and powder between the undead women.

{Free: Quick Draw, 5 ft. step back
Stance: Hot-Blooded Gunman Bravado (permits power attack on firearm attacks)
Move: Careful Strike (+4 attack/damage within 30', plus PBS for +5 total)
Standard: Battle Mandala (True strike + 2d6, -18 on true strike for power attack) for [roll]5d6+27+2d6} 60 damage OOC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11904171&postcount=554)}

[BlueWizard]

Agathe's shot is true, but this blue-haired lady was waiting for any attack, and she dissipates into mist, and sinks into the ground. The shot would have hit her, and her light blue eyes flash in anger, though squint painfully at the sun, before she turns to mist.

The way Agathe seeks down is about 500 feet away.

{OOC- Was she leading to the original entrance, or the place that the group fled. Either way you were followed, but what comes next depends. :smallcool:}

Holm and Kheva look on curiously.
Kheva mutters, "That looked like a girl I knew..."


Intelligence from Holm to Arha:
He saw the human druids hang back among the hoard of goblins, and it sounded like they said foul things about the lady Arha.

[wxdruid]

Arha

To bad, the vampire disappeared before Arha could do very much, at least they found out she was a vampire, gives Arha some ideas for the next time they meet.

As for the nude druids and their talk, Arha thanks Holm for the information and then sends it back via a message through one of her bracelets to Sharon so she'll know about their mutterings. This doesn't seem like the best time to start a fight with the druids when they're about to go underground.

[BlueWizard]

Kheva nods in Arha's direction as if he is recalling something, "I think I heard of this girl. Selma is her name. I think. Some distant relative of mine I'm sure through someone or other. But, she was a real bitch. And an actual whore. Seriously. Noble, but really a whore.
Anyway, she went nuts, jealous after this sorceress* up here in Sunhaven. I heard Selma was killed, there is a rumor she came back to hunt down this girl... and I think she failed again.

It's got to be her. And if she's back again, then I'm sure her crazy mother is around here. She's easy to spot too, for she has magenta hair. Seriously. They aren't even dragon-kin. Just chaotic-magic I think. And if it is them, then you gotta be careful with their WILD-Magic. Dare not come any further if you fear it, for none come away unscathed in battles against Wild-magic.

Knowing the Azur-clan girls, I wouldn't be surprised if they were luring us into a trap."


*{OOC- The 'lost' tales of Cassy and the Orc-slayers have been purged from the boards, but I have saved these old tales at home. Arha is only two PC connections from Cassy, as she is a friend of Raven.}

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe stands frozen. Her shadow flickers over the ground Selma disappeared into without any apparent play of light.

"Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor. Rich man, poor man, dead man, thief. I will harry all without distinction."

{Order Shadow to follow the vampire.}

[Torgarn]

Hah, I'll flay the flesh from her bones. Then, I'll start the torture. Ker'iki'skara, grins widely, as he imagines the fun he'll have when they are found.

[BlueWizard]

The shadow has no tracking but will do its best.

OOC- Unless I am mistaken.

[BlueWizard]

The shadow will 'track' the vampire to an underground passage.

There will be a powerful being here that she flies to and surrounds. {How is the shadow able to communicate? Say for instance it doesn't make it back up?}

[GrassyGnoll]

{I was assuming it was traveling between the gaseous vampire and surface. The vampire could attempt to strain the beeline between Agathe the shadow by diving straight down, forcing it to traveler farther between "pings". Shadows cannot speak intelligibly, so I assume it communicates with Agathe through some form of empathy or implicit telepathy.}

Agathe staggers to a halt. Her shadow condenses to a humanoid form at her feet. She bares a silent, hideous snarl and turns back toward the ruins.

"Its master is here."

The undead hunter leads the company back along the trail leading down into the ruins.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha has no other comments on the vampire or tracking it. She's sure it won't leave them alone so will show up sooner or later.

She's ready to go when Agathe is.

[BlueWizard]

Agathe will sense from the shadow that there was strength of numbers below. Confident with no fear of the shadow. It was bright with magic light, and the shadow shied away.

Agathe will find the region that she was going to lead down now guarded by a metal hut. It looked like vendor at a carnival, only it was manned by 3 gith in leather, who watch curiously as you approach.

If you try to enter the side door of the hut, one will say, "You must pay the fee to go down. A genuine pearl or its equivalent in gold."

An arrogant one chuckles, "100 gold for you dirt-born humans. He-he."

The 1st one is older and more wrinkled, ignores 2nd. "Per adventurer, of course."

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe regards the gith bemusedly.

"What's yer game?" she asks flatly, "Been a lot of traffic round here lately?"

{How secure is this metal hut? Are the gith inside or standing around? How large is the side-door or any other opening for that matter?}

[BlueWizard]

The metal hut appears to be mad of tin. The door is made for a wide human. All three gith are in a compartment room in front of the hut, behind them is a purple-grey curtain. You cannot see where the door goes, it is behind the curtain.

Gith trio speaks from behind a service-window. The lead gith is a business man, and smiles when Agathe parleys with him. "Very, busy. Very busy. Not much coming up though, but we know the trip is worth it for wealth if you can survive. Otherwise the price might be more."

[GrassyGnoll]

{Detect magic anyone?}

Agathe listens to the gith elder. The claim that these gith had weathered previous bands of blood-thirsty adventurers cast serious doubt over her own appraisal of the situation. The whole claim-jumping scheme nagged her with too many questions she'd never have answered satisfactorily.

"I'm guessin' you skedaddle soon as your mark puts up the clams. No sense in charging a toll if you get murdered soon as you let 'em in," Agathe mimics an exasperated sigh. She drags Prince Kheva forward and interposes him between herself and the help booth, "You talk to them, Kheva."

Agathe slips out of sight and behind the purple-gray curtain.

{Hide in Plain Sight + Shadow jump 10 ft. If Agathe has the element of surprise and another round to act, she'll draw her blunderbuss and blow the three gith away with a Foehammer/Careful Strike empowered blast [roll0] in a cone, no attack roll}

[BlueWizard]

The Gith all look surprised at one another when Agathe threatens them, "Oh, now this isn't good at all." Frowns the lead gith, "I hope you are jesting. I'd hate to report you all to the Better Business Bureau."

Kheva looks at Agathe, "I want no trouble with them. Not for this paltry sum. Is this a problem for you?"

Agathe will have trouble hiding since they seem very paranoid about the curious undead human lady. Even Kheva keeps an eye on her.

[GrassyGnoll]

{This hut is dimension door immune? There are shadows inside and just beyond the curtain. Agathe is shadow jumping past the curtain separating the booth from the main hut.

If Agathe can't Hide before making the jump, can't she hide after? As in just after she warps behind the cover of said curtain. Or forget the Hide check, the wording on Shadow Jump/dimension door says Agathe can bring along Kheva.

Agathe is attempting one of two courses of action
A. Shadow jump behind curtain alone
Hide check
Blunderbuss ambush!
???
Profit!

B. Shadow jump into the middle of booth with Kheva
Maul gith to death
???
Profit!}

[Torgarn]

Ker'iki'skara steps forward, I have no money. I can flay one of your number alive if that would satisfy you. he gestures to Thaliana, Or this one could let my all-mighty father know that you are deterring us from his tasks.

[BlueWizard]

The silent gith will fold his arms and fade away planarly.

The other two will not stop the group, and will move to open the door.
"Oh. I see how this is. You know this is why we can never leave your people in charge. I assure you, the Ogres will hear of this."

The arrogant one sneers at the tiefling, "It will be your flesh the dark one seeks when he comes to this plane."

Inside the Hut:
There is a metal stair built here into the ground indoors; in a metal lined room. It is a light flimsy metal similar to tin. Arha knows of Aluminum, and has seen gith silos and barns, it is sold cheaply to some peasant folk of Diamondell.

The gith will not stop your descent, unless they are attacked, you will be able to walk far into the darkness below...

[GrassyGnoll]

"Nonsense," Agathe spits the words, "Claim-jumping varmints 'spectin' to rob this company. They've been here all week, fleecing the lambs before slaughter."

Agathe heads watch down the dark stairs. She shambles down the flight of steps, following the trail to the shadowy well.

[Airanath]

The situation resolved quickly, without the priestess needing to waste her voice on the lowly gith, she walks to the entrance, and calls for the blessing of devil sight upon Agathe once they hit the magical dark.
((Cast Ebon Eyes on Agathe once we are close to magical darkness))

[BlueWizard]

Kheva tells Agathe to keep her cool. "I am sure we could've killed those gith. They know that. I don't know anything about business, but I do know that keeping peace with the gith is really important. There are billions of gith-kin."

Everything is different now. The descent too easy. Clearly this area was magically changed, or at least near-instantly manufactured. It was only days since the group was here, at most!
There will be poison gas released, and a few closing hatches to trap you in the stairwell...

OOC- Too traps many go off to avoid, it will now be necessary to escape.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Well, they have to pay, then they don't, then she finds out what happens when they don't. At least she has darkvision now and can see a little in the dark unlike when she was human. And now...poison gas, she holds her breath and immediately looks for a way down and out, she's ready to push her way out if necessary.

She also prepares to bloodwalk if necessary to get out of here, that particular talent doesn't require speaking to complete. She also doesn't know the layout down here, so teleporting would be a bad idea and she can bloodwalk between two living creatures for a good distance.

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe does not so much as blink at the poison gas hissing through the stairwell. She scrambles down the stairs to keep pace with the hurried lung-sacks that comprised her present company.

[BlueWizard]

The way up and down is blocked.
There is maybe 2 minutes of air where you are trapped. The aluminum moves magically it appears that the stairs moved to block the way.

[Torgarn]

Ker'iki'skara begins waving his hands, muttering to himself. In a moment e transforms into a large insect-like creature. Scuttling towards the doors he touches his antennae to them.

OOC: Using polymorph to turn into a rust monster from MM1. using rust attack on doors.

[BlueWizard]

The rusting effect works on the blocked aluminum stair, though it seems muffled. The effect is lessened and slowed.

The group will be able to get to ground floor in this manner, with only annoyances from the poison gas.

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe ambles on toward the well. The undead sentinel hoists her boomstick at the ready now that they'd reached the dungeon chambers.

[Airanath]

Thaliana gasps for the fresher air of the underdark, free of the poisonous fumes of the traps.
"Those Gith,in particular, DO seem to be a problem tought, if the rest of their kin doesn't yet." the priestess points out in an acid remark. "For now, we do have more important matters at hands, but i am of a mind to smite those fools later so they know not to attempt this kind of trickery. I doubt they are poisoning just those who refuse their toll either."

[BlueWizard]

The aluminum shaft led straight down. Everything is different from Agathe's memory. It is as if they want you to find the Temple of Cthulhu. To save yourself from poison, some brute force is needed to get through aluminum 'blocks' weakened by the slowed rusting power of Monster.

The entire way down has been rebuilt, and where the RUST-Monster destroyed the aluminum stair, magical reshaping of stone is seen. On a MASSIVE scale!!

Arha has never been to this dark chamber, but she has seen many like it.

It no longer was lit with magical darkness with light sources, including Kheva's green glowing sword, the great chamber can be see as shadowy. The near 70-foot statue of Cthulhu carved from rock.
It straddles a dwarfed entrance into the rockface before you. There is a 30 foot tall incubus and succubus cradling the leg of this towering octopus-faced god in the black rock, it is literally fearful to behold. {All of you can steel yourself against the effect, but there are still penalties for all when you enter this place.}

Those of you who have been here before will start to who have flashes of forgotten nightmares.

Milo had found s crack in the North-west wall of this chamber, it is through this that the moisture leaks onto the ground. This is gone, as well, as the original passages from whence you came.

This Outer Temple chamber is big, clearly magically-made.

http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n596/OldBlueWizard/cthulhu_statue.gif

[GrassyGnoll]

The trace remains of Agathe's shattered psyche piece together her most lingering fear. A land of the restless dead, her kin, ravenous and mindless. Life subverted and death in reign, the end of sentient live.

Memories of their first flight from the temple flicker though Agathe's absent mind. Agathe had a poor sense of time herself and the fortnight spent crawling out of the underdark could just as easily been five misplaced minutes.

"We didn't escape this crypt," she coldly realizes, "It let us go."

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha was getting a bit claustrophobic back there and she's relieved when Ker'iki'skara finds an easy way to get away from the poison gas. When they arrive at the Temple door, she's irritated. This shouldn't have been able to take root here and now they'll have to go through the long process of getting rid of it. Sharon hates Cthulhu and Arha knows that she won't want an underground temple within her lands.

"Apparently it wants you back... are we still going in?" Arha is expecting to continue onwards and she's already thinking of spells she might need to use for this trip downwards. She also wonders how far away Barven is right now and if his House is involved in any of this.

[GrassyGnoll]

"Heh," Agathe laughed harshly, "It's a real pity I didn't bring enough blackpowder for demolitions."

The two horns of powder at Agathe's belt were adequate fuel for her arms alone. In her life, Agathe had collected the recipe for blackpowder and prepared small pouches for the rangers that would visit her husband's lodge. The teenage peasant wife. The father and valued woodsman. The town on the hill.

All dead. Gone. Whereabouts unknown.

"A real pity."

[Torgarn]

Ker'iki'skara changes back into his usual form. Brushing his lengthy hair back and tying it into a ponytail, he grins. Even if the creature is a monster and our enemy, you have to admit that it's power is to be admired.

[BlueWizard]

Arha is no expert, but she can tell this temple is really old. Even older than the castle she and Sharon lived in with Kerafin. Drow ruled here likely at one time.

There was a secret lower entrance the group took before, and apparently an exit, that none of you remember leaving from. You just found yourself fleeing in the woods.

{OOC- Ignore the block in the picture, the entrance is right under those dangly things between its legs.}

[wxdruid]

Arha

The only power that Arha admires is her own or the power she's about to acquire...

She keeps Holm to her back and squarely faces the abomination. "It looks like this temple might be older than I am. And we get to pass right between his legs to get inside."

She finds that a little amusing and she's still waiting to see if anyone else wants to go first.

[BlueWizard]

As the group nears the entrance with the dangly things you will see movement leaping from the doorway. There is a tense moment, but Kerik, Thaliana, and Agathe will recognize their good friend, Ptik-drit the Thri-kreen!!

He is drenched in kython goo, and just about blended the front ranks before shouts of acknowledgment are made. You are in luck, no one was hurt this day.

Ptik-drit lands in front of the group, and he will also have destroyed the mechanisms that dump chemicals. He can't remember the layout, but he knows he slew scores of kythons in his search for Milo. Milo isn't here! He knows it, his pheromone was not in the place but only in passing.

{OOC- Welcome back Tuesday. Give a description of the 'BUG' to the pretty devil-duchess: Arha. The rest he is well-aquainted with.}

[Torgarn]

I congratulate you on your ability to survive this place. Ker'iki'skara grins, doing a flowery bow towards Ptik-drit. You were truly a good decision for us to bring along.

[tuesdayscoming]

Following his landing, Ptik'drit bounces excitedly on his long, insectile legs. He stands around six feet tall, and wears a now-tattered and gruesomely stained red turtleneck sweater. It is obvious that he has been actively stitching the garment together, and his limited sewing skills have made the thing a sight to see. This on top of the extraordinary sight that is a six-foot tall anthropomorphic grasshopper.

Flaying his many arms out around him, he chortles and clicks to himself, almost as if he was searching for words, before shouting out, "Friends!"

If Arha has ever met a thri-kreen before, she will no doubt notice that there are a few... peculiarities about this one. First, there is the extra set of arms – three total. And if she peers closely through one of the many holes in his sweater, she may just notice a few tufts of thick fur jutting out from gaps in the dark-gray spiked armor he wears.

His eyes shifting to Thaliana, he drops swiftly to a knee, bowing his head. "This one... he left to find Milo. He should not have done this, Lady, he knows. Dangers are many, many."

Standing abruptly, he lunges forward, and grasps the priestess firmly by the shoulders. "Why did the Lady come back? Why? These ones must flee, now. Terrible things lurk in the dark here. Far worse than ape-demons and kython kings."

If he even notices the presence of the newcomers, he certainly does not make it obvious.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha keeps back for the moment as the giant insect greets his friends. She's a bit taken aback by his height, but she doesn't show her reaction in any obvious way. She'll wait politely to be introduced.

[Torgarn]

Of course there are. It wouldn't be any fun otherwise. Ker'iki'skara says grinning madly. Regardless, it is good to see you again. he turns to Arha, this is Ptik-drit, he's quite good at slaughtering things.

[BlueWizard]

Standing in Arha's shadow is a masked ninja-looking rogue. He nods his head. Muttering to the Thir-kreen. "Hey, again. Just me, Holm."

There is also another fellow that has hung back for the most part. Rear-guard is VERY important. A green-scaled dragon knight steps up to greet Ptik-drit, but leaves his fancy green dragon helmet covered. "Kheva. Hello.
I'm afraid my friend that we must go in, and destroy this place. I hear there were kythons. Though judging by the goo, I can see you've had no trouble."

Holm whispers to Arha, "Hey, we should watch that BUG. Something may not be right. We lost our warrior for a little while... Came back one day from the dark... Seemed normal at first. That place did something to him. Let's be careful." Arha's forced guardian bows respectfully to others, realizing they might've heard him.

[Airanath]

"Loyalty to one's friends is necessary Ptik, you just shouldn't place yourself in danger for others in such a hurry, we could have inquired about Milo's well being to the great lord." the priestess censures him, "But glad to have you back all the same, maybe we can locate him together this time."

Terrible things in the dark you say? the priestess laughs in a mocking tone, "I dare them to come, for the wrath of Asmodeus is the only thing to be feared! And the lord of nine orders these ruins and lowly temple purged from the world, and so he shall have!" she adds, hiding the shivers in her spine and the fear lurking her mind.

[Torgarn]

Also, killing them will be fun Ker'iki'skara says completely straight faced.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha politely greets Ptik'drit with a nod of her head, "Greetings Ptik'drit." She does her best to pronounce his name. "There is always a need for more warriors when we go underground to confront them."

She shrugs off Kheva's warning with a flip of her hair. She already has her own opinions on that topic.

[tuesdayscoming]

Finally noticing the others, Ptik releases his grip on Thaliana's shoulders. Nodding briefly at Holm, he turns his attention to Kheva. His head tilts to the side as the dragon knight speaks. His right antenna twitches down once, twice at the mention of the kythons. "All dead, gooey bits drained. Dead in dark, all."

As he speaks to Arha, he reaches back behind him and grabs one of his legs, raising it into the air in a painful looking stretch. "Hello, Arha lady. What type of human is she? Wings are... pretty" he strains over the last word

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha, always vain about her appearance, preens one wing in response to Ptik'drit's comment. "I am erinyes and human. Pleased to meet you Ptik'drit."

[tuesdayscoming]

Ptik chirrups merrily as he turns. "Greetings, devil prince. This one is glad to see you still alive." He offers a short, crisp bow before leaping into the air, waving to the undead tracker - his companion through each night's watch.

"Hello to the Agathe! This one will be pleased to have another to speak to while others sleep. Nights have been filled with the silent leaping and emptying of eyes; talk will be good."

[BlueWizard]

The ground shakes, and a 12-foot round evil spiky, beast breaks out through the large opening, destroying some of the dangly things.

This is a demon, and everyone by now knows a demon's weakness.
This one is like a sea-urchin with arms and demonic black-wings. It tries to send a spell toward Kheva, but the formidable dragon-knight held himself together. In the odd, fleshy arms of this purple spiked beast, it wields a huge silver pick.

In a sickly aura around this monster, there is a stench of green gas. It has just emerged from the opening, and attacked.

Initiatives:
Ptik-drit 20+6
Agathe 8+6
Kerik 11
Arha 4+7
Thaliana 3-1
Demon Urchin

[tuesdayscoming]

Already leaping towards the sound of this new threat, Ptik considers the merits of using his faithful cold-iron flail. But the ring of flesh around his throat, still bearing the mark from where Pearza grasped him, screams out. He knows that Hell's blessing is more powerful than any other weapon in his possession.

At the apex of his leap, Ptik does a magnificent backflip before diving headfirst down upon the demon. As he crashes into it, he is a flurry of whirling claws and clicking bites. With each attack that connects, he feels a cool burning ecstasy radiating out from the ring on his neck.

He has come to revel in this feeling. It means that some small part of the world is being purged.

After this first rush is complete, he blinks momentarily out of view, reappearing in the air some 10 feet above the creature. Again, he falls, and again he is a flurry of savage limbs.

As he lands, he kicks backwards, propelling himself towards the party. He ends up between the beast and his friends, hissing while crouched in a defensive stance.


Regardless of damage dealt, every successful natural attack gives the creature a negative level (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#energyDrainAndNegativeLevels) , and grants Ptik 5 temporary HP.

Jump: [roll0]

Charge 1:

Damage Doubled
Claw: [roll1][roll2]
Claw: [roll3][roll4]
Claw: [roll5][roll6]
Claw: [roll7][roll8]
Claw: [roll9][roll10]
Claw: [roll11][roll12]
Bite: [roll13][roll14]

Damage Undoubled
Falling Damage: [roll15]

Charge 2:

Damage Doubled
Claw: [roll16][roll17]
Claw: [roll18][roll19]
Claw: [roll20][roll21]
Claw: [roll22][roll23]
Claw: [roll24][roll25]
Claw: [roll26][roll27]
Bite: [roll28][roll29]

Damage Undoubled
Falling Damage: [roll30]

Sudden Leap Maneuver: [roll31]

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha takes a step back and begins a summoning spell. She will summon two ogre zombies (MM267) that will appear on the far side of the demon after one round.

[Airanath]

Thaliana gives a smile, full of bloodlust and hunger, she begins intoning a prayer to the dark lord, her body reverberating with his flowing might.

"Oh Great Lord of Nine, Asmodeus, lord of power and ruler supreme, I offer you this prey of the most despicable scum, I offer you this creature who stands in the way of the rule of Hell and disgusts your greatness."

Her words full of malice carry the evil of hell twisting into the spell, ready to smite the creature. (Cast Demon Dirge on the strange Demon, burning a turn attempt to make it a malignant spell, boosting the DC by 2. DC 20 Fort or he is stunned and takes damage for [roll0], if he succeeds, he still takes full damage.)
((Edit: Forgot to roll the 2d6 damage for this round.))

[GrassyGnoll]

{Uni keeping me down over the weekend}

Retro

"Well met," Agathe hails their surviving member, "If you can survive these labyrinthine depths it's a fair sign for all of us."

Demon attack!

The sudden appearance of the urchin-demon elicits a click and swivel of Agathe's boomstick. Agathe lines up a warning shot and looses it down the line of Ptik'drit's surge. In the fleeting moments of her crack shot, the appearance of two ogre zombies draws her attention like nothing but necromancy can. The undead hunter aims her sights between the two lumbering abominations and loads a fresh pair of shells.

{Free: Draw boomstick, PBS
Move: Careful Strike
Standard (-1 for PA, cold iron bullet): [roll0] for [roll1]}

[BlueWizard]

{OOC- I will pause as Ptik-drit updates himself. Really he is more impressive than that... and will need to be. Sorry for delays.}

[tuesdayscoming]

{Alright, let's try this again}

Already leaping towards the sound of this new threat, Ptik considers the merits of using his faithful cold-iron flail. But the ring of flesh around his throat, still bearing the mark from where Pearza grasped him, screams out. He knows that Hell's blessing is more powerful than any other weapon in his possession.

At the apex of his leap, Ptik does a magnificent backflip before diving headfirst down upon the demon. As he crashes into it, he is a flurry of whirling claws and clicking bites. With each attack that connects, he feels a cool burning ecstasy radiating out from the ring on his neck.

He has come to revel in this feeling. It means that some small part of the world is being purged.

After this first rush is complete, he blinks momentarily out of view, reappearing in the air some 10 feet above the creature. Again, he falls, and again he is a flurry of savage limbs.

As he lands, he kicks backwards, propelling himself towards the party. He ends up between the beast and his friends, hissing while crouched in a defensive stance.

Move: Jumping Charge
Standard: Teleport
Swift: Swift Leap maneuver

Using Power Attack for 12 (penalty to AC rather than To-Hit b/c of Shock Trooper)

Regardless of damage dealt, every successful natural attack gives the creature a negative level (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#energyDrainAndNegativeLevels) , and grants Ptik 5 temporary HP.

After the first successful attack, all subsequent attacks get +2 to hit and damage (before multiplying)

First Charge: (All to hit rolls are actually three higher than listed, and damage rolls are one higher. This is due to the effects of charging (forgot to incorporate) plus the +1 effect on his attacks.)
Damage Tripled
Unarmed Strike: [roll0][roll1]
Unarmed Strike: [roll2][roll3]
Unarmed Strike: [roll4][roll5]
Claw: [roll6][roll7]
Claw: [roll8][roll9]
Claw: [roll10][roll11]
Claw: [roll12][roll13]
Claw: [roll14][roll15]
Claw: [roll16][roll17]
Bite: [roll18][roll19]
Damage Undoubled
Falling: [roll20]

Second Charge:(All to hit rolls are actually three higher than listed, and damage rolls are one higher. This is due to the effects of charging (forgot to incorporate) plus the +1 effect on his attacks.)
Damage Tripled
Unarmed Strike: [roll21][roll22]
Unarmed Strike: [roll23][roll24]
Unarmed Strike: [roll25][roll26]
Claw: [roll27][roll28]
Claw: [roll29][roll30]
Claw: [roll31][roll32]
Claw: [roll33][roll34]
Claw: [roll35][roll36]
Claw: [roll37][roll38]
Bite: [roll39][roll40]
Damage Undoubled
Falling: [roll41]

Current HP = 99 + 5*number of successful attacks +24 (if any attack hit)
Curent AC = 14

[Torgarn]

Keriki'skara waves his hand in a odd gesture, words bursting from his mouth that sizzle in the air as they fall. He grins as his allies start to move noticeably faster.

OOC: Casting haste on everybody

[BlueWizard]

It begins!
Holm disappears into Arha's shadow.

Ptik-drit disappeared, dropped from above onto the beast, and flurried into blender mode as usual. He may have expected to turn this big sea-ball into jelly. It didn't happen, and in fact only snapped off a couple of spines. The demon resisted his blades as if it were made of demon-steel or something. He does get the monster's fleshy arms attention, as well as the massive prism of eyes that focus on him from above the gaping maw.
{OOC- He gains 10 hp.}

Agathe's shot ricochets off harmlessly.

Kheva charges in and tries to engage the monster, he is battered by its attack of opportunity.

Kerik's spell works, but he can feel odd magicks at work here.
HASTE upon all!

Arha begins summoning....

Thaliana's Demon-Dirge looks like it did nothing to the high-powered beast.

The demon turns its mighty pick upon the Thir-kreen, and batters it so hard that Ptik-drit has to check himself. He is spewing green bug innards. {D:61}

End Round 1---------------------->

Initiatives:
Ptik-drit 20+4 hp 48/99
Holm
Agathe 8+6
Kheva
Kerik 11 - HASTE upon ALL
Arha 4+7
Thaliana 3-1
Demon Urchin

[tuesdayscoming]

{OOC he got +4 Str and Con from the first attack, so +24 health in addition to the 10 temporary, so HP should be 72/123}

Even as he feels the powerful soul-stuff of this creature seeping into him, Ptik cannot help but feel frustrated at the ineffectiveness of his attacks. But he has only a moment to contemplate his failure before the devastating blow to his torso.

Staggering to maintain his footing, he clasps his side while cursing in his native tongue.

"Schkit'er'kreck"

Without doubt this is the most fearsome foe he has faced in his short life, let alone in the dark of this pit...

"Lady," he cries out "this one requires your blessing!"

Ptik will delay his initiative until the other members of the party have gone.

"Can the Prince or the Arha subdue the beast? This one cannot hurt it now!"

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha finishes her spell and commands the ogres to attack the enemy with their greatclubs. ((MM267))

Ogre 1
Attack [roll0] Damage [roll1]

Ogre 2
Attack [roll2] Damage [roll3]

After Ptik-drit's attack, Arha doesn't think the ogres will do much, but they may distract the demon from attacking one of their group.

Arha casts Death Armor on herself for a little bit of extra protection. ((any creature striking her with handheld weapons or their body takes 1d4+10 damage. How far away are is the main group from the demon?))

[Airanath]

Seeing her spell fail the priestess takes a moment to recompose herself, this is one might foe to be able to shrug off the Lord of Nine touch. She analyzes the creature, pondering its anatomy and comparing it to her knowledge of the lexicons on demons and devils, seeking a weakness and a way to crush this being.
Knowledge(Planes): [roll0]

Even as the answer forms in her mind, the priestess feels a surge on her body and mind, divine power coursing and burning her from within like molten magma, the always painful remainder of her master's will, and the pleasant knowledge of his gaze and blessing all in one. Her toughts are overriden for a moment, and her body moves almost on its own toward the creature, shadows and fire gather in her hand, while the words for the spell leave her lips, and the gestures for its casting are made.
(Casting Vulnerability on the creature. Its corrupted, so a DC of 22. If the creature fails the save, its DR is lowered by 5 points. Subject to spell resistance)

Touch attack: [roll1]
Check for SR: [roll2]

After that is done, she blinks, regathering her surounds, and going back to the line of tought she had before, trying to find the creatures weaknesses.

[GrassyGnoll]

The ball loaded into Agathe's oliphant gun was mundane metal. It explodes from the barrel with a breathed prayer and powerful boom.

{Move: Careful Strike
Standard: Foehammer (+2d6 damage, bypass DR;-2 for PA, +2 flanked)[roll0] for [roll1]}

[Torgarn]

Ker'iki'skara starts giggling madly, whispering horrid words and making a gesture of power. As the last word is rushed from his lips a great mass of dark tentacles appear and begin to entangle the urchin looking demon.

Casting black tentacles onto the general area of the demon.

[tuesdayscoming]

As the seething tentacles rise out of the ground, Ptik feels a sense of hope. Perhaps this thing can be bested, after all...

To avoid their grasp, Ptik flings himself into the air, grasping his flail as he does so. He flips through the air, bringing the ball of the weapon down hard on the creatures eyes as he passes over. Coming to rest beside the creature, he lands in a somersault, darting to avoid any attacks that might be coming his way.

Bounding back over to the group, he shouts words of encouragement, and Thaliana will feel invigorated - ready to act.

Standard: Leap at the Moon strike (replace attack roll with jump check, DC = enemy's AC)
Move: Tumble to avoid AoO, then get back to party
Swift: White Raven Tactics, give Thaliana another turn immediately

Jump/attack roll (-12 for power attack, already factored in): [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Tumble: [roll2]
Grapple (if necessary): [roll3]

AC=29

[BlueWizard]

With Ptik-drit powering up his attack he is actually able to break through the spiny covering, and splatter out some dark demon goo or whatever is inside this monster. Its low down beak mouth howls in pain, shrieking to a deafening tone, for only a moment.

Holm pinches Arha's butt from behind"Still here hot-wings."

Agathe's shot skips off the hide, and is deflected by the mighty spines surrounding this undersea monster.

Kheva tears into it damaging it, but only a little. His green sword seems to causes some pain.

Kerik's tentacles of the earth come forth and grab the spines of the beast, and prevent it from moving, but as they touch the monster it is clear they are taking some damage.

Arha's ogres appear, but also as targets for Kerik's tentacles. One of the ogres will be snagged after his attack bounces. The tentacles cannot grab the fleshy, stretch arms that wield the enormous pick.

Thaliana remembers:
Immunity to electricity and poison.
Resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10.
But everyone knows this that is among you all.
Her spell fails, this one's dark-lord is near-at -hand.

Thaliana can tell this is a true minion, and godling of Cthulhu. The group will need to be at peak performance to send it back to its home dimension.

The demon urchin attacks Kheva as it tries to ignore the tentacles grappling it continuously. Kheva is whacked hard!!

End Round 2----------------------------------->

Initiatives:
Ptik-drit 20+4 hp 72/123
Holm
Agathe 8+6
Kheva hurt
Kerik 11 - HASTE upon ALL
Arha 4+7
Thaliana 3-1
Demon Urchin- black tentacled!

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe wipes the powder from it's hole and pours a new canister by her belt. She raises the boomstick to her shoulder and looks down the metal crosshairs.

*click*

{Which then becomes an explosion!
Full Attack:
1: [roll0] for [roll1]
b: [roll2] for [roll3]
triple: [roll4] for [roll5]

Haste, PBS, Lightning Reload (move action reload to free), and uh, awesome.}

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha's free ogre attacks again, swinging the greatclub around for a smashing hit.

Ogre 1 ((MM267))
Attack [roll0] Damage [roll1]

She commands the other ogre to break free if he can.

She casts a maximized fireball at the demon, trying to overcome his resistance to fire and burn him to a crisp.

Damage 60, reflex save for half dam 18, Spell resistance check [roll2]

[BlueWizard]

Ptik-drit does little to harm the monster as it now ignores the insectoid with more 'magical' threats to concern itself with.

Holm throws a few shruikens at it to no harm, muttering to Arha. "Sorry... I don't know where to stab it either. I don't think it has a 'weak' point. I stay alive by avoiding danger."

In a flurry of deafening pops, and clouding of powder, Agathe gets off three loud BOOM's with her stick. The noise of the gun actually starting to bother the strange demon some. One of the shots makes it bleed black blood, but it seems like such a small wound.

Kheva is hurting it, but has taken a lot of damage. He pauses to heal himself with a potion, stepping back away from the beast surrounded by tentacles of Kerik's.

Kerik holds, positioning himself safely.... {DM action}

Arha's ogres are harmless, and her fireball fizzles on the monster's spell resistance.

It howls telepathically at Kerik, in imperial-common, but in a voice so foul and twisted it is like none he's ever heard. "Tentacles!?!?!?!? Your time now Princeling!!!"

In a strange planar-shift move, the demon urchin phases right next to Kerik, a fully attacks him with the Massive Pick. The demon is away from the ogres, Kheva, and Ptik-drit. It's pick slam hard into Kerik, and Kerik is nearly disemboweled. {total damage:75}

End Round 3---------------------------------->


Initiatives: HASTE
Kerik- d:70
Ptik-drit 20+4 hp 72/123
Holm
Agathe 8+6
Kheva hurt
Arha 4+7
Thaliana 3-1
Demon Urchin out of black tentacles

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe spies the gruesome assault on Kerik at a distance. With the same alacrity granted by the late wizard, she breach-loads and squeezes out three more shots at the foul demon.

{:smalleek: Man down. Nobody's rerolled up till now. Raise dead?
Attacks
1:[roll0] for [roll1]
2:[roll2] for [roll3]
3:[roll4] for [roll5]

:smallfrown:all I want for Halloween is an attack roll >10}

[wxdruid]

Arha

The ogres might be harmless, but she orders them to attack again anyway.

Ogre 1 ((MM267))
Attack [roll0] Damage [roll1]

Ogre 2
Attack [roll2] Damage [roll3]

She takes a step or two back, trying to avoid getting swiped by the demon and she casts another maximized fireball trying to get through.

Damage 60, reflex save for half dam 18, Spell resistance check [roll4] +1 for the Fiery Burst feat

She only has one more of these and she's sure it'll get even more interesting after that. She's busy thinking about what she should cast next if this spell fails like the last one.

[tuesdayscoming]

Ptik examines the chamber furiously, searching for some environmental advantage they might glean - platforms the group might fly/climb to, architectural features that might be dislodged so as to fall on the beast, anything.

Spot: [roll0]

If he is able to find anything, he will react accordingly.

If not, seeing Ker fall, he will scream out in rage. If there is any hope that the prince still lives, Ptik has to refocus the beast's attention so that the others can aid him... And perhaps, if he can siphon off a bit more of its soul-stuff, the fight might not yet be lost...

Focusing on his rage, Ptik calls upon his Whirling Frenzy, leaping into the air and falling upon the demon. Now, again, he is a blender of flailing limbs and chittering mandibles.

Free: Activate Whirling Frenzy
Standard: Renew spent maneuvers
Move: Leap onto the beast, activating a charge

edit: All rolls, both attack and damage, should be two higher. Forgot to factor in Soul Strength.

Each (any) successful attack gives the demon a negative level, and gives Ptik 5 hp.

Damage tripled (not yet factored in)
Unarmed Strike: [roll1]+2[roll2]+2
Unarmed Strike: [roll3]+2[roll4]+2
Unarmed Strike: [roll5]+2[roll6]+2
Unarmed Strike (Frenzy): [roll7]+2[roll8]+2
Claw: [roll9]+2[roll10]+2
Claw: [roll11]+2[roll12]+2
Claw: [roll13]+2[roll14]+2
Claw: [roll15]+2[roll16]+2
Claw: [roll17]+2[roll18]+2
Claw: [roll19]+2[roll20]+2
Girallon Claw: [roll21]+2[roll22]+2
Girallon Claw: [roll23]+2[roll24]+2
Bite: [roll25]+2[roll26]+2
edit: Unarmed Strike (Haste): 33+2 to-hit, 10+2 damage. See OOC for rolls.

Damage Unmodified:
Falling object: [roll27]


AC = 31 (28 + 1 haste + 2 Whirling Frenzy)
HP = 72/123 (Unless Thaliana healed him with her free turn)

[BlueWizard]

{Thaliana retro CMW'd Ptik-drit for 21}

RETRO DEATH:
Kerik was killed on the second blow, when the third blow came Kerik burst into pieces, and the big chunks were knocked into the demon's beaked mouth.

Ptik-drit is too late to save Ker-iki-skara, but his leap attack does seem to get this monster's attention. It is starting to show many signs of pain, as it is grunting with annoyed squeaks as it eats Kerik.

Holm stays close to Arha hurling a few more shruikens harmlessly. He has no intention of engaging that beast.

Agathe blasts away finding her shots difficult to get through the hard carapace of the demon.

Arha's fireball fizzles, and her ogres fail to hurt it.
Kheva jokes as he charges in, "Arha the Almighty, eh? Perhaps you are getting old." He winks at her with his twinkling emerald eyes behind the dragon-mask.

Kheva charges in and takes a hit, but cuts into the greater-demon every time with his green blade. It howls a high pitched scream and turns on him, Kheva is gored horribly by the massive two-handed pick. Kheva still stands even though he is bloodied and bleeding, he will not survive another assault like that. It also continues to swallow and eat the pieces of Ker-iki-skara.

Thaliana will heal Kheva with another 'Moderate' spell.

End Round 4------------------------------->

Initiatives: HASTE
Kerik- OBLITERATED
Ptik-drit 20+4 hp 93/123 {+20 hp from Rd 4 drain}
Holm
Agathe 8+6
Arha 4+7
Kheva hurt really bad
Demon Urchin out of black tentacles
Thaliana

[GrassyGnoll]

The impenetrable demon-hide began to sour Agathe's shooting spree. The undead musketeer takes her time reloading her next volley. Clacking her firearm together, she takes deliberate aim at the monster's underside.

{Free: 5' step toward the demon, or between the demon and the remaining casters
Move: Careful strike
Standard: Battle Mandala (+20 insight, +4 careful strike, +1 PBS, +1 haste, -8 PA): [roll0] for [roll1]
Cold iron bullet}

[wxdruid]

Arha

Kheva's comment just makes Arha irritable and annoyed. Holm is fine where he is, at least he can check for things coming from the other direction.

The ogres continue their futile attacks since they have no brains... :smalltongue:

Ogre 1 ((MM267))
Attack [roll0] Damage [roll1]

Ogre 2
Attack [roll2] Damage [roll3]

She casts Enervation and a crackling black ray leaves her hand, aimed at the demon.

Ranged Touch Attack [roll4], Damage [roll5] negative levels, Spell Resistance [roll6], no saving throw

[tuesdayscoming]

Caught in his frenzy and heady with the beast's soul-stuff coursing through him, it takes a great effort for Ptik to find the words to warn-off the wounded dragon knight. Nonetheless, the words do come, bursting forth in a cold authoritarian, hiss. "Green one, fall back!"

And again he is off, a flying blur darting up and towards the beasts eyes. He falls upon it, rending and tearing, screaming terrible cursing hisses in the hopes of regaining the creatures full attention.

After the barrage is complete, he blinks out, reappearing a moment later in between the creature and the other party members. Crouching, he flails his many arms about him, his mandibles chittering out a loud, rapid-fire clicking.

Swift: White Raven Tactics, giving Thaliana an extra turn after this one.
Move: Jumping charge on the demon
Standard: Teleport between the demon and the casters.


Each (any) successful attack gives the demon a negative level, and gives Ptik 5 hp.

Damage tripled (not yet factored in)
Unarmed Strike: [roll0][roll1]
Unarmed Strike: [roll2][roll3]
Unarmed Strike: [roll4][roll5]
Unarmed Strike (Frenzy): [roll6][roll7]
Unarmed Strike (Haste) : [roll8][roll9]
Claw: [roll10][roll11]
Claw: [roll12][roll13]
Claw: [roll14][roll15]
Claw: [roll16][roll17]
Claw: [roll18][roll19]
Claw: [roll20][roll21]
Girallon Claw: [roll22][roll23]
Girallon Claw: [roll24][roll25]
Bite: [roll26][roll27]

Damage Unmodified:
Falling object: [roll28]

[Airanath]

[FONT="Times New Roman"]{Thaliana retro CMW'd Ptik-drit for 21}
Thaliana will heal Kheva with another 'Moderate' spell.

(( Can use the wand charges for that, back from the void of a relationship shattering, sorry for puffing.))

Thaliana is frozen fore a moment seeing the deviling fall, befores releasing a wail of grief.

"I hope that is just you playing that or I might go down to hell and kill you again princeling!" she shouts divine energy gathering in her left hand. She starts the prayer to open a rift into hell, allowing her to call one of its servants to do her bidding, when the creature comes, she discharges the energy in the rift itself, powering the minion up.
((Casting Summon Monster IV, with Imbued Summoning metamagic, casting Bull's Strenght as the imbued spells, powering up the summon, and Augment Summoning adds another +2 Str/Con; Forgot to mention before: Summoning a Fiendish Giant Praying Mantis))

[BlueWizard]

{UGH!!! Lost post. I apologize for abbreviated replacement!!! :smallfurious:}

Kheva laughs in response to Ptik-drit, "What? And let you have all the glory? Ha!"

Ptik-drit rips into the beast, tearing deeply into it. He feels he made a black gooey dent.

Holm is hidden....

Agathe's cold-iron shot is true, aimed at the heart of the circular beast, it perhaps found a weakened point. It shrieks loudly as it realizes its death, then it pops back to the Abyss.

Kheva grumbles at Agathe, "Took my kill you did!"

Combat Ends--------------------------------->

Arha and Thaliana can save their spells. Arha's ogres await further orders.

Holm mutters to Arha, "Put a good word in for me with Vito huh? After this, let me retire some place peaceful."

Kheva scowls, "Pissant! Peaceful? There will be no peace if the demons have their way."

Status: Kerik's Last HASTE
Ptik-drit hp 93/123 {+40 hp from Rd 4 drain}
Holm
Agathe
Arha
Kheva hurt bad
Thaliana

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe lets her firearm hang by the hip as she reloads. She slings the cannon back over her shoulder and limps towards Kerik's remains.

"If you are lost, I will find you. If you are wounded, I will carry you. If you are pinned, I will cover you. If you are killed, I will recover and remember you."

The ranger omits the last of her oath. The ogres in the clearing stole her tongue.

Agathe turns toward Thaliana, "The rites to his body are yours. We have little time to grieve and can't carry a body along neither. I assume we'll do him more favor than these rotting members." She gestures toward the ogre zombies.

"Who summoned these disgusting pets? How many pawns are yours, necromancer?"

[tuesdayscoming]

For a while after the beast fades, Ptik remains crouched, panting. As his fury fades, he begins to stand straight. Clenching his fists together, he cannot bring himself to look towards the priestess.

Another has fallen...

Taking a deep breath, he stares down at the ground. His antennae droop low, casting thin shadows over his silver eyes.

After what feels like lifetimes of standing silent, Ptik clutches his massive flail and falls upon the spot where the demon died. Over and over he smashes the weapon into the ground, screaming and howling as the stone floor cracks and splinters.

Finally, his energy spent, he falls to his knees, throwing the flail to the side. Breathing harder than ever, his mandibles chitter furiously as he fruitlessly pounds his fists into the rock.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Now that the current conflict is over, she relaxes a little. She glances over at her two zombies before she replies. "Yes, I summoned them and there are only the two here."

She orders her zombies to guard and stay where they are.

[BlueWizard]

Thaliana is likely speechless in pain for the loss of Kerik. Even more so that there are NO remains. A little splattered blood, but most of the blood around here is Kheva's, and he lives. Kerik was battered to pieces and into the beaked-maw of the strange urchin looking demon.

Holm wrinkles his nose at Agathe, peering from behind Arha. "Well, if you have a better idea at replacing our losses, than Paaaahleeeeese inform us. I believe you are the first undead in the party... I would think Arha would be your best friend."

Kheva takes this moment to clean-up, he is eyeing the dark entrance warily. "I don't like just sitting around here. Agathe is right, we do need to keep moving. I'll take the lead. You... uh... Thir-kreen, shred anything I engage."

"Arha, you watch my ass, and uh... Holm... I guess, you just hide in Arha's ass crack. Seems you like it there. But, let's move. Agathe whatever you used in that last shot, I hope you got more. Thaliana, milady, pull it together."

[GrassyGnoll]

The human zombie stares at her mindless ogre reflections.

"No," she moans. Agathe composes her faintest human impressions and becomes animated in fervor.

"Thou shalt not suffer the necromancer to live. Their blood shall have them. I advise the Lady to spurn the company of all undead and to stay from summoning their kind in my presence. I may abide by the Pact Primeval, but I'll not tolerate bondage of the dead."

[tuesdayscoming]

No longer pounding into the floor, but still kneeling, Ptik listens half-heartedly to the exchange going on behind him. Hearing the dragon knight's assertion that they must continue on, he twitches slightly, and one of his right fists flexes convulsively into a fist.

Words creep out of him in a low, trembling hiss."Why did they come back?"

He hunches over, pushing himself to his feet with his bottom set of hands. His back still turned, he continues "There is nothing here for these ones. No answers. No power. Only pain.

"Keep moving?! These ones should move, yes. But not down. They must take the lady and they must leave this place before the dark takes them all!"

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha looks from one to the other, is everyone going crazy?

To the intelligent undead she replies, "Really? I shouldn't be allowed to live?". She's never encountered someone that actually seems to care about summoning undead before and opposes it. She shakes her head, "Fine, I will not summon undead in your presence. "Although there is a skeletal wyvern that enjoys coming to my aid."

As for the giant insect, she thinks he's gone completely crazy, "We need to erase this blight from our lands. This abomination can't remain here. We must continue."

[Airanath]

"Yes... we must. Its what the great lord demands, and its the least we can do for Ker..." the priestess replies in a downcast manner.

[BlueWizard]

Kheva looks at the temple entrance. "I must win glory for my family. Let us go before more demons are spawned from this pit of evil."

He will start heading in.

Holm just rolls his eyes at Agathe, and says to Arha, "Pay her no heed. Perhaps you should find away to make her un-undead. Perhaps she'd stop smelling up the place with her own undeath."

Holm will not enter without Arha. He will be right behind her... or in front of her if she'd rather. He wouldn't mind a powerful wizardess watching his ass.

[BlueWizard]

Those following behind Kheva will safely be able to enter. Ptik-drit had already completely dismantled the entry-traps. He can't remember what he did, but he shredded the metal contraption and totally ignored all the poison that pour down upon him. There is a spiral stairway up, a dark way down, and a few ways to go on the 'ground' floor.

This entry hall is dark, and the glowing green sword of Kheva only lights up 10' around him. The walls he is near are obsidian, and intricately carved. He refuses to look, and actually steps away from the walls. Saying over his shoulder without looking. "Don't look. Very dangerous."

[Airanath]

Thaliana follows meekly, praying in her mind for the guidance of Asmodeus in this moment, they are close to complete his request, yet everything seems to not be going according to his plans.

[tuesdayscoming]

Hearing Arha's words, Ptik will have become visibly agitated, and will only be calmed when his lady, Agathe, voices her assent for the plan. He will have forcibly calmed himself, breathing deep, before silently nodding.

As they continue deeper, the bug takes his normal place at the back of the group. If anything approaches from behind, it will regret doing so.

[GrassyGnoll]

Agathe walk just behind Prince Kheva. Her gun-bearing shoulder hunches in and the paranoid corpse keeps a hand on her knee-tapping holster. She follows Kheva, but keeps an eye peeled for signs of inhabitants.

[BlueWizard]

Kheva carefully looks back at those behind him. "Which way?"

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha has no objections to Holm remaining behind her and watch out from that side, although she does tell him that if touches her in a personal way again he might he end up eating a few of his body parts.

As for entering, she will stay near the middle of the party and she has little else to add at this time.

[tuesdayscoming]

Ptik mumbles to himself, squeezing past the others and moving up to Kheva. "No looking? What is wrong with the walls, dragon?"

Glancing from the staircase to each of the other possible paths, he crouches low to the ground. Grabbing his right antenna in one of his claws, he pulls at it thoughtfully.

"The spiral way goes up... To what? If they are here to destroy the cave, down would be better way, this one thinks. But there is dark, dark, much dark. And dark has eyes that see when these ones only hear..."

Standing and turning towards Agathe, he continues, "This one thinks they should explore this level before proceeding up or down. Many skitterings, and quiet, watchful things, wherever they go. But avoid the dark for now."

[GrassyGnoll]

"I agree with Ptik'drit. Before we plunge into the heart of darkness let's give this cathedral the sweep."

[Airanath]

"Lets just wreck this place up, its what we came for, we made it inside, now its a matter of turning it into rubble" the priestess profess, anger for her loss hot in her voice.

[tuesdayscoming]

Ptik visibly droops hearing the priestess speak. Remembering the pain he felt at losing Milo and Gareth, he shudders to think what Thaliana must be feeling at the loss of her mate. The squishies seemed to put some real stock in that relationship...

"This one, he is yours, Lady. If she tells him to leap, he leaps."

Reaching back for his flail, he glances towards her.

"What does she wish he do?"

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha agrees, the place must go, "Yes, but how far down does this place go? We don't want to destroy our way out of here. But, I do agree we should make a sweep of each level before going down further. We don't want to leave any nasty surprises behind.".

[Airanath]

"I want you to stay with me Ptik, lets spread the wrath of Asmodeus on these cursed halls, if we have to tear stone by stone using our hands and teeth..." she trails off for a moment, heeding arha's words.

Agathe... can your boomstick explode pillars? Or can you somehow produce explosions that do so? I want those pillars rigged, and ready to go into a burst of fire and brimstone at a moments notice, I want to send this whole damned place down to hell, so Asmodeus can enjoy and torment the denizens who survive himself," the priestess trails up up a lot of threats and curses of damnation, every word bringing her some delight and helping placate the pain some, or, at least, forget it.

[GrassyGnoll]

"With enough soap, charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter; you can blow up near anything. Excepting that, I don't carry pounds of the stuff on me. We don't have a mill to grind it at. And we don't want to be caught in a volatile situation whilst we're laying the charges."

"Blasting caves is what blackpowder were for originally. 'Course I never stepped inside a mine in my life."

{Agathe has a +4 to Craft (blackpowder). With tools, she can take 10 on blackpowder (DC 15). There are stationary bombs (DC 17) and thrown bombs (DC 19) on the Craft list as well. It'd be easier to just stack it by kegs (+2d6 fire damage & +5' blast radius per pound). Maximum lbs per keg is 15 and max kegs per square is two.}

[BlueWizard]

Agathe could destroy some of the pillars, but likely not all since there are many that would hold this place up.

Ptik-drit and others can't fully remember the layout, when they came up through the former Kython lair.

The way down is dark and cold, and there is evil on the walls. But, even it seems to hold back... for now.

[GrassyGnoll]

In the wake of the company's painstaking progress, Agathe drives pitons under the more vulnerable and crumbled columns. The *clink* of her hammer, *pop* of the boomshells cannibalized for their powder and *hiss* of funneled blackpowder echo in the dark. Agathe taps each powder cache with a length of twine, lights the string by flint and shuffles onward with haste.

Agathe surveys her charges' effect at a distance. The stone-shattering *BOOM* accompanying each demolition rings in her empty skull. Agathe ponders the possible fallout in the floors below and the dungeon's eldritch architecture. While the grounds expanded in impossible distances there seemed a skeleton of inner walls defining the temple.

"Now, Holm. What did you learn here the first time through?" Agathe walks up behind Holm after the last of her demolitions. She lumbers on toward the front of the line, ambling down-slope into the unfeeling cold.

{Don't ninja's have trap sense?}

[wxdruid]

Arha

Arha hurries along with the others, she prefers to remain in the middle and she doesn't want to be around to see the results of Agathe's efforts.

She just wants to get the job done and her out of there, preferably in one piece. She sends regular messages back to Sharon to keep her aware of what's going on.

[BlueWizard]

:smallredface:

So sorry. Still computer. If ever I am able to get regular access all your PCs will have a special place in my game-world and heart for sure. Thanks all for playing, so sorry for this awful abrupt halt.