Serpent's Skull I, Smuggler's Shiv

[lostsole31]

Lalarlia holds a service that evening in a manner that only a cleric of Calistria could provide ... all attendees must be naked. Aron, Erin, Gelik, and Pezock attend, so mostly the women and the weird bird-man.

The males seem to be more uptight or disapproving. Jask leads Stephan and Sheel in a service devoted to Nethys. On the other hand, warriors fell at the hands of other warriors, so it might be fitting, and is understood (though mourned stoically) by the males. Nethys is invoked on the destructive side by Jask and Sheel that their magic will overcome that of the tribal witch on their next encounter.

[lostsole31]

Day 70

The entire day is spent in healing, and what it takes to heal Lalarlia is massive indeed.

Discussion of attempting to go on the full offensive if nothing than to save the bodies of Hacker, Ishirou, and Ankarum from consumption.


Aron: The forces of the moon and the tide it controls pulled the ship to its fate here. The law of the jungle applies here, and what makes the cannibals any different from an animal predator beyond sentience and malice? They died in battle, as they lived. However, she does not know if the group's fate is to balance the power on the Shiv by attacking the Thrunefang. She'll abstain.
Erin: She is horrified by her sister's dispassionate view of not only what may happen at the tribal dinner table, but feels that the group will never get a moment's rest if they live in fear of the cannibals.
Gelik: Surely we can take the loss and pick them off as they go hunting in smaller groups, right? Otherwise, he doesn't want anything to do with any kind of foolhardy "body rescue" when carrying bodies will just slow them all down.
Jask: The party has the means to clear his innocence and his good name, and the very thought that savagery is allowed to make its way with the party doesn't sit well. He's no warrior, but he is willing to honor whatever decision the party makes.
Lalarlia: Are you kidding? Of course she wants to rescue their bodies. Even then, if it must be that the group ends up spending the remainder of their lives here, she wants to help Aycenia out in cleansing the Shiv.
Pezock: The barbarians are too dangerous. He's lived in fear of them for the past several years and is terrrified of their slaughter of shipwrecked survivors.
Sheel: He is not a survivalist. He is a martial artist and a fire sorcerer. He is for testing his skills against them.
Stephan: He stands staunchly by Lalarlia as she notes her feelings on the subject.


For: Erin, Lalarlia, Sheel, Stephan
Against: Gelik, Pezock
Abstain: Aron, Jask

With this, Aron will join her sister against the barbarians, and Jask will go because of majority vote.

Diplomacy mods, Aron (+9) vs Gelik (+9). Stephan will attempt to use his calming influence to aid Aron, and Pezock will aid Gelik.
Total: Aron (33 + 1/ other than helper = 37) vs Gelik (27). At a factor of 10 over, she manages to convince Gelik that if they die because he wasn't there to help .... he'll be all alone other than the crazy Pezock (*caw* Hey!) and the dryad.

The strategy is given.

[lostsole31]

Day 71

As predictable, the party waits for the rains. Gelik is along, but he still refuses to scout ahead. Sheel, Pezock, and Stephan will do so as soon as it begins to rain, carefully moving along the main game trail from the NE rather than through the thick of the jungle from the south as they did before.

It's not enough as a Shiv dragon launches at Sheel, charging and hitting the halfling in the belly with a crit for 16! Despite all of his training and the necessity for quiet right now, Sheel is blameless for giving out a loud, shrill cry of pain, though he does manage to wriggle out of its maw ... barely on his feet.

Pezock was likewise surprised, but Stephan manages to just barely hit the tethered and charging creature.

Let the battle begin ...

[lostsole31]

Round 1 ...

R1T24: Klorak grabs his shield and readies it.

R1T22: Stephan's first blow did 12 last round, and this time he cuts down again for 18 with his magical mighty sword. The beast is as badly wounded as the halfling.

R1T21: Gelik forms an acid bolt and fires at the dragon, missing it in the rain and in trying not to hit his allies.

R1T20: Jask moves forward behind Sheel and casts CLW on him for 9.

R1T17: The guardpost barbarians aren't disciplined against organized incursion to stay at their post to give positions. They clamber out and down and into the jungle around the corner of the communal hut.

R1T16: Pezock goes wildly running down the path towards one of the surprised guards milling around the fire pit at the center of camp. And misses his opponent. Spectacularly.

R1T15: Erin, who had short sword and dagger out, moves up next to Stephan away from the lizard and tosses a dagger at a barbarian, hitting him in the right hand for 10.

R1T14: Aron casts sanctuary on herself and then moves up behind Sheel.

R1T13: Despite grievous wounds, the "pet" has been trained to fight to the death. Its powerful jaws snap onto Sheel's R elbow for 7. Sheel again seems in mortal peril, and this time he is held in its mouth.

R1T12: It's now Lalarlia's turn to try to charge the dragon, but there is too much in bodies and some foliage for her to get in a good stab.

R1T11: Sheel punches the lizard in the skull for 4, and it slumps, releasing him. He is still badly wounded, though.

R1T10.9: No sooner does that happen then the firepit barbarians go on the counterattack, howling and raging. Two move right in to make three abreast to attack the foolish tengu. His swordsmanship holds against 2, but then a barbarian hits Pezock in the abdomen for 4.

R1T10.9: The one wounded by Erin begins to tear towards her, but as it passes Pezock he spins and cuts him along his lower side for 9. It seems that Pezock is a lot stronger than you may have thought. He just barely manages to shoot forth to cut around and catch Erin in her R forearm for 8. Though she is a half-elf, there is enough of the mannerisms and anatomy of her human mother in her and in her cultural upbringing and how it affects her movement that the barbarian's cut is particularly effective.

R1T10.8: The night wath barbarians easily awaken from the shouts of combat, get to their feet, and grab their shields.

R1T10: The consorts get and ready their shields.

R1T9: Malikadna casts mage armor on herself and, already standing by her door, opens it.

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 2 ...

R2T24: Klorak opens the door and rushes down the stairs.

R2T22: Stephan cuts the Erin's opponent in half at the belly, with the top falling a second before the bottom section gives way.

R2T21: Gelik moves in and makes wild gesticulations and taunting maneuvers to aid the party.

R2T20: Jask casts shield on himself.

R2T17: The two guards from the guard post move to the main group, raging, attacking Stephan and Erin. Weapons blocked.

R2T16: Pezock steps back from his three aggressors (well, okay, he was technically the aggressor) and breaks open some type of dust stuff on himself. There is a brief shimmering in front of him.

End Round 2 ...

R2T15: Erin touches her opponent with the humorous power of her bloodline, and the comic thoughts war with his rage and he stands, befuddled.

R2T14: Aron touches Sheel for CLW of 6, bringing him to about half.

R2T12: Seeing he has already suffered so much in so short a time, Lalarlia steps back from the line and casts shield of faith on Sheel. A shimmering, magical field surrounds him.

R2T11: Sheel steps back some and begins casting ...

R2T10.9: The forward barbarian still faces off with Pezock, but the other two wheel around while he foils his attack. A magical force blocks one, while his sawtooth sabre sweeps the other broken javelin away.

R2T10.8: Seeing three of their compatriots all over the crazy bird-man, the barbarians that came out of the hut move past to attack Lalarlia, Sheel, Jask, and down towards Gelik. Because three of them move past the front line, Erin scores a hit on the one going around to Jask for 12. One only just gets down to Gelik. Sadly, Sheel gets hit full bore in the R shoulder for 9. He is truly about to fall this time.

R2T10: The consorts file down behind Klorak, and one opens the door.

R2T9: Malikadna moves out and flies into position over everyone so she can be within 30' of all enemies (except Gelik).

End Round 2 ...

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 3 ...

R324: Klorak moves out into the center to get a good view of the melee and he yells orders to his consorts.

R3T22: Stephan shouts at the guard in front of him and his symbol glows. He glows and cuts the guard along the neck for 19, but the insane tribesman somehow keeps going.

R3T21: One-on-one with a raging barbarian, the non-com Gelik continues his comedy as best he can, though there is a tone of desperation in it. He steps 5' back on the path. He defensively fires an arcane bolt that hits the Thrunefang in the L quad for 3 cold.

R3T20: Though he has his own opponent, Jask calls upon his own mantras and heals Sheel for 9. Once again, the halfling is midpoint.

"I'm tapped out of healing, outside of raw energy channeling," Jask says.

R3T17: Though in a combat stance, the lone and bleeding guardsman stands, dazed in anger and confusion.

R3T16: Pezock tumbles back to flank with Lalarlia, and defensively cuts that opponent with his serrated sawtooth blade along his neck for 13.

R3T15: With Pezock clear from the center, Erin moves forward a little and casts defensively towards the center of the firepit. A dazzling array of colors shoots forth to encompass the three barbarians Pezock was fighting. All three of them fall unconscious. The befuddled barbarian recovers.

R3T14: Still unnoticed by the savages around her, Aron casts her spell on Stephan's quiver. No sooner does that happen than she seems to be noticed by the enemy.

R3T12: Lalarlia's stab overextends, but she at least manages to recover quickly into her defensive fighting position.

R3T11: Sheel's spell is now completed. A golden-trimmed red beetle, as big as Sheel himself, appears behind the barbarian. The beetle glows and then smite-bites the man for 3 (min). He defensively fights as the others, tussling with his opponent, but can't trip him.

R3T10.8: Lalarlia's opponent swings so wildly he catches himself on the backswing for 7. Gelik's bouncing around doesn't help him and he gets hit for 5. Others miss.

R3T10: One of the consorts rushes out to flank Pezock on a charge. The other three move forth to center and begin tossing javelins. All miss.

R3T9: Realizing that while the intruders are outnumbered, they are much more focused and aware than they were before. Instead of starting with her hexes right away, she begins casting a spell, looking for help from her dark patrons.

End Round 3 ...

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 4 ...

R424: Klorak stalks menacingly, and is now behind the fire beetle.

R4T22: Despite his holy wrath, Stephan misses his target.

R4T21: Though not terribly wounded, and surprisingly hardy for his size, Gelik is cowardly (or wise) and he casts a spell defensively, but nothing happens. He continues to use his comedy to help the rest of the group, and steps back another 5'.

R4T20: Jask tries to carefully cast a spell over behind Klorak, the spell fails because of the jostling of combat.

R4T17: Guards attack. Stephan's opponent cuts over and is just barely deflected on the outside of him, and Erin blocks her opponent.

R4T16: Pezock continues to use tac-pos-fd w/ Lalarlia, but it the wild man manages to deflect the blow.

R4T15: Erin likewise carefully seeks an opponent, but manages to stab deep and nearly through her opponent's L upper arm for 10 (max). It's the first wound he's received, but it is a nasty one.

R4T14: Aron defensively casts a spell at the flying witch. The witch's current incantation suddenly goes from evil arcane (though somewhat insane) chanting to a suddenly untintelligible babble, and the magical energy pooling suddenly goes away. She shrieks in anger, though even the shriek is bizarre.

R4T12: Lalarlia's stab is blocked by the man's shield.

R4T11: Sheel's beetle successfully smites their target with a grazing bite for 3. Sheel still is unsuccessful at tripping him.

R4T10.8: It is only because of Pezock's brilliant swordsmanship and his focus on defensive does he move just enough out of the way so that the barbarian's scimitar slams hard against his magical force protection, but without penetrating. One swings around and slams his scimitar into the fire beetle for 6. Gelik's opponent continues to advance and cuts along G's side for 5.

R4T10: Pezock blocks the flanking consort, and all javelins miss - with one javelin breaking.

R4T9: Pissed, it's witch-vs-oracle time as the former gives the evil eye. Aron is totally unprepared for such a thing and she seems to be affected. Knowing that the mass combat is a matter of more luck than skill to keep from getting hurt, the witch's eye seems to make Aron more open to attack.

End Round 4 ...

Round of attrition, which the party can't afford, though the fire beetle at least soaked up an attack that would've been meant for the party.

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 5 ...

R524: Klorak stalks menacingly, and is now behind the fire beetle gives a mighty raging shout and swings his scimitar to blast the fire beetle to whence it came.

R5T22: Stephan thinks about various motions he's seen Ishirou use. He drops his opponent with a mighty stroke, and uses the momentum to cleave into Erin's opponent, dropping him as well.

R5T21: Gelik continues to desperately keep his party rallying while dealing with his own problems. He just barely manages to concentrate on the spell, and that is when the barbarian's loin cloth and hides drop down to around his ankles, showing what the gods gave him! Gelik then dodges about, separating himself by 10' heading further down the trail.

R5T20: Jask casts a spell to fire a magic missile that hits Lalarlia's-Pezock's opponent for 4, and it drops him.

R5T16: Pezock steps over 5' to flank Jask's opponent, cutting him deep across the lower back and buttocks for 20. The man is felled, and Pezock stabs his beak into his belly for 11.

R5T15: With the way open again, Erin concentrates and then a burst of multicolored, kaleidoscopic light shoots forth to hit the three javelin-tossing women. Two of the women fall unconcious.

R5T14: Aron tries to mitigate her unfortunate situation and defensively casts sanctuary on herself again. Either it is because each enemy has its own issue, or Aron's spell works, but none take notice of her. In fact, Malikadna turns her attention elsewhere.

R5T12: Lalarlia steps up to where Pezock was standing and goes low to stab the woman in front of her in the L foot for 7. The consort was badly wounded in the other day's fight, and hasn't recovered much. She must've been one that Hacker nearly killed.

R5T11: Ten feet from Sheel stands a true terror, the tribal chieftain who killed Hacker and Ishirou. His two late allies were peerless warriors, and the halfling has no illusions in thinking he can go toe-to-toe with him. But just this once .... He steps forward and to his right and defensively casts a spell at PB range with Klorak and the other in front of him. A rolling sheet of fire waves out from Sheel's fingertips to hit Klorak, the lone javelineer, and several of the barbarians on the ground. Klorak's reflexes drop it to 2 fire, to which he simply smiles; the other takes 4 fire. The other barbarians take 5 fire. Sheel then steels himself for his possible end, knowing that while he dropped no one, his ability to wither pain over several may have been worthwhile.

R5T10.8: Sheel blocks his main opponent. Meanwhile, the de-loined one tries to charge down the path but simply gets tripped up in his own ankle-coverings and falls prone.

R5T10: The two female consorts rage. Lalarlia blocks hers well. The other charges in to get to Erin and hacks her in the R upper arm for 8, and she gives a cry of pain. "Sister, I could use some help! I am getting faint."

R5T9: Malikadna babbles and nods and points to Erin, giving her the evil eye. But Erin saw this in action, and her bloodline is all about befuddlement and confusion anyway, and she suffers a loss to her defensive posturing as well, but only temporarily.

End Round 5 ...

An overwhelming success for the party this round, with many enemies incapacitated and with an overall good wound count, and though he is truly in trouble, Sheel got in first blood (albeit cauterized) on the chieftain.

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 6 ...

R6T24: Klorian steps forth and in a wild fury cuts forth with his scimitar, but Sheel sidesteps and then blocks a bite from the man's teeth, which are sharpened to points.

R6T22: Stephan himself wheels around 5' in response to Sheel, putting the other cannibal at a flank and hits him for 11, disabling him.

R6T21: Gelik casts CLW on himself for 7, while continuing to make fun of the enemy (especially his own). He then moves full speed, and he is fast for a gnome (25') to the rear of the party.

R6T20: Jask surveys the battlefield, and through careful insight into his mantras casts ray of frost at the disabled barbarian fighting Sheel and Stephan. The man gets hit in the neck for merely 1 cold, but it is enough to drop him.

R6T16: Pezock steps behind Lalarlia again and FDs low to lop off the women's right foot. She drops with severe bleeding from the jagged wound.

R6T15: Erin reaches out to touch her opponent FD, but misses. A look of panic begins to cross her face.

R6T14: Aron touches her sister with a CLW, but perhaps the sun of the day throws off her moontime strength, and it is only 3.

R6T12: With the field nearly clear of the lesser enemy, it is an easy task for Lalarlia to safely skirt around to almost flank with Erin. This time, Lalarlia does not hold back, and stabs the woman in the R hand for 8.

R6T11: Sheel is not clever, but he is wise and cunning. He steps to the side, more outward of the combat and just out of reach of the chief. Defensively, he throws a ray of fire that misses.

R6T10.8: The barbarian Gelik humiliated writhes around and kicks off his cloths, and then stands.

R6T10: The lone consort, bleeding, sees the blood and swings wildly. The broken scimitar, on the recovery, becomes hooked and caught on her clothing and she is entangled.

R6T9: No longer babbling, Malikadna now casts a spell at the dangerous bird-man. Pezock falls prone in fits of raucous and cawing laughter.

End Round 6 ...

The avalanche has finally worked! All but two normal clansman (1 man, 1 woman) still stand, though Pezock is taken out of the running for now.

[lostsole31]

Erin shakes off the effects of the evil eye.

Begin Round 7 ...

R7T24: Klorian swings wildly on an overhand chop and digs his sword into the ground in Sheel's square.

R7T22: Stephan tears down the road, charging the lone barbarian so the latter does not close on Gelik. Steph hits him along the side of the head for 12.

R7T21: Gelik makes fun of the poor guy, and shoots at him with a fire ray but misses.

R7T20: Jask is now free to move and he gets almost beneath the flying witch and his dagger goes spinning up to her, misses, and then returns to his hand.

R7T15: Erin makes a full attack on the woman to stab her in the back for 10 while she's focused on her own entangled predicament.

R7T14: Aron casts another healing spell on her sister, and again it is meager at 4.

"I'm sorry, sister," she says. "But with the moon at rest, my powers are weaker. I'm out, everyone. I have little more from the portents than the basic."

Her sanctuary fades out, and that does not go unnoticed by Malikadna.

R7T12: Lalarlia turns and lays hands on Erin, quietly saying a prayer to her goddess, and healing her of 3.

"It would seem," she says, "that I have a choice to be the heavily-armored fighter, or the healer."

"I still have a spell or two," answers Gelik, "and the pressure is no longer on me."

R7T11: Sheel reaches down to grab Klorak's scimitar (who in turn snaps at him), and he then tosses the blade over to Lalarlia.

"It's not broken like the other tribesmen. In fact, it is in really good quality and well made."

R7T10.8: The last non-exceptional barbarian standing, even in a rage, is in desperation as Stephan batters about his blade.

R7T9: The witch ignores Jask's silly attack and instead attempts to give Sheel the evil eye, who in turn is partly affected.

End Round 7 ...

The barbarians are all but decimated, but hero-healing is getting low. The best thing to happen, however, is Klorak losing his main weapon ...

[lostsole31]

At the end of the round, two of the color-sprayed barbarians awaken and reach around for their weapons. They find them, but the men appear to be stunned and unable to see.

Begin Round 8 ...

R8T24: Klorak again goes full bore on Sheel, but without his sword one notices that his nails are hardened to points as well. Still, it is a strange thing to see natural weapons vs. an unarmed fighter. A set of nails slashes along Sheel's left lower arm for 10, disabling him.

R8T22: Stephan drops the one back on the trail. He then puts his sword away. :smallconfused:

R8T21: Gelik points out the barbarian's waking at the pit, continues his comical tirade, and then casts CLW on Erin for 4. He looks to Aron. "It's obviously just her."

R8T20: Jask bravely steps forth to get the sleeping and addle-brained barbarians all in AoE and lights them up with burning hands to varying effect.

R8T15: Erin, heartened, moves up behind Klorak and defensively stabs him along the back of the ear for 8. Another barbarian in the center of camp begins to stir, likewise debilitated.

R8T14: Aron takes out a wand and uses it on herself, invoking a series of 3 mirror images.

R8T12: Lalarlia sheathes her short sword, steps over, and picks up Klorak's scimitar, and to him pronounces, "The weapon of my people is a better one than this, fiend. Yet, for all the souls you have slain and their corpses devoured like ghouls, it shall be the instrument of your destruction!!"

Lalarlia then begins to glow with holy light as she no doubt invoked a smite against the tribal chieftain.

R8T11: Sheel backs up, takes out a flask and downs it, getting 9.

R8T9: Malikadna gives Lalarlia the stink-eye, and it seems to be particularly effective against the Calistrian, a power that seems to negate the holy protection Lalarlia received.

End Round 8 ...

Uh-oh, "reinforcements" a la waking barbarians is on the way ...

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 9 ...

R9T24: Using the blood from Sheel that is pooled on his hands and claws, Klorak wipes and smears it all over his face and chest, rolling his eyes and howling maniacally as he does so.

R9T22: Stephan unslings his bow and moves past the main party. He points to the flying fiend-witch and is limned again. The bow sends an arrow streaking forth to hit the witch in the L elbow for 25. She shrieks in pain and anguish.

R9T21: Gelik continues to joke about, but he moves to the center of camp and acid bolts a KO'd consort in the skull at point blank range for 6 acid, possibly killing her. "Worse than them waking, is if they win and procreate again!"

R9T20: Jask tries to magically send his dagger up again. It seems like it should have penetrated, and yet she is unharmed.

R9T15: Erin sees what Gelik is up to and ruefully nods her head. She withdraws away from Klorak to the center of camp. Meanwhile, one of the barbarians there seems to have just gained his wits.

R9T14: "She's a half-fiend, Jask," admits Aron. "I think that Stephan is going to be the only one that can bring her out of the sky, and I enchanted his quiver so he uses naught but one of his arrows."

She charges forth to fall onto the other woman, stabbing her with her short sword for 7.

R9T12: She might be filled with righteous anger, but she is no idiot. Hopefully, Stephan will finish off the half-fiend witch and help her out, and she continues to fight defensively. Doing so causes a back and forth.

R9T11: Sheel moves in to trip him, but the man is too intimidating to really close on.

R9T10.9: He sees the bodies all around him, howls, and charges Erin, stabbing her in the gut for 11. Erin reels and pulls herself off of the blade.

R9T9: Malikadna, shocked by the man's power, casts a spell at the black mute. And then, the unthinkable happens. Stephan drops his big bow, begins laughing and hooting and hollering, and finally drops to the ground, rolling around and practically crying from guffaws.

End Round 9 ...

Stephan's out, Pezock's out, Erin's on the ropes ... this combat has suddenly taken a turn for the worst.

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 10 ...

R10T24: Klorak is consumed by the taste of Sheel's blood, despite the holy warrior on the other side of him with his scimitar. Sheel makes a brilliant deflection of one claw, but then Klorian's hand digs deep into the poor halfling's R shoulder with a crit for 16. Sheel goes limp, held up by the claws, and Klorak bites into him for 5, dropping him while a huge hunk is torn out of Sheel's neck. Blood pours out of the chieftain's mouth as he swallows most but much goes slobbering down his front.

R10T22: Stephan gathers his willpower and breaks the spell, though he is still prone.

R10T21: Gelik finds it very hard to maintain any composure, but keeps his performance up, anyway. He trots up to the side of Erin, concentrates and casts CLW on her for 9. "That's better. It's about time you cooperated."

R10T20: Realizing there is nothing he can do against the witch, Jask double moves around to the back of the barbarian to give Erin flanking.

R10T15: Erin nods to both. She doesn't mess around with footwork, but still trades metal with the man.

R10T14: Aron casts the same spell at the witch, but this time Malikadna is ready for that type of spell and resists it.

"I'm out. No more healing from me."

R10T12: Lalarlia grits her teeth. This is what she was trained to do, and she would avenge the brave halfling's death ... carefully. The sword catches along his R hand for 9.

R10T10.9: Erin's opponent misses.

R10T9: Malikadna flies down next to Stephan, pulling out a wand as she does. She can't quite get him. He might be prone, but he's squirrely and she is not for physical combat, being as weak as Jask.

End Round 10 ...

Stephan and Pezock are back, but the party has suffered the first major casualty ... Sheel is dead.

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 11 ...

R11T24: To Lalarlia's horror, Klorak crouches and begins to lap up Sheel's blood and smears even more over his face and chest. The foolish maneuver opens him up to a strike from her. She cuts deeply into his L foot for 12 (max) damage.

R11T22: Stephan stands with a look of true wrath, easily pushing a quarterstaff swing away. He gets out his sword again.

R11T21: Gelik continues performance, steps to Erin's rear quarter, and casts CLW on her again fo 4.

R11T20: Jask uses the same attack on a stunned barbarian, but even stunned and blinded the man's animal senses allow him to just duck out of the way.

R11T16: Pezock moves up to one of the standing blinded/stunned barbarians. Though a terrible swing, he has to be blind himself to miss this guy, and he fells him handily.

R11T15: Again, Erin is giving all she has, stabbing him in the upper L intercostals for 7, not enough to drop the man. Meanwhile, the last one standing to have been affected by her earlier spell is now only stunned, not blind.

R11T14: She was trained by the Pathfinders to have some skill in combat, if not a lot. Aron takes out her short sword while double moving around to flank with Lalarlia ...

R11T12: Lalarlia's smite connects on a back cut on his L calf for 9.

R11T10.9: Erin gets "grazed" along her L shoulder for 6.

R11T19: The fiendish witch knows better than to try to frighten a paladin. She tries to get him again with her wand, but his excellent defenses and the holy shield hold her at bay.

End Round 11 ...

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 12 ...

R12T24: Despite the pounding he is receiving from the elven paladin, the chieftain turns his attentions to the half-elf behind him. One claw misses completely, while a claw and a bite hit .... nothing as 2 images wink out, leaving one remaining.

R12T22: Stephan cuts down and the witch holds up her left arm to try an protect her ... but gets cracked for 23 for her trouble! She looks like she is about to fall, her arm obviously broken.

R12T21: Gelik continues his performance. He steps back and shoots a cold bolt at the stunned barbarian but misses. He curses under his breath.

R12T20: Jask does the dagger throw-return ability to the same ... missing.

R12T16: Pezock charges that man, hacking down on the R shoulder for 13 and dropping him.

R12T15: The swordfight continues, and with Jask where he is, she practically hugs the barbarian, stabbing him in the back in a lung for 10, and he slumps.

R12T14: In an excellent tactical position to help Lalarlia continue fighting defensively, Aron continues to see to her own defense by using her sword and shield to parry anything coming her way.

R12T12: This makes Lalarlia feel a lot better, as she was worried for Aron, but sees her strategy. The wild movements and clacking of heavy shield protect her target, however.

R12T9: For all of her cunning, insight, and infernal intellect, for all of the options available to her, standing toe-to-toe because of her hatred is all the witch dares. She calls on her hatred and curse and likewise dark energy surrounds her. Her smite, despite using a wand, still doesn't work though she now does have some protection.

End Round 12 ...

Barring some truely horrible turn of events, this battle is over ...

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 13 ...

R13T24: For whatever reason, Klorak is still fixated on attacking Aron. Despite the final image, the chief swings wildly with a claw, but his second actually finds her L upper arm with a graze for 9, which is a terrible wound ne'ertheless. His bite doesn't hit the image either, but he chews on her shield trying to get through.

R13T22: The battle between the paragons of LG and CE continue and Stephan is victorious when he cuts her open at the belly for 19.

R13T21: Gelik continues his performance. Feeling that this battle is o-v-e-r but formalities. He taunts the chieftain and casts a spell, and it seems that the chief reacts to a sting at his L upper arm.

R13T20: Jask looks to Erin and casts CLW for 8. "Okay, I admit it. I still had one left for me."

R13T16: Pezock double moves to get around Lalarlia, out of reach of the chieftain, and then stepping up to him.

R13T15: Erin grins and nods. She takes out her magic dagger as she moves in, and strikes with that instead of her sword, but even that is blocked by his claws.

R13T14: Aron continues to menace with her sword and shield, but does nothing more beyond defense.

R13T12: The man is not to be underestimated in his defense, and Lalarlia fails to get through.

End Round 13 ...

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 14 ...

R14T24: The chief still focuses on the parrying woman. A claw bounces off her shield, the bite gets rid of her last image, and a claw for 10, dropping her.

R14T22: To ensure the threat of her evil is gone forever, Stephan (who doesn't quite have the vantage point of the combat and can't see that Aron has fallen) beheads the half-fiend witch.

R14T21: Okay, perhaps the battle isn't as in hand as Gelik had hoped. He shoots a fire bolt at the chief but misses because of the others.

R14T20: Jask rushes to her side, and opens himself up to a blow from the chieftain to save the oracle's life. He gets hit in the gut for 9. Still, his first aid staunches Aron's bleeding and saves her life.

R14T16: Pezock cuts along Klorak's gut for 10.

R14T15: And from the other side, Erin. Failed hit.

R14T12: A beautiful side-crit by Lalarlia for 16.

End Round 14 ...

[lostsole31]

Begin Round 15 ...

R15T24: And now, to everyone's horror, the chief goes to conduct the same blood ritual on the fallen Aronnahar, even with everyone else threatening around him. Doing so gives everyone an opening. Lalarlia hits for 6, Pezock pecks at him for 1, and Erin stabs with the magic dagger for 8. It isn't enough to bring him down. He tears his claw just above her left breast and digs in and across, cutting through it and her bones and lungs and heart, killing her instantly. Again, he splashes her gore across himself and practically dances and howls euphorically.

Erin screams in shock, and the others gasp in horror.

R15T22: Stephan comes to the fight to stand toe-toe-toe with Lalarlia and challenges a smite on him, but it is strangely weaker than the other two. He cuts deep into the savage's L upper arm for 19. It finally looks like the impossibly tough chieftain might fall.

R15T21: Continuing his performance, Gelik shoots a cold bolt that misses.

R15T20: Jask steps back 5' and shoots a ray of frost in the belly for 2.

R15T16: Pezock pecks him in the right foot for 3.

R15T15: Erin stabs him in the belly with the dagger as he slides down to his knees. She slits his throat and pushes him face down into the dirt.

Combat Over ...

[lostsole31]

The battle is won, and all wars have casualties. The tribe is decimated, though the heroes have lost Sheel and Aronnahar "Aron" Zyanthius. They will find little of Ishirous beyond his sword. Hacker's body is mostly butchered (and was done in front of Ankarum to instill fear in him, before he was KO'd again), but Ankarum will be freed after he is healed. All of the fallen barbarians are put to the sword, just in case.

The difficult matter of the scroll and who gets it is brought up by Jask. The decision will come down to the halfling or the half-elf for the scroll of raise dead.
* Aron was Erin's sister, and the halfling was a little too rigid (and dull) for her liking.
* Gelik appreciates Aron's refined upbringing and she is a fellow Pathfinder.
* Jask was closer in nature to Sheel as both an evoker and a disciplined man, but he recognizes the tactical necessity for one of Aron's mysterious powers ... and Nethys would be happy with either. The woman also had an impressive body of lore, and Sheel was kind of a dunce.
* Aron was Lalarlia's friend, and the latter never really had much connection with the halfling.
* Pezock liked the pretty lady, and she sang pretty songs.
* Stephan doesn't say anything.

Other than Stephan's abstain, it is unanimously decided that the scroll will be used for Aron for both personal and survival reasons.

Lalarlia brings everyone to the prison pen so Ankarum's comatose form can receive healing. She channels healing thrice to bring everyone (except Ankarum) up to full. Ankarum is still unconscious, but no longer comatose or in the negatives. Lalarlia channels, prays, and lays on hands with everything she has, and Ankarum is only at about half. This is understood not to be a negative reflection on the elven cleric's powers so much as the incredible hardiness of the Shoanti man who suffered so greatly, fought so bravely, and is so favored by the gods to somehow be alive. Finally, with a couple of Stephan's own healing hands, all of the wounds on Ankarum still disappear, and yet he seems to have fitful dreams. He is brought out of the pit and set on a comfortable bit of the jungle bed off of the trail.

Aronnahar is brought to a spot where the scroll can be read. It is a difficult thing to admit, but Lalarlia will acquiesce to Jask. She recognizes that the Garundi man has a greater insight and connection to his god than herself; and as a priest of Nethys he is closer in philosophical tenor. He casts read magic to verify the incantations and to guide him. He attempts the read, but fails for the magic is too great for him. So, it falls to Lalarlia, who had already previously read it. However, not only is the magic too great, but she lacks the insight for such a powerful mystery. Erin doesn't have the ability read magic, and with intuitive sorcery never reallly studied spell mechanics. Gelik keeps trying to decipher it, but it is beyond him. Finally, it comes full circle to Jask, the only one to have a real chance at deciphering the scroll; and finally, the spell works and life is breathed into Aron yet again.

Aronnahar's return is marked by a great weakness, however, and her body is now only as healthy as any other sedentary mortal. Stephan lays healing into her to heal her fully. The barbarian bodies are stripped of gear and their bodies are thrown off the side of the cliff without ceremony. For their sin of eating the unfortunate that came to them from the cruelty of the sea, the barbarians are tossed in to be fed to the mindless hunger of sea creatures.

For now, though, the spell-depleted and battered party carry Ankarum back on a litter to Aycelia's tree. The dryad is saddened that two of the brave heroes had died, and that Aron's recovery occurred at great cost. But you still revived her, saved another from the dining table, and vanquished the tribe of cannibals. She forever holds you in her debt. But for now, the party needs to rest, and she will keep guard.

[lostsole31]

DAY 72

The following day, Erin and Lalarlia discover new mysteries and have developed skills from their ordeals! A ding is heard over their heads! :smallsmile:

Despite her loss yesterday, a sort-of-ding is heard over Aron's as her meditations bring her back to her previous skill. What she will never shake, however, is the frailty she suffered due to her brief death.

Ankarum, all that you dreamed (in your AOL message) was just that .... a horrible, vivid dream. Whether or not there is anything to this is unknown. However, you were revived long enough to see them fully butcher Ishirou and for the tribe to eat him with you screaming in the background. The next day (after you were beaten near to death again), you see the butchery process begin for Hacker before you are KO'd and put into a coma again.

You awaken in Aycenia the druid's hilltop underneath the great tree. You are fully healed, though probably quite sore.

[Blackhawk101]

Ow....sssss... Head is sore. Everything sore. Where is Ankarum?

He struggles to his feet and looks around, trying to understand what's going on and the reality of what happened. Traumatic stress symptoms is not out of the question but Ankarum's up bringing was not far removed from these cannibals and he understands their brutal natures.

[lostsole31]

"Welcome back to the world, Ankarum" Lalarlia lauds, slapping your back and shaking your hand, leaning in for a bro-hug.

"We lost Sheel," says Jask ruefully. "He gave his life in the battle against the Thrunefang. Aronnahar here fell as well, but for various reasons we unanimously agreed that she should be given the boon of the powerful scroll that brought her back to life. But that short fall to death has weakened her."

Pezock croaks, "*Caw* ... We expected blood on both sides, didn't we? Somehow, though, we pulled *caw* through. All of the Thrunefang are dead that we know of, including the flying scaly woman and the chieftain."

The sisters likewise give you hugs, a sign that the group is finally getting closer in many ways.

Gelik looks up at you. "Yeah, well, you're still too damn tall."

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum grins like a boy and hugs in return, lifting the girls and spinning them around. His touch lingers on Erin's arm after they exchange hugs.
We don't mourn our friends but celibate lives lived full and well! We have vanquished our enemies and rid this island of their evil. Today is great day!
When is lunch?!

[lostsole31]

Aron answers, "The protection, bounty, and even climate are generous, or in the last at least tolerable so as not to be a problem, that Aycenia and her hill provide."

"I couldn't help notice," caws Pezock, "but in freeing you from the pens there was a spot in front of the door to the lighthouse that had a lot of boards over it, like some sort of pit. We need to finish whatever rites you have for your friends, and then, well .... loot."

Lots of head wagging on that point.

"We probably want to clear the rest of the barbarian's village and search everything to make sure," says Erin. "Go through looking for magic. My sister has a spell that can sift through the magical emanations of an area quickly, while maybe Lalarlia can do a more dedicated check. She's already proven her elven heritage with knowledge of magical auras. Find anything else of value as well. Load everything up, and bring it here. I know that it's possible upon being rescued that we'll have to deal with hauling it from here, but Aycenia's hill is safe from any pirates that might land and steal our spoils at the camp. Still, I hold out hope that we will be rescued in due time."

Jask shakes his head, "Hope as you will, but we need to be as proactive as possible. When you first found me, I figured it was just as good for me to die here since I was disgraced. But you found the journals that will exonerate me and prove the corruption I found. Now I can't just sit around waiting for the maybes .... because if you've noticed, we've don a perimeter of the entire Shiv, as well as looked afar from atop of Red Mountain .... and there are a whole lot of shipwrecks in the water and decimated survivor shacks on the beaches that say that a seaward approach will not be easy. I would actually like to look at that lighthouse, and maybe we can see how far along the Chelaxians were."

"We have destroyed the fungus god and rid the silent island of the infestation," Lalarlia adds. "we have destroyed the cannibal tribes so at least any other shipwreck survivors might live. There is something we haven't uncovered and that is, well, let Aycenia telll you ..."

The dryad looks to the party. She reminds you of what she said when she first met you, "Though I am a newcomer to this island, I can feel through my tree's roots that there are even more ancient secrets and creatures that lie under the soil of this land, but I do not know what or where these areas are.

"I can also point you in the direction of the Tide Stone if you seek the strange dark creature of the night; I know it is a cruel and ravenous blood-drinker, but I don't know what it is or what it can do other than fly and that as a lone predator it is unmatched. Only the cannibals in their strength could keep it at bay, which is one reason the savages didn't hunt at night. Now that the standoff has ended, it is the apex predator; but either it has animal instincts and knows something powerful has destroyed its competition, or it is intelligent and can do even more problem-solving. That means either a standoff, or a more desperate series of night attacks to attempt to gain final dominance of its territory."

"Uhhh, yeahhhhh," says Gelik slowly. "So our choices are to stay here, which doesn't suit me at all; go head to head with a dangerous, flying, blood-drinker; or, explore the pit after looking at the barbarian camp to whatever gods-forsaken ancient evils are below. I personally am all for doing everything I can to see if there is anything left with which to finish or fix the light house; my understanding is that the Sargavans didn't really have long to go. Pezock is a decent engineer, and while I have no formal training, I've picked up here and there that I might be some help. Just sayin'."

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum says that we search the village for weapons and magic to increase our strength. Then we can see about lighthouse. After that ...if the chubacabbra wants Ankarum's blood, he better bring big cup! Where are my spears?

[lostsole31]

"We didn''t take the time to flush out the rest of the village to find things, but I'm sure we'll find them just fine," reassures Erin.

"The decision has been made," Jask tells Ankarum, "for her bravery and continued facing down of the chieftain, the weapon she used on him - his own weapon, which happens to be a magical scimitar - she may keep."

The party makes its way back to the village. There is a fenced in area that is just outside of where any of the party would've been seen unless they headed to the more western part of the firepit. It isn't much of a surprise. Four skeletons rattle a pen of wood and bamboo, raising a hell of a ruckus by slamming the pen and their armor with their own broken scimitars. Ankarum notes these skeletons actually have chain shirts - albeit these chain shirts are rusted and in disrepair - and he recognizes the style of weapon and armor to have been that of desert warriors from the far side of the continent where you were (albeit you having actually living on Mediogalti, an island just off the western side of Garund).

Lalarlia stalks to an area 20' from the pens, and prays to Calistria, to end the existence of these poor creatures who will no longer enjoy physical pleasure.
Skeleton #1: No save. 4 positive energy damage.
Skeleton #2: Blasted away.
Skeleton #3: Blasted away.
Skeleton #4: No save. 6 PE.

R1T24: Pezock readies a charge if the skeletons get over the pen.

R1T23.5: Erin moves in to a range of 10' of the pen with two daggers drawn. Ankarum didn't even see that she had them in her hands already.

R1T23: The first skeleton climbs 5' up the pen, having some trouble on the second try.

R1T22: Aron moves to within 30' of the pen, and then her beautiful is heard to hearten everyone against the evil that remains.

R1T21: Stephan likewise stalks up to the fence and bares his Iomedaen tattoo. The climbing skeleton is blasted away, but surprisingly, the last one still has just a bare amount of unlife in it.

R1T20: Jask, seeing this battle is over before it really began, conserves his magic.

R1T19: Another burst of energy from Lalarlia, and the task is in fact done.
Lalarlia goes into a euphoric dance, a mix of celebration and faith. After about 20 seconds, she finally stops to look at the stunned party. "Did you not see? Calistria has truly blessed me for my faith in killing the cannibals! My ability to send out her message of freedom to souls bound in undead form has doubled; and, no doubt that goes the same when I use the same ability as a balm for the rest of us. :haley:

Indeed, it was very readily obvious just how much more powerful her use of this ability was then when she fought those lacedon in the treasure pit some time ago. Aronnahar, shifts out of a "bardic performance," but still sings of song of joy and congratulations in Lalarlia's honor.

The pen has two two points of ingress/egress. The first is facing the firepit, the second is to the south. The party moves to the sout on a trail that winds to the west (after 35'), and another 15' to a hut.

Erin now takes up the task - and perhaps a sad reminder of Hacker's death - of security. She checks out the entrance to make sure there are no booby traps. It is obvious that this hut is that of the helish witch. The first room inside is obviously a workshop. Ankarum has no knowledge of such things, though he saw similar things in his shaman's tent. Surprisingly, Gelik is so uppity that he doesn't recognize the trade so often associated with his race, but everyone else recognizes that this is obviously an alchemical workshop, though obviously in the form of one who is more savage and not the modern kind with glass beakers and graduated cylinders and such things. There are all manner of foul-smelling alchemical mixtures, mediciines, balms, meals, and potions. A search of the area turns up three tanglefoot bags, a thunderstone, and another eight vials that Lalarlia easily recognizes as six vials of cure light wounds, and another two vials that Lalarlia calls lesser restoration (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/r/restoration). Lalaria explains the latter ... in small words if necessary to Ankarum.

Another door leads to a filthy chamber decorated with hundreds of tiny bones and feathers hanging from twine. The place smells hideous - a combination of body odor, bitter alchemical waste, and monkey. [EDITOR: Though no monkey was ever noticed, she had one as a familiar. Upon death, it raced into the wild.] Nothing of value in here.

Back to the center of camp. A lone building faces the firepit. This hut is used to store tools, food (including a month's worth of what is likely dried human jerky), drinking water, and that which was taken from fallen fellow survivors.
Ankarum will find his shortspear, throwing axe, shield, equipment, and the pouch with 33 gold that he had earned.
Armor: studded leather (mwk); chain shirt (2); composite longbow (no STR bonus); studded leather.
* Ammunition: Arrows (20).
Weapons: katana (mwk); rapier (mwk); dagger; kukri; short sword (2).

Currency: (including that found in the pocketed scarf) ... 1 pp, 88 gp, 9 sp, 10 cp
Jewelry: Red pearl amulet.
Gems: 10 gp gem (2)

Specialized Gear: pocketed scarf; thieves tools (mwk); treasure maps (that found the party treasure).
* Partially completed written work Aerys Mavato was working on, called the Abendego Cantos.
Mundane: Ink & quills; large belt pouch; rope (50' hemp); tricorne hat.
The party has already seen the butchery, prison pen, and refuse pit. What they haven't seen is the half-butchered body of Hacker Paschorr. :frown:

The party also saw the guard post between the firepit and leading up to the lighthouse. The other building is the communal living space and guardpost overlooking the sea (from which clambered down the guards in the great battle). Nothing exceptional or of note here. The various javelins and such are collected from the fallen tribesmen.

The fiendish witch's things are a quarterstaff and her magic wand. Jask will take the quarterstaff, albeit incredibly mundane and easily gotten from the jungle, as a sign of Nethys' magic overcoming the darker ones used by the witch. Gelik can't read the aura beyond that of faint necromancy, but Lalarlia easily sees it for what it is. The discussion really is over Ankarum's head, but boils down to the wielder being able to touch an opponent to harm them, while healing the wielder of their own wounds. The Nehtysian priest would know how to use it easily for it is wizardry, as would Erin for its sorcery. Gelik claims that as a Pathfinder he is pretty good at intuitively bringing out the magic in items that he otherwise wouldn't know how to use as a bard, but in the end it will go to Jask. Erin has enough weaponry, and Gelik's arcane bolts are unlimited. Jask, on the other hand, only has the power to cast a few evocation spells before has no magic remaining except for some prayers.

The chieftain, in addition to the magical scimitar Lalarlia now wields, had a heavy wooden shield (which was shucked mid-battle to use claws), 5 javelins, but his red pearl amulet is immensely bigger and more valuable than the others. Though it is harder to tell with the smaller red pearl amulets from the rank and file Thrunefang (valued at roughly 20-30 gp), Erin is confident that the chieftain's amulet is worth around 500 gp!

The lighthouse ...

That first floor is the lighthouse foyer. A door to the west leads to a guest room. This room, once seemingly used for storage, was converted into a guest room that contains a crude (but comfortable) bed made of driftwood and a homemade feather mattress, along with the remains of several meals - many of which are recognizable as rations taken from the Jenivere.

The second floor of the lighthouse is nothing more (though 25' x 15' at its largest part on this curve with a flat southern wall) than one big room. This cluttered room has been decorated with all manner of relics and remnants taken from the wreck of the Thrune's Fang, including its Asmodeus-shaped figurehead, which looms to the north as the centerpiece of this temple-like area. The room functions as a shrine to the Thrunefangs' history. An investigation of the fantastic amount of clutter here and Aron and Jask are enough to confirm that the items here date from the earliest days of the House of Thrune's rule over Cheliax, and were likely taken from one of several ships that sailed south to Sargava over 70 years ago in the failed attempt to reestablish control over the wayward colony.

The third level is the chieftain's den where Hacker made such a great showing before he had to withdraw (and then was killed, falling down the stairs around the curve to the bottom to land at Ein's feet). This is also where his consorts stayed. The chamber is decorated with furniture taken from the Thune's Fang, most of which is in relatively poor shape. A dented footlocker against the east wall contains the 70-year-old payroll from the ship - treasure kept more out of nostalgia by the cannibals than anything else. The chest contains several rotted bags, along with .... and it takes some time to count, 4200 silver pieces and 180 gold pieces!

On the side of the lighthouse outside the den, built onto the side and supported by a tangled mess of driftwood and bamboo scaffolding, is a balcony. Although it looks rickety, the balcony is quite stable. It's a 20-foot drop to the ground below.

Finally, the very top of the lighthouse, which isn't quite finished - it appears the colonists abandoned the project only a few days before they would have completed construction. Pezock lets you know that the massive bronze reflector and other machinery here could be restored to functionality within a fortnight of work. If that is true, the party could efficiently signal the shipping lanes to the southeast!!!

Lastly, just outside of the lighthouse is a series of planks and boards covering a pit. Removing the planks, there is a shaft that leads down 20' before it seems to open out to a cavern that must be about 10' below that point. A stone is light-ed and dropped down. It would be a very difficult scale to get down there without the aid of a rope, as with any spelunking wall, and of course it would be a straight 10' drop down from there.

Lalarlia will take the remains of the four skeletons (dust and bone fragments, lay out the broken chain shirts and set the broken scimitars and arms across the chest in a symbol of repose. Not much there but the shirt and weapons, but it is a sign of respect and she spends a little time to pray for the souls of those who were mistreated by the witch-fiend.

Potions: CLW (6); lesser restoration (2).
Wand: Vampiric touch (7 charges).
Wondrous Item: Bracers of armor +1.

Armor: Shield, heavy wooden; shields, light wooden (16). Studded leather (mwk); chain shirt (2); composite longbow (no STR bonus); studded leather.
* Ammunition: Arrows (20).
Weapons: Javelins (40); katana (mwk); rapier (mwk); dagger; kukri; short sword (2).

Broken Weapons: Scimitar (4).
Broken Armor: Chain shirt (4).

Jewelry: Chieftain's red pearl amulet (500 gp). Thrunefang ed pearl amulets (17, roughly 20-30 gp).
Currency: 1 pp, 248 gp, 4209 sp, 10 cp.

Alchemical Items: Antitoxins (3); Smokesticks (2); Tanglefoot Bags (3); Thunderstone.
Specialized Gear: pocketed scarf; thieves tools (mwk); treasure maps (that found the party treasure).
* Partially completed written work Aerys Mavato was working on, called the Abendego Cantos.
Mundane: Ink & quills; large belt pouch; rope (50' hemp); tricorne hat.
The party needs to get back to the Tree, for it hais a long day. Sheel's body will be taken back to Aycelia's tree for burial, as an honored dead over which the great tree will protect. He will be buried with his sling and shuriken, though his magical bracers will go back to the group. His money, likewise, is given over to the group. The same treatment will be given to Hacker's body.

The haul will be taken back, though the clean water is too heavy - especially with everything else going back on various litters.

[lostsole31]

In the evening, for it is very late now, the discussion of repair of the lighthouse and/or exploration of the cave must be made. There is too much tension in the air about the hope of getting rescued to wait until the morning.

Erin: "This is what I've hoped and prayed for. There will always be mysteries in the world to solve, but I've spent two-and-a-half months on this hot, humid, bug-infested, snake-infested, mold-infested, cannibal-infested, shipwreck-surrounded island to give a damn now about what lies below. I want out of here."

Jask: He's torn. On one hand, as a more civilized man and one-time low-ranking city clerk who was chained by the corrupt he sought to expose, he now has the means (thanks to the party) to both clear his name and bring his enemies to justice. His pursuit of knowledge in destructive magics contrasted with his devouring large amounts of lore is, on one hand, a Nethysian aspect of duality, but on the other Jask never really learned evocation so much had an intuitive grasp and studied it because the knowledge of the manipulation of raw energy was its own lore. But also as a cleric of Nethys who has devoted himelf to his god's focus on knowledge, he feels that it might be his fate and even a silent mandate to learn what might be learned. As a middle-aged man, he understands that he might die, but if uses those inks and quills and the back of Aerys' book to pen what he comes across for those that follow in his footsteps, that will be its own form of martyrdom. If it wasn't for that damn pit, though, he'd want to get the hell off the island.

Lalarlia: "I don't know what evils may or may not be down there, though Aycelia did mention that she can feel something ancient beneath her roots. I don't know what that truly means. However, I feel I have a duty to make sure that the rest of us are freed from here - or at least already have that option present - before we even think of what other adventures this dangerous land may hold. No offense, Aycenia. I say we fix the lighthouse if we can, signal for help, and leave. That way, those that don't wish to stay don't feel they need to be put in danger, but it might be that something interesting in one's life that draws you back if you ever feel like adventure again."

Aycenia: "None taken. Yet, you have done so very much for me. I am sure there are dangers in the secrets underground, but I do not know if whatever ancient thing is there - for it obviously has been there far, far longer than I, and likely centuries or more so - and I cannot judge if there is something about which I need be concerned. Again, the chupacabra does not bother me, and since there is no other predator like it on the island, perhaps there are snakes and the flying dimorphodons and lizards enough for it; I am sure there are. If you stay, this hill is ever your respite if you need and you will always have my aid. If you go, you have done great service for me and have earned the leave."

Gelik: "We all know I'm not the bravest one in the bunch, but I don't think any here can doubt that my jokes and taunting the barbarians didn't make each of you giggle and buck you up in the great battle. With the log from the Nightsong, I can probably put myself back in good standing with the Pathfinders ever since I was sold a fake Thassilonian relic and that minor kerfuffle with the Magnimar city guard .... but we won't go into that.

"But right now, we have an incredible opportunity! As long as you protect me and my fellow Pathfinder Aronnahar in the center of the group, and Jask too, I guess, well .... if you can't imagine the lore and riches we might find with an ancient and undiscovered ruin below us with possibly finding some real artifacts to bring home and sell, well no one would take you very seriously after all we've been through - and they'd be right not to!"

Pezock: *CAW!* "Heck, no, I don't want to go jumping down holes. I've been afraid of the cannibals for years, hiding from them and having many close calls. The last thing I want to do is go looking for more enemies. Get me off this rock!!!"

Aron: "I have had visions. We first thought there were ghosts in the surf, but it turns out that there is something natural in the water that glows, and Aycenia here mentions that it is the tiny algae. However, I believe I have caught a brief glimpse of a ghostly humanoid shape thrashing in the water as if drowning, or of a serenly floating humanoid shape trying to beckon me to a watery doom. When I would approach the surf's edge, they would fade out and disappear.

"Many of you may also remember the visions I had that got worse and worse. We figured from my first nightmare that we must have been poisoned by the cook, though you found his body on the wreck. The second was that of a snake that bit our tongues as we tried to drink our soup and the ship was filling with seawater. The last nightmare was that of Alton - the kindly first mate - across from me in a rowboat on the open ocean. He was obviously dead, with the same wounds and stings you described he had when you found his body on the Jenivere, but still he rowed. Eventually, he reaches an island of snakes - this one, obviously. He waited for me to exit the boat, whereupon I stood ankle-deep in snakes, and then he turned around and rowed back out to sea.

"It is more than just cannibals and chupacabra and fungi gods. Several of us are quite knowledgeable in jungle fauna, and the number of snakes on this island is staggering. But that's not the main thing. The restless spirits in the water? The fact that we have come across so many skeletons and zombies, that lacedon in the treasure pit, and even that captain that begged to touch the locket of Aeshimara (sp?)? No, I'm sorry, Aycenia. You do not sense portents like I can, and I assure you that what I have sensed is some evil - subtle though it may be - that curses this land and is outside of nature. If we wish to honor Aycenia's help ... Lalarlia, if you truly believe in freedom and wish to save all of the souls trapped on this island .... we must press forward and see what is to be seen."

Stephan stands and gets behind Aron, putting his hand on her shoulder and glancing about the camp. He nods to her, then the rest of you, then back to her.

As if to underscore all that is being discussed, there is a bolt of lightning that lances to the sky from the southeast, and a rumbling sound like thunder that echoes over the island.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum will go with anyone interested in exploring the hole in ground. Others fix lighthouse. Make camp here at magic tree. If ship come, those who want, leave. Those that don't, stay . Simple.
Ankarum doesn't hide from danger, hoping to live longer. That isn't living. The thrill of danger is how you know you are alive.

[lostsole31]

"Dammit, sis," bursts Erin, "now I have to go to make sure you don't get stabbed while you are in some kind of trance. :smallsigh: I'll come with..."

Pezock thinks and finally comes out with, "I'll try to see if I can't get that lighthouse working, or at least ready for use."

Everyone hunkers down to sleep. Somewhere in the early morning hours, another bolt of lightning blasts from somewhere to the southwest, lancing into the sky. A few minutes later, as the strange-looking lightning dies down, another thunderous rumble is heard.

Aycenia frowns. "It was bad enough happening last night, but now it has happened this morning. In my many decades here, I've never experienced that phenomena ... let alone twice in one night. There is definitely something changing here on the island."

[Blackhawk101]

Speaking to the group the next morning, Ankarum is increasingly nervous about the dramatic displays occurring on the island.
Ankarum says that we should go up the red mountain to see if we can see where on island is the source of these wrong lightings. We cannot simply ignore this possible threat while we go exploring underground. Maybe faster if I go with one other fast scout to search instead of a larger party.

[lostsole31]

Aron realizes that the phenomenon appeared closest in proximity (in time) during the late night and early morning, so daytime is best and favors the human ranger's senses.

Erin is not thrilled about splitting up the party. Her senses are almost comparable to Ankarum's though his are particularly keen in the jungle. She is on par with him for stealth, though, except that she has low-light vision. Her spells aren't really suited for scouting in the wild.

Gelik says "Nope." Jask, of course, is ill-suited to the task.

Lalarlia is best when she can use armor and shield to protect the party. She recognizes that her elven senses are okay, but has the wisdom to recognize that they don't compare to the others, and that unlike most of her race, her focused training in religion and war have kept her away from such arts as stealth.

Pezock believes the flying Nope known as the chubbacabra lives on Red Mountain, and he has no desire to go there. However, if you go on a scouting mission, he would like to take Gelik and Jask with him to start work on the lighthouse reflector. Two tasks at one time - "Many winged arms make light work *CAW*!"

Stephan simply nods and stands over by you, obviously signaling that he would go with you.

[Blackhawk101]

Okay Stephan. We go. We will try to be back before nightfall when Chubacabra flies.
Ankarum gathers his weapons and enough water skins for a day, gives Erin a quick grin, and then he turns and lopes into the jungle taking the trails towards the red mountain.

[lostsole31]

The party will make a quick account of its haul. Stephan will scrap the broken scimitar he had with him. The magical bracers will go to Ankarum, since he prefers to fight lightly clad and Stephan is interested in some of the actual armor. This is not huge, but does give him a little more protection.

A restorative potion is given each to Ankarum and Stephan. This will help deal with snake bites in the wild when by themselves as well as to hustle if needed to on their way back. Still, the magic in these potions is as powerful as the magic that only now Lalarlia has been graced by Calistria, so try not to use them if necessary. Stephan has already proven himself to be a superior paladin-healer so a healing potion might not be necessary. One cure potion each is divvied to the rest. Erin, who has 2 curing potions already, gives the one she would've gotten just now to Ankarum. "Go ahead. You never know, and if Stephan falls ..."

Aron takes 2 arrows, Lalarlia takes 8, and Stephan takes the remaining 10. Stephan will also take 3 javelins to top off his long quiver.

Stephan will take the late Hacker Paschorr's masterwork studded leather armor, and now long last he has some armor - the lack of which for a combat-focused person has been a big weakness. To this end he shucks the light wooden shield he wasn't using anyway. He uses two-handed weapons to make use of his prodigious strength: his masterwork mighty sword, his masterwork composite warbow (with heavy pull), and his masterwork dread maul. For CQB he'll take a short sword. Though also a light armor, perhaps he didn't choose a chain shirt to not slow him down when jumping, swimming and climbing since Hacker's had no penalty there.

Though such material and their use is not known to Ankarum, Gelik will teach the duo about the alchemical items if not known already. Each of you will get a vial of antitoxin (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/goods-and-services/herbs-oils-other-substances#TOC-Antitoxin), a smokestick (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/goods-and-services/herbs-oils-other-substances#TOC-Smokestick), and a tanglefoot bag (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/goods-and-services/herbs-oils-other-substances#TOC-Tanglefoot-Bag), and Ankarum will get the thunderstone (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/goods-and-services/herbs-oils-other-substances#TOC-Thunderstone).

If you carried 50' of rope, you would sacrifice speed and mobility, and the loss of those two things would be anathema. Stephan holds onto the rope. You will note that while Stephan - whose defensive reflexes outstrip even Pezock's - carries all of his weight handily. This weight is well in excess of what you can carry now. He is likely as strong as Ishirou; the late Tian man was surprisingly strong and in fact was the strongest in the camp.

Given his own ability to set traps, Stephan is asked if he can make use of the masterwork tools or if his knowledge is only to setting traps (and natural traps at that). Stephan nods, and he gets the two pounds worth of lockpicking tools along with the pocketed scarf. Pezock never knew Aerys, so he is not weird about taking the tricorne hat. He now proudly wears the hat as if he were some type of pirate officer. He is profoundly funny looking, but at least he seems happy for now.

The two of you are now on your way ...

[lostsole31]

Others for the day ....

Pezock directs the final construction of the lighthouse. His training in trapmaking uses a wide variety of disciplines - engineering, carpentry, masonry - to aid him. Jask has no real training in engineering, and yet he picked up enough lore in his priestly studies devoted to Nethys to perhaps provide some help. With a natural '20,' on the roll, Jask's +2 for his Aid, and Pezock's Craft (trapmaking) of +7 for a total of 29 means an overwhelming success. With Erin and Lalarlia's physical aid as directed (and Pezock is surprisingly stronger than them both), the two scouts will return to a lighthouse that can work.

Gelik spends the day helping the workers feel better by telling them jokes and the like, though he does wander (not far) because he easily gets bored.

Aronnahar has been distracted all day. She openened up the work Aerys was working on, the partially completed Abendego Cantos. It turns out that the woman - unknown to the rest of the world - was a gifted writer. The work contains compelling themes of the strength of personality against incalculable odds. "If only had the inspiration this book showed me when I was witless briefly against the witch in the battle."

It is a troubling issue for Aron, for she realizes her weakness in the battle. She never really faced psychological danger. Sure, in the PFS there were exercises, but there was a sense that she would never be truly harmed. Despite her brilliance as a bard, she only scored average when it came to resisting psychological trauma in comparison to other bards. Aron always relied on her abilities to put others at ease with her bardic abilities, or for events to reveal themselves to her via the moon. She now begins to understand that while she continues to train her mind, her focus on music and her willingness to take in alien knowledge is part of the reason she is distracted most of the time. Well, perhaps she'll use this story as her muse next time .... and she knows now she has to work harder on training her mind against other spellcasters. Still, she is filled with self-doubt that her weaker mind is a liability to the group.
Unlike any other of the NPCs, Aerys' NPC gift can actually extend beyond the grave! Fitting for a troubled, alcoholic unknown author who died tragically.

[lostsole31]

Returning to the Hero ...

That morning, just before the group splits in three (scouts, lighthouse, and Aron stays as contact point with Aycenia), Jask will pray over the two of you that you may both know comfort in the inhospitable heat and humidity of the mid-day as you travel to your destination, and that you are met with fortune in determing the cause of the unknown magical lightning.

A point-man system is in effect. You are much faster than Stephan, who is only as fast everyone else. It seemed that when you raced along the beach a couple months ago (yeah, my friend, you've been on the island that long ... 73 days today), it was only a brief sprint that brought him to your speed. Still, without Lalarlia you can make it to the game trail and then eastward on the trail to the mountain at about half a day.

Before, you stayed off the game trail for worries of the cannibals, but now you are met with a new sight on your way up the mountain. A fifty-foot wide gorge scars the landscape here; a rapidly flowing river rushes through the gorge, with a rickety-looking rope bridge providing a treacherous-looking way to cross.

What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Looks not good to Ankarum. Ankarum is lighter. Tie rope to Ankarum and hold on this side until Ankarum across.

[lostsole31]

A tribute to Ankarum's intellect is that he totally misunderstands that stronger does not equal heavier. Stephan, while bristling with muscle, is still only 5'11" and weighing in at 181 lbs. Compare this with the human stork Ankarum who stands at 6'7" and weighs 245 lbs.

On the other side, a tribute to his wisdom is his handling of the bridge. He goes across and it creaks ominously. After you cross, Stephan follows. You are pretty sure it was a good call ... had you both been on the bridge it probably would've snapped and dropped you.

You continue taking the path up to the top of the summit. This low mountain is the highest point on the island. Barren of vegetation, the jagged rise of rust-red stones just from the earth like an immense scar, providing a vertiginous view of the surrounding blue of the seemingly endless ocean. From here, you can get a full view of the island, including the lighthouse to the west, Silent Island (which is already beginning to show bits of green, thanks to the party), and the large grassy hilltop where the party earned the treasure. Aycenia's tree, which is on a smaller hill, is hidden by the rest of the canopy. The rocks on the mountain are a strange red hue, and unlike anything Ankarum saw on the high plains of his home.

Also here, which the party didn't find the first time, there are the remains of human skeletons and some animals in varying states of decay. They seemed to have been bound up here as some type of sacrifice. A search around the top of the mountain doesn't provide anything else of interest. Either there would have to be a wider sweep of the entire mountain to see if the source of the strange energies could be found, or you go back to camp.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum searches the island from his vantage point on top of the mountain for any sign of something out of place or unusual in the jungle since his last trip here, not including the changes you already mentioned. This may require making a circuit of the peak.
if nothing is found, he will suggest to Stephan that they make camp somewhere nearby and wait for the wrong lightning to appear again and hopefully be able to determine its location from a higher vantage point. A camp defensible from the air!

[lostsole31]

There is nothing different about the jungle.

There is a major inlet that wraps around in a large hook to the north and then around to the west and SW ... practically making Red Mountain and the area around it a peninsula, but far thicker than the long, shiv-shaped one that defines the northern part of the island (and for which part of the island is named). Having a look downwards to the steep cliff below might be worthwhile. There is something ... interesting ... there.

Four stone monoliths appearing as jagged stalagmites of rock protrude from the grass at the edge of the bluff. A weathered, snakelike rune is carved into the face of each of these stones, all facing a three-foot-high pyramid-shaped block of stone at the center of the four surrounding spires. The vegetation and soil surrounding this pyramid has been trimmed back and excavated to expose the strange block fully to view. The peak of the central pyramid has a cup-shaped indentation - channels run down the four sides into empty basins at the edge of the pyramid. The pyramid and the four surrounding spires seem to hum and vibrate slightly to the touch.

Meanwhile, across the gorge a rocky cleft cuts into the bluff, presenting a hundred-foot drop onto seaweed-choked rocks and tide pools. Several ledges, each connected by rickety-looking rope bridges, lead down into the cleft to the rocky beach below. What appears to be a large nest of driftwood, grass, bits of cloth, and perhaps bones seems to be wedged against the easternmost cleft.

[Blackhawk101]

Using his knowledge of nature and tracking skills refined over his years in the wilderness, Ankarum attempts to see what he can detect about the strange stones, including who might have been leaving tracks in the area, when and how many. After that he will see what he can decern about the nest.

[lostsole31]

Though the baseline of Ankarum's knowledge of nature did come from the Storval Plateau - his home - the vast majority of his lore know represents the jungle. Sitting well above that on Red Mountain doesn't give him any insight, but he's pretty sure he has never seen the stones which make up the monoliths and pyramid. As far as tracking, here on the mountain you find that it is you who aids Stephan other than the way around. You might own the jungle in knowledge, but he seems to have better insight up here.
Doing the very best you can (Natural '20' +10 = 30), you give Stephan a +4, and Stephan gets a modified 25 for a total of 29.
Despite the hard ground and the afternoon rain that had recently fallen (as it does every day), the two of you easily parse out what appears to be very fain tracks. You can tell that there was only one person. This person is Medium-sized. The person is wearing thick slippers, not armored boots or even adventurer's boots. Once or twice along the short trail of tracks you do follow, you find something curious ... a small scale here or there, like from a lizard or reptile.

[Blackhawk101]

Working with Stephan, Ankarum attempts to determine if the tracks were mainly at the stones or if the went to the rope bridges down to the nest and how recent the tracks were made. If they can, he suggests to Stephan that they track them back to their source, day light depending. Setting up Shelter for the night might prevent the tracking.

[lostsole31]

Still plenty of daylight, and there is no canopy to hide the sun as with the jungle, so daylight will appear to last longer ... especially since this is the highest point. The downside is that once you are in the gorge, you will only have a few hours.

There is no way to set up a defensible shelter on the top of this barren rock. There really aren't any clefts that you can climb into, no vegetation beyond grasses to help. Any camp would simply be sprawled upon the hard ground. With the worry of the chupacabra when you're open to the sky is up to you if you would want to switch off sleeping or if you want to man up to stay awake all night.

But that will be in the evening, for now ...

The first rope bridge goes directly across to the other side, and looks as dangerous as the other one. The nest is wedged into an alcove in the rock and set in some so you would not have any clear LOS to the contents of the nest at any point on this side, the other side, or on the bridge. One by one, you traverse the bridge.

The next bridge is offset and is 60' high off the tide pools (40' below you). You will be clear enough of the nest so as not to climb too closely. Your climb is incredibly easy since you rappel, and the rope is loosed down to you. Stephan makes the climb, and other than having a little bit of an issue at first he makes it down. There are hints of tracks here and there going across this bridge. As before, one by one you cross the bridge, though you are sure that tying ropes off to each other is not necessary and might actually be a hindrance.

The last bridge is a mere 30' from the ground (30' down from you). Again, at a different offset. It is now an easy enough task using the above system to get down to that bridge. Faint bits of passage of movement down here once again going across. You cross again, climb down, and now you are at the bottom. You are now at the tide pools. This thin crevasse opens out to the SW to exposed rocks. Seaweed, sea urchins of all colors, bright green anemones, scuttling kelp crabs, and bare rock glisten here, laid bare to the sky by what appears to be an unnaturally low tide. This latter is figured as you look out further and realize that water is effectively held back here on the sea side. Strange, and powerful magic. There is a moderate size pool to the south, and there is even the middle part of the hulk of a shipwreck. Despite the fact that passage on wet, algae-covered rock might possibly show signs of passage, there is absolutely nothing down at the tide pools that suggest any humanoid movement.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum takes a good look at the hulk of the ship. How difficult would it be to reach it?
What Stephan think? Could be a trap...we walk out and whoosh, the sea takes us. Doesn't track though. Too much work for someone to try to kill us. Ankarum think that someone is trying to find something on that ship...something very valuable. Maybe we find it first, eh?

[lostsole31]

Stephan takes out his dagger and a javelin. He looks at you ands his head.

[Blackhawk101]

Stephan takes out his dagger and a javelin. He looks at you ands his head.
Even though he is having trouble understanding Stephan for some reason, Ankarum makes ready to cross to the ship. He leaves everything except a spear, a torch w/ flint and steel , and a healing potion.

[lostsole31]

... and nods his head ....
As you are making your way across the tide pools and hopping across the fatter bits of water, you notice that the large pool in the center, right next to the ship .... well, there is a shape that must be at least 10' long going back and forth. As you carefully make your way, it is obvious that the pool is much deeper than the tide areas and rivulets that you are crossing, because the shape with some kind of fish-fin can't get to you. You are pretty sure you've fins like this in the markets of Mediogalti, and they belong to sharks - dangerous predators of the ocean. Because of the size of what you can see underwater, the fin and its coloration, you are able to figure that it probably belongs to a common blue shark. Which is still nothing to sneeze at.

Once you are about to step onto the deck, you see that the tidal pools curved around in a light hook and then a cleft in the rock face, where a fifteen-foot-wide waterfall cascades from the cliff a hundred feet above into the water here.

The front two-thirds of a wrecked ship lies upon the rocks here, its bow mostly submerged but its ruined midsection propped up on a ridge of slimy rock. The sides of the wreck are thick with seaweed and barnacles, and dozens of crabs clatter around on deck.

What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

lets find a spot where Ankarum can give you a boost up Stephan

[lostsole31]

You help him up, and he helps pull you up. The wrecked ship is in poor condition now, held together as much by its own rotting timbers as by the sea life growing on it. The ship's deck lies towards the bow at a steep angle, and the deck is slippery. There is an open hatch near the ruins of the ship's midsection.

EDIT: With the body of the ship no longer blocking your view, you also see to the south two stone doors standing open at the base of the cliff above a curling spur of rock. Seaweed covers the doors, hanging down in thick green and black sheets, just obscuring some sort of carvings on their surface.

A truly ominous sight.

Stephan takes out his magic sword, which glows, and yet keeps his dagger in his hand (javelin is stowed now). He begins to descend into the ship. The first place you enter is the ship's communal eating place, though you forgot the term. The furniture in this soggy place lies in a wet heap against the southern wall of this seaweed-choked room. Water still drips from the ceiling here - enough for Ankarum to tell that this room was flooded until recently - less than a day, at least. There is a door to the west that is propped ajar.

A careful move forward into the next room. Once a fine cabin, perhaps even the captain's cabin, this chamber is now in ruins. The furniture, including a crushed desk and a bed, lie in a heap near the bow, and seaweed and other tidal life glistens on the walls. A layer of seaweed covers the floor, deeper near the bow than by the door. As soon as you enter the room, a creature bursts out of the water, flapping about in the air with leathery wings. It is a small creature, no larger than a halfling at best. It has thin, leathery wings, small horns, and a mischievous smile.

Before you can do anything, the creature, which also wears a jaunty captain's hat, shouts in a shrill voice: "Stand tall and report on this damnably low tide!"

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Ekubus_zps77dab217.jpg

[Blackhawk101]

Snapping to attention, Ankarum performs his best salute.
First Mate Ankarum reporting for duty, sir! There seems to be some strange magic afoot cap'n.

[lostsole31]

Stephan takes a cue from you, stows his dagger and sword, and then snaps to attention.

"First mate o' what, I wonder? Not this vessel. Me first is in the hold. I'm Captain Ekubus and this is my ship, the Salty Strumpet. Welcome aboard. You know, it's been a long time since anyone not of my crew here" ... and at that he motions to the crabs and such scuttling around ... "beheld strangers. And yet, you're not the first ones to pass by recently, nor is this the first weirdly low tide I've noticed the the past day. A funny-looking person came down from the ledge and swam over to the scary doors to the south and went inside. Of course, any humanoid with a snake head and a snake tail is funny-looking enough for me, at least for me to let it pass by without bothering him .... or her .... or ... it.

"What be your business here?"

[Blackhawk101]

Cap'n, we be a couple of stout lads in search of adventure. What do ye know of the scary doors and the snake men?
Ankarum strikes a confident pose and grins.

[lostsole31]

"That's all I know, leatherneck, but I'm glad you volunteered. I am curious what arcane and pestilent ills lie there that threaten me ship. Go in and investigate. I shall lead you in, but a captain cannot be far from his ship so after awhile I'll need to return here. I be curious to know what mettle ye be made of, so lead on, and I'll determine if you're a fit sort of first mate for my crew."

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum shrugs his sholders and looks to Stephan
No guts, no chance for adventure Ankarum always say. Ankarum is a might curious about the snake man. What say you Stephan? We should grab the rest of our gear if we are goin' to risk it. We will grab our stuff and meet ya at the doors Cap'n!

[lostsole31]

You grab your things, cross over Salty Strumpet to the other side, and walk the 70' or so to two stone doors that stand open at the base of this cliff above a curling spur of rock. Seaweed covers the doors, hanging down in thick green and black sheets, just obscuring some sort of carvings on their surface. Stephan pulls several of the sheets down and away to reveal the carvings on the door in all of their hideous glory. There are all manner of demonic creatures, all with teeth sucking on the necks and limbs of what appear to be young maidens. Stephan places his hands over the carvings, feeling them in a line back and forth, row to row, all the while concentrating as if feeling something rather than looking directly at the door. He purses his lips, more to himself, and dissatisfied he simply stands back and shrugs. He studies the door for a bit in some amount of awe and confusion.

The place beyond is dark, though it is a 20' x 20' area that goes up 10' wide stairs.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" crabs Captain Ekubus. "Don't you come prepared with any damn light?"

Stephan looks at you and points to the light towards the west and the pre-sunset colors that now are playing on the waves. (The view of the sun is blocked by this entire spur.) Stephan looks into the grit on the tidepool and he makes six stick figures. One is half the size of the others. Three have what seems to be girls because of hair. One is just a man stick figure. The last stick figure has wing-like arms. Above one of the females is a crescent moon. Above another of the females is a very crude attempt to make - with the materials at hand - some semblance of the symbol of Calistria. Above the man-figure he draws a simple facemask that is half course with sand on one side, and smoothed out sand on the other. Above the winged figure he makes a crude finger drawing of a serrated sword.

He gestures towards the west with that "casting" motion of someone pointing to something in the distance. He then points to the figures, and stoops down, making scooping motions into himself as if he were gathering them up, and then he "releases" the phantom contents where you stand, facing the door.

Captain Ekubus says something in a bubbly, gurgling language ... but it definitely sounds like a curse or something disparaging. He looks at you. "You have potential, Ankarum, but this dark-skin is an idiot."

[Blackhawk101]

Stephan wants to get the rest of our "crew" to help us explore this evil temple. Our crew has light spells and good magic to fight evil. Plus more hands to carry treasure. We will go get them and be back tomorrow, Capn'.

[lostsole31]

"Excellent thinking, Ankarum!" nods Ekubus. "That kind of thinking just might show the makings of a first mate, yet."

Without a word, he flaps off to the ship.

Well, the sun is going down. You figure if you try to scale the cliff now, it will end up being in the dark before long. What do you do? Do you camp right here, or farther back on the tide pools? or, do you try to push through the darkness back up the cliff to the top of Red Mountain?

[Blackhawk101]

If the climb looks too dangerous to make in the dark even if we rope ourselves together, we will make camp onboard the Salty Strumpet and take turns with watch. We leave at first light.

[lostsole31]

Too angled and crusted. You'd have to sleep on the widest part of the tide pools. Guy on watch also makes sure sleeper gets up if water level is no longer held back by magic .... and keeps buddy from being a for-the-crab cake.

[lostsole31]

A shape jumps out at Stephan, the current one on watch. A bite misses, but two claws grab into him for 11, but he manages to pull out instead of being grabbed. Stephan gives out a man's angry growl-cry, which easily wakes Stephan ... who is 10' away.

R1T25: With unlikely and incredible reflexes Stephan points his sword at the monster and his body glows with a golden nimbus, while his sword glows even brighter. He swings his sword, hitting it for 18. The monster gives out a terrible and angry cry.

R1T12: The creature, easily hovering, bites at Stephan and hits him for 5. It attacks with both claws.

R1T11: Ankarum, you wake up to see this ...

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/27/9a/3b/279a3b487d17d18d09739c7cad85d52b.jpg

You just woke up, your spear and shield are on the ground next to you, and you are prone. Remember that regardless of number of hands, picking up an object off the ground is an action, so if you stand this round you can only grab sword or shield ... not both. Or, grab both but stay prone. You are 10' from Stephan (15' from the Red Mountain Devil, but 10' movement brings you adjacent to it). Both Stephan and the monster are sporting wounds off about the same severity, and Stephan and his sword are glowing as described above.

What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Rising swiftly from his sleeping mat, Ankarum grabs his spear and howls his own fierce war cry!
AAAAAHEEEEEE!

He moves in a direct line with the beast as terrain allows and stabs at it using a two handed grip. Rolled 12 with mods.

[lostsole31]

R1T11: Rising swiftly from his sleeping mat, Ankarum grabs his spear and howls his own fierce war cry! "AAAAAHEEEEEE!"

End Round 1, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T25: Stephan cuts again with his sword and rocks the Red Mountain Devil for 25. The monster gives a wounded cry.

R2T12: The creature snaps desperately at Stephan, but the strange nimbus around Stephan seems to push its head slightly to the side. The monster wants no more and goes to fly away, allowing Stephan to get in another swing for 21. It tries to fly straight up to get out of the way and flaps around because of the pain.

R2T11: Ankarum moves in a direct line with the beast as the terrain allows, though in doing so he has to take care not to run on the slippery rocks of the tide pool and maybe to turn a bit here and there. He stabs at the monster with a two-handed grip and spears it solidly in the area just above the groin for 10 (max) damage - one of the finest spear thrusts Ankarum has ever made.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T25: Stephan cuts deep in an upward swing, nailing the thing under the right armpit and cutting into the upper right side of its chest for 20, the righteous smite of his attacks inflicting grievous wounds with each strike. The Red Mountain Devil doesn't even shriek, it simply falls the 5' to the ground, forcing Stephan's arms down with it before he can remove his sword. The nimbus around him and the increased glow of his sword instantly wink out, evidence that the feared chupacabra, The Red Mountain Devil, has finally been vanquished by the two heroes.

Stephan holds his hand to his heart and bows his head in silent prayer. Two rounds later, his wounds are fully gone. Stephan studies the chupacabra's body for several seconds before he lifts it high over his head in a clean snatch and jerk and then heaves it into the large pool in the middle of the lagoon. Several second later, there is a churning motion and blood coming to the surface, and every now and then a triangular fin of a shark appears above the surface. Well, at least you know what the large creature in the water is.

Stephan steps over to Ankarum. The Shoanti is too tall to slap a hand on his shoulder without it being at an awkward angle, so he simply does the forearm-to-forearm grab and nods and smiles vigorously ... the greeting of one warrior to another after a great battle.

[Blackhawk101]

Good fight Stephan! I will take the rest of the watch, get some sleep.

[lostsole31]

The rest of the night goes by uneventfully.

The following day, the gaping mouth in the mountain is no less ominous. You and Stephan go very slowly up the mountain. He leads, but does so slowly and carefully. He then ties the rope around the next bridge and steps/ climbs to the side to allow you to carefully climb up to that level. To do so to make absolutely sure is going to take some time. Once the two of you are at the top, you and Ankarum once again eye what was probably the chupacabra's nest. Stephan motions to go over to the nest, and one by one you cross the rope bridge to that side. He ties off to the bridge, but he'll be the only one to head down to keep the bridge steady.

He climbs back up. In the ground, he seems excited and makes pictures:
* The shape of a bow, with little arrow shapes next to it.
* Lots of little round circles. He makes one larger one with something vaguely like a head on it.

If you go to get it now, he stops you. Not violently, but just easily and points to the west of the island where your friends are.

Towards the end of the day's travel, you are both surprised when a web shoots down from the trees to entangle Stephan.

R1T25: Ankarum, you see a giant spider 10' up in the trees, just out of melee range. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Taste my sting, foul bug!
Ankarum jerks a javelin from his quiver, and taking a short step, hurls it at the spider. (You can roll)

[lostsole31]

R1T25: "Taste my sting, foul bug!"

Ankarum jerks a javelin from his quiver, and taking a short step, hurls it at the spider. It is an easy throw for him, for the spider is the size of a man; but, even with this short distance, the trees throw off his targeting and he only does 5 (min) damage.

R1T14-5: Stephan doesn't take out his sword, but simply stands in a ready position. The spider drops down next to him in a vertical charge, but as it does so Stephan manages to take out his sword incredibly quickly and hits the monster for 10. Despite the vertical drop, on Stephan's recovery he pushes away its mandibles. Already it is not looking well.

End Round 1, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T25: Ankarum, you are adjacent to the spider, and catacorner to Stephan. I would accept that you have your shield ready because of the dangerous island, but you don't have a weapon out (you just grabbed and threw a javelin). What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Snarling with rage (yes Ankarum's rage ability) Ankarum moves to flank the spider and bashes it with his large wooden shield.

[lostsole31]

R2T25: Snarling with rage, Ankarum moves to flank the spider but in so doing gets big in the left shin for 5. Even in his rage, Ankarum feels a slightly numbing sensation (1 STR damage). In return Ankarum bashes at it with his large wooden shield, grazing with the edge of his shield for 5 (min).

R2T14; Stephan finishes it off.

Combat Ends ...

Ankarum, your high metabolism from the rage burnt off whatever other amount of poison might have affected you. You come out of the rage, fatigued for merely a couple rounds before recovering your wind, but finding that your leg aches some.

You get back to Aycenia's grove.

"Where have you been?!" demands Erin, angrily. "And what happened to your leg? I thought you were going to be back last night."

While she shouts you down, you and Stephan notice a particularly hopeful sight as dusk is upon you .... the lighthouse is operational!

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum fine. Just little scratch. We have found much on Red Mountain. There is strange stone alter with stone pillars around it. Found rope bridges down to the sea where some powerful magic is holding the tide back from a wrecked ship and its little green captain. But even better, there is an entrance to an evil snake man temple across the tide pools. We should definitely go and explore it. The snake man was seen entering, and what ever it is up to cannot be good. Terrible carvings decorate the door. Bring friends to help Stephan and Ankarum fight snake man and carry treasure!
The big man grins broadly as he tells the tale to the young woman. A sudden memory makes him add as an afterthought, ​oh and we fought and killed the chubachabra thing and can now takes its treasure. What has Erin been doing?

[lostsole31]

The party actually claps and cheers when Ankarum mentions that the two of you took out the chupacabra!

"Yesterday, I provided muscle to get the lighthouse working. Today, Aron gave me the book she was reading .... the Abendego Chronicles, the unfinished work by Aerys Mavato. I was absolutely riveted. I have to say, the sense of overcoming great adversity; she died, but Aerys nonetheless understood the concept well enough to give the heroine that energy. Lalarlia will be reading tomorrow."

Though Aron, Jask, and Gelik are interested in decamping to Red Mountain so they can study the ancient ruins ... and the spellcasters can provide light .... Lalarlia is more practical. "I agree that the snake-man definitely deserves attention, regardless of ruins or treasure. However, we now have a responsibility. This big pit beneathe the lighthouse ... it looks like a bit of a drop to a cave of bones. I think this is a place where the tribe offered some manner of supplication to something below. Now that the lighthouse works, if a ship comes where are they going to land? That's right, the cliffs below the light. Without cannibals feeding whatever's down there, it's possible that something hungry will come upwards. Then any death of any sailors sits squarely on our head because we wanted to go chasing down artifacts. I think the snake-man is key to evil and what lies beneath the island, but we have to ensure the lives of our would-be saviors are safe."

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum is skeptical that staring at funny marks on a page can be entertaining or enlightening, but to each their own. When Lalarlia speaks , he steps forward to speak,
Maybe bad in the pit, maybe not. If you don't want rescuers hurt, then turn off lighthouse until we clear the pit. Snake men maybe bigger threat or same threat. Need to find out. Anyone not coming should stay at tree, not village.

[lostsole31]

Ankarum, Gelik, Pezock, Stephan

Aron, Erinelea, Jask, Lalarlia

"I say we can do both," says Aron. "You and Stephan should return to the tidal area, and Gelik and Pezock would go with you. Meanwhile, I and Erin, Jask, and Lalarlia will investigate the pit.

"Ankarum's primary combat prowess will be mirrored in Erin; bardic abilities and support, as well as knowledge, would be me mirrored by Gelik; Pezock should go with you, because it sounds like something more constructed and there may be need of a skilled artificer like himself to check things out; and, Stephan and Lalarlia would be each group's healer and anti-undead specialist. Jask, like myself and Gelik, has excellent scholarship, and both possess some combat magic."

Though Ankarum may have a rebuttal, in the end Aron's skill with words wins out. The party will be split into two adventuring teams.

Anything before bedding down for the night?

[Blackhawk101]

UNGH....when is dinner?

[lostsole31]

Aycenia's grove is lush with fruits and vegetables and herbs.

The next day you leave for Red Mountain, this time taking the full three-hour break before heading up the mountain. You guide them safely across the rope bridge leading to the far side where you hadn't yet gone. There, 10' below you, you see the inside of the chupacabra's nest ... and it contains many coins, a quiver full of differently fetched arrows, and lots of coin!

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum lets the others sort out the treasure and weapons while he scouts the route down to the ship and tidal pools.

[lostsole31]

Pezock and Gelik really can't do anything about what's in the nest, since it has to be climbed into a little bit. Pezock can climb some, but Stephan tends the line. They manage to get all of the larger things up, but there are a lot of small items that require a pouch or something with which to seal them.

Ankarum, you notice that It's no less difficult a climb on this side than it was before.

Stephan climbs down to the next level (on the nest side where you are), he takes out his dagger as he is still in a climbing status, and he begins to cut at one of the ropes anchoring the bridge. He easily severs it, and then moves to cut a second of the three ropes anchoring the rope bridge.

The guy is cutting down one of the bridges!?

[Blackhawk101]

Blood and bloody ashes! Stephan what are you doing?

[lostsole31]

He cuts another one, leaving one support rope for this bridgem

[Blackhawk101]

!?!? This would be so much easier if you could spreak.

[lostsole31]

Stephan cuts the last of the support ropes for the 60' elevation (2nd bridge down, 1st down from top bridge) on this side, and there she goes ....

... the bridge from this side falls in a great swing to the far side of the chasm, slamming into the cliff wall and shattering many of the old planks. Most of the old planks are there, and only a few of the supporting lashing straps from plank to secondary lashing to main rope have popped.

Stephan begins to climb back up, but grabs a handful of swag on the way, dropping off the quiver, the bow, a silvery "pirate's hook hand" and a few other things. Gelik begins to look through the things. Gelik looks confused at the stupid mute. "Great, now it's a longer climb down to the next bridge .... and I don't know how to climb as it is!"

Stephan taps Ankarum and Pezock on the shoulder to go back to the "main side," and Stephan grabs the rope you have. Pezock looks at what Stephan might be doing, for little of the like seems to escape an artificer's notice. Pezock nods and says, "Caw-lever. Very clever. I guess dumb mean not dumb."

Stephan goes across to the main side. Then Pezock. Then, ostensibly, yourself. He has you and Pezock set up as line tenders and he rappels down to this side's support of the now-hanging rope bridge attached only here. He begins cutting away at planks and lashings.

Pezock looks at the likely-confused Shoanti. "He's getting us more rope .... longer and we can knot it this time. It'll definitely help the climb and be invalua-caw to Gelik."

[Blackhawk101]

Waiting impatiently, Ankarum says to the group "Stash the coins and distribute the weapons, we have a den of snakes to dig out their hole!

[lostsole31]

Stephan will need Ankarum and Pezock both just to begin trying to haul up the remains of the bridge, using the 50' length you already have as a "pulley" of sorts. As you haul it up, planks are cut away to lessen the weight, so bringing it up becomes a faster evolution by the time you get towards the end. It's the tedious knot-tying and splicing that takes time. Stephan and Pezock both seem expert at knot tying, so are still able to do it well and with moderate speed. The rope is now long enough to go all the way down to the bottom, fully knotted for easier climbing, with room to spare so that you are able to go back a distance up top to secure it to a nub of rock on the ground that is thick enough to act as a cleat.

During this time, Stephan will get the rest of the coins. [EDITOR: It seems I vastly over-thought what coins were there.]
There are 246 sp, 234 gp, 13 pp.

There is a hook designed to be worn on an arm stump, and it is made of a gleaming, silvery metal; it is a fantastic metal, very rare, known as mithral. Because of this, it's value is high, but indeterminate.

There is a fine brass sextant, and Gelik's seen enough brassware and nautical items to confidently appraise it (with Pezock's help) at 500 gp.

A magical buckler with skull and crossbones. Other than a moderate aura, its abilities are entirely unknown. While a shield for most normal purposes, it is entirely too small to be an effective weapon for a shield bash.

A magic quiver, not exactly known, carrying with it an aura of conjuration. However, there are far more arrows pulled out of the quiver than were initially seen.
* There are 20 normal arrows.
* Nine cold iron arrows. Gelik mentions that cold iron is a special material that hurts some types of fey and specific types of demons. Very hard and expensive to initially enchant.
* Seven +1 arrows.
* Two +2 arrows.
* One arrow of aberration slaying. Gelik nods, quite impressed. He explains that this magic arrow has a strong aura of necromancy. Against anyone else, it is simply a +1 arrow; however, against certain creatures categorized by academics as "aberrations" this arrow is truly deadly. A creature's internal strength may be able to rebuff the magic, otherwise the arrow has a change of causing grievous wounds or instant death against an aberration.

But it doesn't stop there. Even more items managed to be fished out of the side pockets of this magical quiver.
*There is a magic javelin called a javelin of lightning. When thrown, it becomes a bolt of electricity, but it's a one-shot that's consumed once thrown.
* There is a masterwork composite longbow. It just happens to be of the right pull for Ankarum (+3 Str).

Anytime these items are placed back in the quiver, the weight only equals that of the quiver itself. The weight of the arrows, javelin, and bow seem to be magically nullified until pulled out. The quiver weighs 2 pounds.
Stephan smiles and hands Ankarum the magical quiver. He pats Ankarum on the shoulder and nods his head in pride. Powerful item(s) earned for the destruction of a powerful enemy.

Stephan will take the magic buckler with skull and crossbones. He can still wear it while carrying a two-handed weapon (though it can't help him while he attacks and even throws off his attack's balance when worn), but he doesn't seem to mind, and he does have a short sword and a dagger. Stephan is incredibly agile, but that hasn't been enough in the past, so hopefully the late Hacker's armor and this shield will help him with defense. In addition, though it weighs five pounds, its construction and balance is enough that it won't hinder Stephan when using more physical skills.

The coins and other items are left up here for now ... it's not like anyone is likely to take them. The knotted rope is secured and it is now time to climb down. Ankarum will be first, followed by Pezock, then Gelik, with Stephan at the end. Gelik is in tears in fear at the prospect of climbing down, shaking terribly, so Stephan will be willing to allow Gelik to switch places. Stephan will be immediately below Gelik. The poor gnome begs Stephan to carry him, but the black paladin is very stern with him. For someone who is supposed to be helpful and virtuous it seems strange, until one realizes that teaching Gelik to find his own courage is more important than being brave for him. Otherwise, the climb down the knotted rope, braced against the cliffside as it is, is incredibly easy.

You get over to the Salty Strumpet. Ankarum, the quiver is a new 2 pounds, and if you take out the bow, that's an extra 3 pounds. Do you shuck any gear or have anyone else hold onto it for now? Even Stephan looks like he's holding darn near as much as he can, and that's impressive. Also, do you go see Captain Ekubus?

EDIT: The quiver and holding the bow would bring you to 75 out of 76 pounds for a light load, so you can still do it. You just can't pick up much else that you might find without being burdened with a medium load or ditching things in the ancient temple.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum will leave his two hand axes and as many javalins as will not fit in his spiffy new quiver. Ankarum is unsure about using a bow instead of the familiar javelin in ranged combat, but he has used a short bow before when hunting on horseback. It will take some practice. Hopefully the snake men will oblige as target practice.
ankarum clouts Stephan on the shoulder in return for his amiable gesture. Hail salty strumpet! Cap'n we have collected our crew and are ready to set sail for the evil cave.

[lostsole31]

Nothing happens, and Stephan boards the Strumpet. Several minutes later, he exits with Ekubus.

I am sure that a similar greeting is hailed to the little Captain once he flaps his wings coming out.

"That's a fine-looking bunch of salts, lad! The rest of you, be sure to address my second mate as Mister Ankarum! Onwards, hearties, and Mr. Ankarum, take the lead."

"What ... what are you?" asks Gelik to the strange, winged creature that is about his size. "I have never seen your like before."

"I'm the captain of the Salty Strumpet, and since you like to be nosy and you're the smallest here, you'll be my cabin boy .... what's your name, gnome?"

"My name is Gelik Amb---"

"Jelly it is, boy. Don't talk so much. Cabin boys should neither be seen, nor heard except when needed. And who is this bird-brain here? Looks like he'd be fine in a crow's nest to get him close to the sky."

"Mr. Pezock, sir!"

"I have enough officers in my wardroom, thank you very much, lookout. The only 'Mister' here is Second Mate Ankarum. Move 'em out, Mr. Ankarum."

The group moves forward, and there are those massive double doors again. Gelik looks at the doors, though Pezock is horrified and looks away. He sees the vampire demons feasting on young women.

"Wow. I have no idea what cult this relates to. More than that," Gelik adds. "I can't even begin to define its age ... but it seems older than anything I've ever studied. We seem to have stumbled upon something truly amazing, historically."

Since it is understandably dark inside, Gelik casts a spell on his cap and it begins to glow as brightly as a torch.

The space just inside is about 10' x 10', and about 15' high. From there, stairs 10' wide head upwards. Gelik mentions that many ancient crypts, tombs, and temples tend to be chock full of traps for the unwary. Even if there is nothing like that here, with those ominous and vile reliefs on the door, he is quite worried. Pezock, even more nervous, is more than willing to go more cautiously. He claims that his knowledge of traps and his skill with weird science actually might help him to pick out magical traps as well. Since it is wide enough here, Stephan - also good at building traps and with a keen eye and likely for sensing traps - will work with him. Then it will be Ankarum and Gelik. Captain Ekubus will be flapping about above, and in no particular point.

Once you get up to the top of the long stairway, there is a massive room that well exceeds your ability to see everything with Gelik's light cap. There are four stone alcoves to the side just out of range of illumination, that Pezock mentions, and you see two large pillars 10' into the room. As you fully step into the room, something comes flying out of the darkness.

Surprise Round ...

A javelin just misses Stephan, but another one hits Captain Ekubus in his little left foot for a very powerful blow, and yet it seems that even though the javelin head pierced his scales, it does a lot less damage than expected, for only 5 mod damage.

Round 1 ...

R1T27: Pezock, with his keen eyes, shouts, "There are strange skeletons on a bridge raised above the floor throwing the javelins!"

He then reaches to his belt and presses a couple buttons and a force field is momentarily visible in front of him.

R1T22: Gelik casts another spell, and these four glowing lights - all casting the same light as a lantern, appear in a 10' radius of each other, but raised about 20' off of the ground. Over a dozen stone pillars support this cavernous chamber's high-vaulted ceiling; even with this light it extends into the darkness above. You came in from the north where four empty alcoves sit in the walls, their edges carved to resemble yawning, fanged mouths. There is a bridge that is 40' off of the ground, and shadowy shapes above that.

R1T20: One of the things throws a javelin, and it bounces off of Stephan's new buckler.

R1T19: Captain Ekubus begins to curse in a bubbling language you don't know. Even flat-footed Ankarum notes that the wound on the captain's foot is beginning to knit.

R1T17: One of the creatures throws at Pezock, missing wildly.

R1T12: Ankarum, what weapon do you have out? Spear and shield? or bow?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum is carrying his spear and shield with the bow and quiver slung over opposite shoulders. Seeing the assailents up on the bridge, he drops the spear and shield and readies the bow.
let's see what you can do.

[Blackhawk101]

Even as Ankarum sights the "skeletons" up on the bridge, he looks around to see if there is a way up from this level. He will hold his shot until the next figure on the bridge is about to throw, hoping to disrupt its shot if nothing else. He intends to shoot with a normal arrow not expecting to harm a skeleton but needing the archery practice.

[lostsole31]

R1T12: Ankarum is carrying his spear and shield with the bow and quiver slung over opposite shoulders. Seeing the assailents up on the bridge, he drops the spear and shield and readies the bow. "Let's see what you can do."

"What, are you daft, boy?!" shouts the Captain's shrill voice. "You could have at least thrown the spear!"

R1T10: Stephan then does something Ankarum has never witnessed. The Mwangi/Taldane mixed man holds his swordarm out to one side, and the other arm out to the other. He spreads his legs a little apart. His form begins to shrink a little, while his arms grow thin at first, and then a membrane grows from shoulder to body, then creeps further down arm and intercostals. His trunk lengthens and there is a cracking sound of bones as his form shifts; the largest sound being that of his knees going from a forward direction and cracking so they now go from the back, like a bird's. His torn, old boots melt into his feet, even as those feet get thin but the toes grow with hooked nails ... until they are scaly talons. His short hair shrinks into his head while the nose on his face grows and his chin extends, and scales grow across his body as what clothing he has melds into his form. When you look back to his face, he has an impressive beak. He flaps his wings impressively once.

Stephan no longer stands there, but in his place are one of those flying lizards that Sasha tried to tame. The flying lizard-Stephan then takes wing and flies up to just above one of the shapes.

End Round 1, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22: Gelik says, "You'll have a hard time hurting skellies with an arrow, Ankarum."

He begins to tease and taunt you, goading you ... but you realize that he might just be pressuring you to do better (inspire courage +1).

R2T20: The thing no beleaguered by Stephan throws a javelin at the source of the noise .... the Shoanti man who just dropped a shield and spear to clatter on the ground, but Ankarum just barely manages to dodge out of the way.

R2T19: The captain's wound continues to heal; it is only a light scratch now. He outstretches his little hand, and an arrow of acid appears above his palm and shoots toward that enemy to hit it for 2 acid. He then flaps up towards the fight, but making sure to steer clear for right now.

R2T17: Instead of attacking with natural weapons, the skeleton follows whatever original orders it had to try to throw its javelin at Stephan. It gets slashed for 4 mod damage. The javelin still hits Stephan for 8.

R2T12: Even as Ankarum sights the "skeletons" up on the bridge, he looks around to see if there is a way up from this level. He will hold his shot until the next figure on the bridge is about to throw, hoping to disrupt its shot if nothing else. He lets fly with a normal arrow not expecting to harm a skeleton but needing the archery practice.

R2T10: You see the flying form flap down to the bridge, and in its place is a dwarf dressed like Stephan. He takes out his dread maul.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T27: "Get directly under the bridge so they can't throw at you!" caws Pezock. He then moves underneath the bridge so it's impossible to be targeted.

R3T22: Gelik, takes a a potshot at one of the stocky skeletal whatevers, firing a small bolt of fire which hits one for 4 fire. He then bolts under the bridge with Pezock.

R3T20: Since the creatures are set upon by a close-range combatant, both creatures focus on Stephan; but true to their original programming, the stupid creatures focus to throw their javelins. The first one goes to throw its javelin, but you are ready ... and how ready you are. You happen to strike it hard in the shoulder for 18 mod and spins it flat-footed, but not enough to end its attempt to throw again before being smacked by Stephan's take a clip for 11. It finally tosses its javelin but its been banged about to aim well. The magic arrow does another 3 acid.

R3T19: "Damn fine shot, Mr. Anakarum," hails Captain Ekubus. "Your dogs are cowards, but you and your shifty friend are true salts."

He keeps flapping about in circles, but seems preoccupied with something.

R3T17: The next skeleton tries to throw a javelin, but Stephan's surprising reflexes swing at him as well, but it's a wild swing that nearly has him teetering off the edge, but his instincts are still enough even in squat form to dodge the missile.

R3T10: Stephan recovers and smashes one of the skeletons, causing it to shatter and collapse in a shower of bones, many of which spill over the side.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T27-22: "Right on, Stephan!" cheers Gelik, though he dare not come out from under the bridge.

R4T21: Ankarum, only one of these two incredibly tough, squat skeletons remaining. Your first shot was a crit; seems an auspicious beginning. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Thanks Cap'n! I don't throw spear unless its last resort. Wanted to try new bow anyway.

reaching into his belt pouch, Ankarum pulls out a tanglefoot bag and attempts to attach it to a standard arrow.

Does Stephan need help Cap'n?

[lostsole31]

R4T21: "Thanks Cap'n! I don't throw spear unless its last resort. Wanted to try new bow anyway."

Reaching into his belt pouch, Ankarum pulls out a tanglefoot bag and attempts to attach it to a standard arrow, an easy enough task given the small straps ringing the bag. "Does Stephan need help Cap'n?"

R4T19: The Captain finishes his concentration and then shrugs. "Ha! Why ask me, boy?! Good instinct to ask yer cap'n, but I told you this is yer landin' party. You have to learn to take the inish."

Other than that, the captain doesn't do anything other than fly to and fro, and he has no more evidence of the wound he received.

R4T17: The monster goes to throw a javelin and Stephan makes a perfect swing to brain the monster for 28. It actually does a good job of throwing its javelin into Stephan's own head for a powerful 10.

R4T10: Stephan swings wide into its rib cage for 21, blasting it into bits of bone.

Combat Ends ...

"Seems ya' don't need whate'er that medicine bundle is, Mr. Ankarum."

[Blackhawk101]

Cap'n got the best view of the fight from up there. Ankarum was just wondering how the fight was going.
There is a crash and a shower of pulverized bone fragments. ...Never mind.
Ankarum stashes his Tanglefoot arrow for later use in his quiver.

[lostsole31]

The four-pound tanglefoot bag, already in danger of breaking the .1-pound arrow, won't fit down into the quiver with the other arrows.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum will put the tanlefoot bag back in his pouch and retreive his weapons.

[lostsole31]

A large eagle flies down to the ground with a skull in its talons. Stephan forms from the eagle. He picks up the skull quizzically.

Gelik comes over and looks at it. "Considering the weirdness of this place .... the temple, this strange skull. It would make sense for us to go back to the others. I don't have the background at religious matters to understand what we might be up against. And Lalarlia definitely might understand this strange skull."

[Blackhawk101]

Yeeaahh.... Stephan, what in the five bloody hells did you change into?! A why haven't you ever done that before?! Ankarum wasn't unconscious for that long.

[lostsole31]

Stephan looks helpless and finally points to his mouth, shrugging meekly.

[Blackhawk101]

Yeah, can't speak. I know. Can you write it down so somebody else can read it? What's your story? You a Skinwalker?

[lostsole31]

He seems helpless and shakes his head as you ask him about writing it down. When asked about being a Skinwalker, however, he looks up to the side of you as if scrutinizing something you've said, then looks directly at you and nods. Not a direct up/down nod, but that bobblehead nod that signifies "yeah, kind of like that."

[Blackhawk101]

Ok, you're a kinda skin walker. Fine. Great.... I need to pound something.
Ankarum gathers his weapons.
Come on! Let's move!

[lostsole31]

They come out from underneath the bridge.

"Yeeahhh, weeelll," says Gelik. "Let's pound our feet back to the camp. We aren't prepared for this. Just because you're a boneheaded savage with anger issues doesn't mean we don't need the magic and scholarship of the others. We've already seen what it's like with little light, knucklehead. Any adventurer worth his salt knows he needs to be prepared, and he'd be a damn fool not to be!"

Stephan, handling the skull, looks long and confused at its strange shape. He gestures to Gelik while nodding to Ankarum.

[lostsole31]

As Gelik finishes, his lights that he cast up near the bridge wink out. They didn't last more than a minute.

[lostsole31]

"Sounds like cowardice to me!" chirps the captain. "Mr. Ankarum, my boy, it's good that you gave them a second chance, but you made a decision and they still press. Looks like possible mutiny. You better handle this, otherwise how can I trust you with a leadership position?"

"Caawww!" Pezock interjects. Until now, he hasn't really said much. "I don't know much about what kind of a mad little twit you are, Eku-whatsit, but until I see a ship that floats, you're nothing but a captain of crabs and worms! I don't know what **caw** ridiculous arrangement you have with our savage warrior, but he's gullible and that Mwangi-Taldane half-breed their with the big sword - gods bless them **caw** both for their great prowess - aren't that bright. We're not your crew, and we've followed Ankarum here because he asked us to take a look. We didn't know what we might be up against. **Caw! Caw!** We're in an ancient evil temple with the skeletons of strange creatures far tougher than expected, with no idea how to have long-term light without the little one dropping those strange lights every minute ... can't do that in a battle. We need the learning and uplift of the bard; the greater healing and possibly spells for divination from the priestess; battle magic from the Garundi; and the other woman can stay behind for the lighthouse."

Pezock looks to Ankarum. "We need the others. We don't have what we need among us. But if you want to continue, I guess I'll go with you."

Captain Ekubus flaps up 15' out of reach and shrieks, "Mutiny! Ankarum, discipline him!"

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum pointedly ignores the birdman and Captain Ekubus.
Stephan, are you hurt?
After seeing to Stephan's wounds and checking on the rest of the party, Ankarum gathers them together. He stares each companion in the eye in turn as he speaks emphatically.
Gelik thinks that we should return and bring more of our friends to explore this temple because unknown dangers lay ahead and we have met a strange foe. Ankarum says that a couple of skeletons on a bridge is no need for fear. We are a powerful group! if we work together and stay firm in our belief in each other, we will be victorious! I have two torches. Others have light spells that work as torches. Do we not have enough light in our hands and courage in our hearts to push on? Do not wilt on me now my friends. Join with me and glory and riches will follow! What say you?

[lostsole31]

Based on opposed Diplomacy checks, of which you have no skill ... and Gelik is pretty decent with, since he's the main opposition ...

It's not always about the speech. You just don't get your point across with the same ability as the bard. There were bonuses in your favor, but just not enough.
The others look around and Gelik just shakes his head. "Glory and riches, huh? No one can know our story if we're dead; we can spend no gold in the afterlife. Besides, if you're all about that, it's not fair to keep it from the others, right?"

He starts to head towards the exit, and the others follow.

Captain Ekubus looks at you. "You tried the soft approach. Try to intimidate them like a proper officer, because otherwise I just can't have you in my wardroom, let alone as a second mate. Mutiny, and you're failing to stop it as your crew leaves you."

[lostsole31]

He flies upwards some. "You have failed. You aren't even fit to be a member of my crew. You can't give orders, and your companions won't take them. Bother me no more."

And with that, he flaps out of the room, ostensibly to go back to his waterlogged room on the Salty Strumpet. You carefully cross the deck and pick up your belongings.

The party, with a little difficulty, makes it out of the cove and back up on Red Mountain, where you will make camp, and note the light of the lighthouse working. Night goes by without incident.

The next day you make it back to Aycenia's grove in the late evening. (Gelik is pretty quick for a gnome and other small folk, but he is still slower than a human.)

You find out that they actually hadn't made a descent yet. They determined that the initial entrance to the Cave of the Mother is a drop but not down a "well." Rather, the roof/ underside opens right up so there'd be no wall to climb. They didn't have rope, so while each person has enjoyed a day of rest and reading Aerys' book, the others would be making rope out of vines. Since you show up with "new" rope from the bridges, everything is good.

Gelik hands over the strange skull to the others. A jungle scholar, the origin of the creature that once was living with this skull absolutely evades anything she has ever studied. The fact that Gelik (and likely you) mention how tough the creature's were compared to a normal skeleton concerns Lalarlia, since that is out of her realm as well.

Gelik then tries to draw out what he saw from the strange temple doors. Frustrated, Stephan actually takes over. Though a mute and a warrior, there is a calm in him that Gelik doesn't have in trying to render something drawn. It is a very good likeness.

Lalarlia confers with Jask, and he somberly says, "These would be ancient renderings of the Cult of Zura, the demon queen of vampires and cannibalism. I don't know the history of the cult here .... the who or why, but that is the religious significance."

"Umm, yeah," says Gelik. "Caves of the Mother it is, at least for now. Perhaps we'll find out something down there that can give us a clue to the Temple. You guys start tomorrow, though. I need to go over some things to prepare."

Ankarum, do you do or say anything at this time?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum looks for his monkey friend Bob. (Internal dialoge) At least he listens...at least when Ankarum have fruit.

[lostsole31]

Sure enough, if you grab some fruit and call out to him, Bob comes scampering out and snatches the fruit from your hand and begins eating greedily.

[lostsole31]

The next day, the party leaves Aycenia's grove to get to the empty village. With the combined rope, there is plenty to make sure there is a good bit down with excellent anchoring, and then rope to spare once you get down.

Ankarum, are you leaving anything behind?

[Blackhawk101]

I will leave Bob and bring all my weapons.
In Gilek's general direction he will say sarcastically "ankarum sure hopes there are no skeletons down there with pointy sticks. Ooooo!" He shivers.

(Sorry no options for color text on new iPhone)

[lostsole31]

Now it's time to descend the 10' into the cavern below. The rope is knotted along its length and securely anchored above. Ankarium will be the first one down so he can immediately take out his shield and act as guard. Erin put a light spell on his shield. He makes it down easily. Next comes Aron and Lalarlia. After that, Jask is lowered down. Then Pezock and Erin climb down, followed at last by Stephan. There are plenty of light spells in the party.

The uneven floor of this ten-foot-high cave is stained with blood and scattered with pieces of wood, fallen leaves, broken weapons, and in places, bits of bone. It's a sizeable natural cavern vaguely, 40' x 20' at its largest point, and there is a 5' wide passageway to the east, only wide enough for one person. A marching order has to be created.
Ankarum will be in front as a shock trooper with his decent senses, defensive skills, and speed to maneuver around opponents in larger areas. Though a good scout, he is not sent any distance ahead. This way, he stays in range of Lalarlia's burst; there are too many undead on this island to believe you won't find any down here.
Pezock, who claims to be quite adept at throwing in a good first strike, will be next.
Lalarlia. The most heavily armored, but setting the pace for the party. Lalarlia is the actual defensive vanguard for the party. In addition, she is a centerpoint for any holy energy burst needed to blast undead or heal the party.
Erin. Also good at first strike, but she will be in front of Jask in case she casts spells.
Jask, in the middle, will be protected while he casts combat spells.
Stephan. Unarmored but with good senses, he will protect Jask and the party from the rear.
The cavern winds about 70' and curves towards the south until there is a chamber. The smell of decay is thick in the air of this wide but low-ceilinged cavern. To one side, the ceiling drops down to little more than three feet in height over a region strewn with bones and bits of old flesh, while to the other, the ceiling bulges upward in a dome shape - six circular, pod-like alcoves line the walls of the cave at this side.

Ankarum, what do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Motioning his companions for quiet, Ankarum extends his senses to see if he percieve any threat.

[lostsole31]

He doesn't sense anything. While the light spell on his shield is only as bright as a torch - so there are areas of dim light - one advantage of the spell is that it is a steady form of illumination, so there are no flickering shadows. But that almost makes it worse. The stench of death is compounded by the visual stillness. You do not feel right, as if death waits here for you. This place seems cursed. What do you do, superstitious savage?

[Blackhawk101]

Readying his spear and shield the barbarian pads towards the shadowed alcoves on silent feet to determine their contents...

[lostsole31]

S1T20: Something comes bounding from the shadows to Ankarum's right side, biting him on the face with a powerful 8 damage and knocking him to the ground. There is a terrible, fetid smell coming from whatever his attacker might be.

S1T17: With Ankarum down, another figure comes zooming in to his left and gets him in his left shoulder for 4 (min).

Begin Round 1 ...

R1T23: Ankarum hears Lalarlia's voice, "Festrogs! Undead creatures that didn't quite make the shift to being a ghoul. Be careful of its pustules. They could disease you."

She chugs forth in her armor, but only just in front of the group and shows her holy symbol. "Calistria frees you from your torment, creatures!"

A burst of positive energy blasts forth from her, harming both for 4 PE.

R1T20: The one that attacked Ankarum's face snaps at him, but Ankarum's sixth sense keeps him from being entirely vulnerable.

R1T17: Erin moves forward and slightly to the east some while grabbing her starknife. She tosses it at the festrog that nipped Ankarum's shoulder. The starknife slashes grazes past the creature's left wrist for 5.

R1T16: Despite that attack, the festrog will not be distracted from its meal, but this is Ankarum's shield side, and he desperately manages to interpose the shield against the horrible breath and teeth.

R1T15: "Yes!" calls Jask. "But try not to pierce or slash it when you're next to it or you might be infected by its boils. Be defensive if you can, too. Every time it bites it feeds on you and gets stronger."

Likewise Jask sends out positive energy in a weak blast that both festrogs manage to partially withstand, each only taking 1 PE.

R1T14: Stephan moves forward, taking out his dread maul and hustles into the cave to stand behind the first festrog.

R1T9: Pezock, for his part, takes out his sawtooth sabre and moves up to stand by the other festrog.

R1T6: Ankarum, you are finally recovering from your initial shock, though you have wounds to face and shoulder (39:51). You are prone. You realize that indeed part of the pain from their bites were not necessarily from the power of the bite itself, but from the fact that the monsters were feeding on you. You look up from the ground, and you see this ...

http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/images/738745/Festrog.png
If you were to stand, you are between both; though at the same time, Stephan flanks with your right, and Pezock to your left. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Remaining prone, Ankarum takes the advice of his comrades and fights defensively with his shield to attempt to avoid flying puss and to aid in flanking the creatures.

[lostsole31]

R1T6: Remaining prone, Ankarum takes the advice of his comrades and fights defensively with his shield to attempt to avoid flying puss and to aid in flanking the creatures. Even in this clumsy position, Ankarum uses his shield against the one already on that side with Pezock as a distraction and smashes that festrog for 7.

R1T5: Ankarum never heard her in battle, for he was an unconscious captive of the cannibals, so this is the first time that the enchanting voice of Aron carries over the sounds of combat to stir the hearts of all the allies.

End Round 1, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T23: "Monster!" Lalarlia, having let loose the holy amulet about her neck, "you do not fear pain, but fear not death for it comes swiftly!"

She charges the seemingly unharmed festrog as she draws her magical scimitar, glowing crimson energy surrounding the blade and herself as well. She makes a heavy chop downwards, missing its body and just barely chopping into its right foot, but holy energy lances forward combined with her momentum for 13, practically cutting its foot in two along the middle. It howl-hisses terribly, but some of the hissing noise is from bursting pustules that splash on her.

R2T20: That attack was definitely enough for the badly wounded festrog to step to the side (out of flank) and attack Lalarlia wildly. Its bite and one of its claws scratch furiously at her chainmail, but it is its second claw that finally finds pokes through the chain gauntlet of her sword hand for 5.

R2T17: On the other side, Erin throws her magic dagger to hit her opponent in the left leg for 7.

R2T16: As the dagger hits its leg, the monster still tries to feed on the savage. Since it is the most dangerous, Ankarum focuses on blocking the bite and catches a claw, but the second claw sunders through the Shoanti's shortspear. The splinters of the spear and the creature's claw and jams into Ankarum's right eye, causing him to cry out in great pain. He takes 10 hit points damage, 1 CON drain, and is blinded in his right eye.

R2T15: The aging Garundi priest of Nethys again sends out the destructive energies of his mad god. The first takes 2 PE, and the second takes 3 PE. That really hurt them and neither look like they can deal with much more.

R2T14: Stephan smashes the festrog that just got Ankarum's eye, and the thing falls down, finally dead.

R2T9: Pezock makes a double-hand swing with his sawtooth sabre but the festrog's unholy skin blocks it; he follows up with a bite (ew!) and this time manages to nail it in its skull for 12, ending its threat to the mortal world.

End Combat ...

[Blackhawk101]

Trying to be a tough guy, Ankarun staggers to his feet with a moan of agony.
"Blood and Bloody Ashes, this stings! A little help here..."

[lostsole31]

Tough as he is, Ankarum begins to mumble the last part of what he says before passing out from shock and pain.

Sometime later, Ankarum awakens, needing water. He cannot see out of his right eye, throwing off his depth perception some, but he recognizes he is in Aycenia's glade. Jask comes over and says, "I operated on your eye as best as I could, and I was able to save it so you still have some cloudy vision; shouldn't throw off your expert senses or your aim. The scar is terrible. I suggest you wear an eyepatch in public, and perhaps you can still pull it off when you really need it.

"The one thing I couldn't do," he says hesitantly, "is to deal with the systemic shock. I am not a very powerful priest."

Lalarlia takes over. "I prayed to Calistria, even holding a fast and a vigil; but, she refuses to help you, does not answer my prayers, or the power is far beyond me in a spell and a prayer I know not.

"This is something we - you - must handle. Evil has done this to, the evil found in the Cave of the Mother. Are you ready for vengeance?"

[Blackhawk101]

"Thank you my friends for saving my eye. Ankarum will wear the scar proudly. Only dead warriors have no scars. "
He finds the bird man in the clearing. " yes that was definitely better than skeletons with pointy sticks. Speaking of which, any one have a weapon Ankarum can use?"

[lostsole31]

Gelik's face contorts into mock confusion. "Wait - - what?! Of course dead warriors have scars. In fact, that's one thing all dead warriors have in common ... apart from being dead, of course. I mean, whatever killed a warrior left some mark (big or small) of the attack, right? And does that mean that warrior's who've been lucky, blessed, or skilled enough not to have gotten a scar isn't really a warrior, regardless of whatever deeds they might have done? Look at Stephan. He's got a whole lot of scars on his back from the whip and the lash as a slave; you think those are 'pride marks?' And what about his tongue that was cut out? That's not a wound that happens in the heat of pitched battle, and could happen to anyone.

"Oh, and while we're at it, cyclops ... it does suck that your favorite weapon went snicker-snack, but it probably saved you from the festrog cracking your nugget open and feeding on whatever passes as a brain. But look at you ... true, you have a quiver with no bow ... but you do have a tomahawk you can use to good effect, and a dagger as a backup weapon. Speaking of which .... you had a half-dozen javelins when you and Stephan went to check out Red Mountain but you don't have them anymore. What happened to them? You left with javelins, and came back with a new and empty quiver."

1) Of course it would be Gelik to point this out in the first paragraph, but remember ... 7 INT = remarks that are "poorly thought out."

2) "Cyclops" ... you just don't get the reference, but you are pretty sure it is an extremely offensive gnomish insult that he thinks he can get away with because you don't understand his language. [How's that for a '1' on Sense Motive?]

3) Because your weapons block was full, the dagger at your belt and your bow were placed in the Equipment column. Your primary weapon is now your tomahawk, with a fallback weapon of the dagger ... in addition to your equally prized weapon of your shield. Your tomahawk is as good or better than any other "extra" weapon anyone might give you, and it's more thematic. Being able to throw it and draw a dagger is a big plus. If you still want to ask for weapons from the others, let me know. But you are, and have been, armed to the teeth.

4) He figured that part of your combat with the chupacabra ended in the loss of your javelins, but he doesn't know the story behind the quiver. With a mute, free slave, and a savage with a 7 INT that is rather taciturn, storytime just wasn't happening. He doesn't know you store your javelins in the magic quiver, let alone a bow and the arrows (let alone the types). So, if you changed position to that of archer, you have decent enough training for that. That should be secondary, though. You have Point Blank Shot, but not Precise Shot (Erin does, btw) so shooting into melee incurs a -4 penalty on attack rolls. PBS probably comes from being an all-around warrior, but also a hunter in bringing down game. Your other feats also support a much greater combat role with weapon and shield.
"Gelik, stop it," says Jask. "Ankarum. We found something after the fight with the festrogs ... something important."

He shows you a scrap of leather armor with writing on it.

"I know you can't read, but Captain Kovack apparently wrote this on a strip of his leather armor, probably using his own blood and a splinter of bone as a pen ..."
"I am Captain Alizandru Kovack, betray of my crew and destroyer of the good ship Jenivere. Hell would be a welcome escape from what hideous unlife looms before me, but it is no less a punishment than I deserve. That I was enslaved mind and body to a serpentine demon who wore a Varisian's skin does not pardon me. It is my weakness that led the Jenivere, her crew, and her passengers to their doom. That Ieana has abandoned me here is nothing more than the fate I deserve. I do not beg forgiveness, but I despair that she lives still, and that she seeks something dire on this forsaken isle - she seemed particularly interested in Red Mountain. If you read this and you be a kind soul, seek out what I have become and destroy me, and then seek out Ieana and slay her as well. And to those whose lives I have helped destroy, I can only apologize from this, my dark cradle and darker grave."


"It appears," speaks Lalarlia, "that he is not as to blame as he worried. He was enslaved to her; if that is more than metaphorical and he meant supernaturally, the gods shall forgive him. Ieana was the Varisian scholar, and he referred to her as a 'serpentine demon' interested in Red Mountain. It is absolutely impossible to glean any information from what type of people the festrogs were - so hideous and full the transformation was. Perhaps one of the festrogs was him, or perhaps another creature further along in the caves. We shall honor the late captain's request. We shall free what can be freed of his soul by the destruction of all of the undead monstrosities that exist in this cave. Then, for vengeance in the name of the Wasp's Sting, we shall track down Ieana and send her to whatever afterlife seeks to devour such malice that would wreck an entire ship and account for the death of more than a score of sailors and passengers."

[Blackhawk101]

unprepared for Gelik's verbal attack, Ankarum tries to argue his point: Ankarum meant that of living and dead warriors, that the only ones without scars are the dead ones. Not all the dead ones, some dead warriors can have scars too but all the living warriors have scars... Oh never mind!
Turning to Jask, The snake person cap'n Ekubus saw at the temple must be this Ieana. Ieana is the cause of the wreck of the Jenivere and the deaths of many good people and must pay for actions! Ankarum say that we collect that debt.

[lostsole31]

DAY 75

That day, as everyone studies, prays, meditates, practices, juggles, etc., Aron throws a set of bones she's cleaned and shaped over this time and throws them like dice on the ground on her cloak. She studies that for some time.

The party - a full complement this time - makes its way carefully down the rope to the entrance cavern. Light spells are set up as before, and this assumes that Ankarum has a tomahawk in one hand and his large (lit) shield in the other. As before, the tunnel leading to the SE out of here is only wide enough for single file.

Ankarum, you travel 40' and you see a dark pool of water in the center of a silo-shaped cavern. A five-foot-wide ledge of stone seems to wind down to the pool below, passing several cave entrances that you see in dim light along the way. You can't see how high the cavern ceiling is. You step in carefully and to the side and the party slowly and carefully files into the cavern. It's only because of the great number of light sources that it looks in the dimmest light that the cavern might be 50' high or so. The pool seems relatively clear.

"I'm quite familiar with spelunking and practices for exploring underground, given the fact my schooling and background is in archaeology," says Aron. "That sparkling pool looks like it's only 5' deep, but I'd say it's actually about 10'."

"I have some armchair knowledge on the Darklands," says Jask, "but you're right. You are now our resident expert."

Not counting the entrance you arrived in (NE), there are four other entrances: E, SE, SW, and NW. The party looks to the elder Garundi's wisdom and Aron's knowledge. He mentions that instead of walking around willy-nilly, a systematic means of exploration should be conducted, and he recommends going clockwise from E to S, etc. Going east, it is only a 15' long, 5' wide (at best) passageway going into a massive chamber. But unlike all the rest, which seem somewhat natural (outside of the steps going into the pool), this place is obviously worked. This long chamber evokes the feel of an ancient, hideous cathedral. The walls are carved with images of serpents walking upright like humans, snakes coiling around and eating hapless women and children, and strange scenes. Four stone pillars carved like coiling snakes support the vaulted ceiling 30' above. In dim light, you see two small cells blocked by rusted bars, one on each side (east and west). To the south, also in dim light, rises a horrific mound of bones and partially decaying bodies in an eight-foot-tall heap arranged almost as if to evoke the imagery of a coiled snake made of corpses.

[lostsole31]

Ankarum, you hear it first, the shifting of bones, and then you see in the dim light two creatures come around the side of the mound towards you. Their noise and low hissing gave them away.

S17: The first one charges you and snatches forward with a bite. You get your shield up in time to block.

S10: Ankarum, the other monster hasn't yet gotten to you. With the other one facing right into the light on the front of your shield, however, you see it is a humanoid that has long, sharp teeth and its pallid flesh is stretched tightly over its starved frame.

[Blackhawk101]

Fighting defensively with tomahawk and shield, Ankarum tries to keep the first opponent between him and the second taking a five foot step.

[lostsole31]

S10: Fighting defensively with tomahawk and shield. The monster's charge is just barely what Ankarum needs to hack it in the left knee for 6. The creature jerks straight up at the sudden pain and a screaming hiss, just enough for Ankarum to follow up with a shield to the face for 5 (max). Ankarum tries to keep the first opponent between him and the second taking a five foot step straight back and to the left.

S4: The second monster charges at an angle to stand at Ankarum's F-L (Fwd-Left), but this time Ankarum is ready for the attack and he dodges out of the way. With this one facing the savage, he notes from his clothing (albeit ragged) and hat that this must be the late Captain Kovack.

Begin Round One ...

R1T21: Lalarlia must see this as well. "For your treachery, but to set you free as well, I smite thee, Captain Kovack!"

She races forth and glows. She goes past the first ghoul who can't get past her armor. The magical scimitar across Kovack's right upper arm for 12 (max)!

"Everyone - Ankarum, too, please let me give duel this creature alone and take care of the other. Calistria seeks his blood."

R1T17: The first ghoul steps forward so that it is now flanking Lalarlia, but her holy protections and armor keep it at bay.

R1T16: Stephan charges with his mighty sword to cleave that first monster, and only Lalarlia (and Ankarum's) opponent remains.

Erin, Pezock, and Jask delay.

R1T10: Ankarum, do you leave Lalarlia to her honor, or find that silly and continue to attack?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum admires Lalaria's warrior spirit and give a yipping battle cry as he raises his tomahawk in support.

[lostsole31]

As Ankarum steps back to give the combatants room, the others come up a little and cheer Lalarlia onward.

The ghoul steadies itself after its charge and launches at the paladin with everything it has, but her elven reflexes dodge two attacks while holy power throws wide the other. Lalarlia does not hold back and with holy zeal cuts deep into its chest for a fantastic 30 damage! The creature falls to the ground, and the glow surrounding Lalarlia goes away.

Immediately, she lets her scimitar clatter and drops to her knees. She looses her shield, holds her holy symbol and begins to kneel over him, praying quietly. After a minute or two of prayer, she stands and looks to the party. She has tears in her eyes.

"So much death on account of a trickster. I have thanked Calistria that vengeance has been served against the late Captain Kovack's actions and weakness, but to understand how he was ensnared by magic he was powerless to resist. I prayed that with his death his spirit is freed and hopefully accepted by the will of whatever deity he served in life."

She looks at the two creatures then back to the party. "Erin has seen these creatures with me when we fought the one in the treasure pit on the grassy hill. This is a lacedon, which is a fancy way of saying an aquatic ghoul ... undead creatures of greed and hunger that have grown enough webbing and enhanced strength that they are able to swim at frightening speeds. We have saved or finally damned Kovack, but have otherwise sent his spirit beyond. Now, we continue his last request. We smite all we see until we find Ieana and then avenge the crew, passengers, and ourselves against this witch!"

[Blackhawk101]

The witch must pay! First we need to finish clearing this nest of evil and then we take out the temple.
Ankarum will help search the room.

[lostsole31]

The witch must pay! First we need to finish clearing this nest of evil and then we take out the temple.
In his head, this is what Ankarum thought he sounded like, but in reality, it came out like Gabby Johnson, here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNC3OciAF3w).

:tongue:
It is a massive temple extending over 100' from north to south, and 25' east to west. Four alcoves total end up being seen. There are a total of four empty alcoves, to the north end there is a slight flare out of 35' E-W. To the north, an immense carving of a snake's head looms, an ash-caked door clenched in its jaws. It is a horrible job, but the hillock of bones is knocked down some. A search of the bones that were made to evoke the imagery of a coiled snake reveals nothing of note.

The ancient workings are totally foreign to the cleric Lalarlia and the priest Jask. Aron closes her eyes partly, incanting some unknown words and waving the palm of her hand back and forth over the larger carvings, at a distance of six inches. She stops and opens her eyes and turns around. "Truly an ancient site, beyond what I can even reckon. In lost times there were people that were like man and serpent both. They enslaved the world of men, visiting horrors upon them as depicted on these walls. This seems to be a temple to their god .... Ydersius."

"The moon tells you much that Nethys would hide from me," says Jask with an uneasy feel.


"Serpentfolk," Gelik spits. "Thought by many scholars of the world to simply be mythical, and that human cults worshipped the essences of snakes, but these creatures are supposed to be extinct. No, in my job, coming across this and that ancient lore makes you very aware of the things that used to be. History isn't actually my forte, but my knowledge of monstrous humanoids is fair. But they passed out of history long ago. Little is known about them other than the fact that they were incredibly powerful spellcasters. But even for that, any creature of the taxonomic designation 'monstrous humanoid' (at least, as far as we can tell that's what they were) means that they are hard to kill, quite capable in combat with whatever weapons they know how to use, and they can see in the dark. Strong minds and fast feet, I'd say that if there were any 'weakness' it would be that their internal ability to resist pain and poison is not as good as a warrior of equal skill and toughness."

"Well," says Lalarlia, "at least now we know what we might be dealing with ... somehow these 'extinct' creatures .... aren't. The Varisian scholar Ieana must have been using magic - as you said serpentfolk are good at using - to hide her form. The fact she is a scholar isn't a lie, because it seems like a lot of trouble was spent trying to get to this island. A lot of lives' lost and mind you, a surprising amount of risk to herself as well. Very possibly she is attempting to find some way to reconnect with her people's past, religious or otherwise. The real question to ask later is, 'Is she alone or sent ahead as an agent of a sleeper cell of surviving serpentfolk?' I guess we'll have to figure that out later."

As the group nears the door and sees the char marks, they see several empty potion bottles by the door. The sisters recognize the potion bottles seem very similar to the smoked green glass ones that they saw Ieana carry once or twice on the Jenivere's final voyage.

The door is checked for traps, but it seems clear. Jask, a wizard who specializes in destructive magics, looks at the char markings. "It seems Ieana was in for a surprise. This door was protected by a fiery ward. Those potion bottles we see, were likely filled with a curative draught to recover. But, it's a one-shot and the door is fine now."

Pezock opens the door so Ankarum can stand point and protect if needed. A low stone altar, its sides carved like coiling snakes and its top carved to resemble a yawning viper's maw, sits in the center of this room. The walls of the chamber are carved with images of anthropomorphic serpents using strange, pointed megaliths of stone to work great feats of magic -- transforming an army of humans into zombies, calling down flaming bolts of lightning from the stars, or parting the waters of the sea to dash human ships upon the exposed rocks of the seabed below. This final image seems to have been recently cleaned of dust, and several lines of text have been made more legible via the application of inks and perhaps blood. The room is octabonal, 15' across at any point and 5' wide at each wall. There are no other exits.

The carvings are investigated. Aron, Gelik and Jask confirm that the images presented depict scenes here on the island of Smuggler's Shiv. Jask identifies the carvings as ancient indeed, likely contemporary with ancient Azlant (which means nothing to Ankarum, of course), which he says he can speak. When he mentions this, Gelik perks up, since out of fun the gnome learned ancient Azlanti (a dead language) at university in hopes of one day coming across a find from that era. Since the creatures are more of the same as outside, Gelik confirms that they do appear as ancient renditions of serpentfolk.

No one can read the script here (least of all Ankarum, of course). Gelik casts a spell and says, "Jask, take this down .... it says ..."
To Command the Very Tides to Rise Up and Eschew What Lies Below:
Empower the Four Sentinel Runes with the Blood of a Thinking Creature Tempered by the Kiss of a Serpent's Tongue.
Anoint the Tide Stone with Waters Brought from the Sea in a Vessel of Purest Metal.
Invoke the Lord's Sacred Name to Wrap His Coils around the Sea Itself that He Might Lay Bare What Lies Below and Cast Down Your Enemies on the Waves above.
As fancy as those words are, Ankarum notices smaller carvings nearby that depict serpentfolk splashing blood on curved runes carved on upright stones before a red mountain, and then holding venomous snakes against the blood that they might lick the stones, pouring water onto a pyramid-shaped block of stone with arms upraised and mouths agape as if shouting to the heavens as a bolt of lightning arcs up from the stones into the sky.

Aron, Gelik, and Jask definitely recognize that the mountain in the carvings is Red Mountain on the island's eastern shore.

"The riddle of lightning in the sky has been solved in part," says Gelik. "Ieana was the one that used the monolith and pyramid-shaped thing there to blast lightning into the sky those two times. That's why the wreck of the Salty Strumpet was out of the water and why Captain Ekubus was chatting about the strange low tide. The tides lowered, and it must have opened the massive doors as well."

[lostsole31]

[Feel free to Retcon any RP in a spoiler.]

After finding no secret passages, it is time to leave. You move up the slope into the room with the large pool, going to the next egress (SSE). Faint carvings are just visible on the eastern wall of this cavern. Gelik casts his spells and reads aloud: "All glory to Great Ydersius."

There is a single exits to the west heading downwards. When you get there, you see bones that lie strewn about the floor of this cavern. The grisly remains appear to have been gnawed on so that they're cracked and jagged. You thought you heard a cracking, slurping sound but it suddenly stopped. Just as you are about to say something, a lacedon pops out from the side of the wall, surprising you. You manage to block its bite with your shield, but a claw slashes you across your right shoulder for 4. The wound stings, but then you realize something terrible as your shoulder seizes, then your arm, and instantly the rest of your body as you hiss in pain before you can't even do that. You are paralyzed in place. Another claw across the same shoulder for 3.

Round One ...

R1T22: "What's going on up there?!" calls Gelik, delaying since he can't see as he's around a curve.

R1T20: Lalarlia calls out, "It's a lacedon! Ankarum's paralyzed! Elves are immune to ghoul paralysis!"

She puts her scimitar in her shield hand, simply knocks Ankarum over onto the ground(who doesn't get hurt), steps over him, and bares her scimitar in her right hand again.

R1T17: Pezock zooms around out of the previous cavern into the pool room, to the next pool-room exit and his guess is right as he moves to just 10' of the ghoul, blocking the exit.

R1T14: Stephan moves up behind Lalarlia.

R1T13: Erin gets out her magic dagger, steps up 5' and tosses it and it stabs the ghoul in its right elbow for 8.

R1T12: Aron is around the corner, but she sings a haunting tune which just in hearing fills the party with fervor over those who would not stay dead.

R1T11: The monster looks at both sets ... Pezock by himself blocking an entrance, or a whole line of heroes on the other. It screeches loudly and begins to dart towards the tengu, but no sooner does it turn than Lalarlia cuts high, sideways, and perfectly horizontal. The scimitar cleaves right through its head - about the browline, but all the way across. The thing falls down, and the remaining brain-bowl goes to the side.

Lalarlia is truly turning into a badass with that scimitar, and she wasn't even smiting that time!

It only takes about 30 seconds or so from pure pain-paralysis to turn into severe pins-and-needles to free motion. The pins and needles effect exists with the wound, but with no extra effect. Aron will obviously have stopped singing. She does her spooky spellcasting, calling upon lunar forces to have the internal tides of your body change to heal you, and with one casting you are fully healed.

Erin grabs her dagger out of the thing's elbow and looks at Ankarum. "You through screwing around?"

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum saw Lalaria had it under control so decided to take a nap. Much refreshed now. Back to killing dead things.

[lostsole31]

That brings smiles and laughter all around. [Including to the DM.]

Since Pezock already proved that the next egress from the pool-room you would've explored would've been led into this cavern, there is a passageway to the NNW, and that's the way Jask has you go. There is a short bottleneck of 5' and it goes slightly downward into a tiny connecting chamber. One is the way you came (S); one (NE) is a 5' wide that goes down 15 before the back-and-forth of the natural cavern walls keeps you from seeing what's beyond; the last (NW) is less a passage and more of an opening onto an area with a cavern ledge that leads down to a small sandy beach in this large cave, the majority of which is taken up by a sloshing pool of seawater. It is apparent that this must be a single or part of a series of sea caves, so the ocean itself is close and you have descended that whole way without entirely realizing it (though you have been going downwards nearly the entire time, excepting the temple).

Unless it becomes important to look at this, Jask says the group can come back to it and heads back out to go to the last egress from the pool-room. It's only 20' of a 5' wide pwy until you get to a long cavern that is scattered with bones, body parts, and bits of seaweed. You hear the sloshing of of waves to the north.

You easily spot three ghouls, and with your light shield and the party noise, they easily notice you.

Round One ...

R1T20: Without a spell cast, Gelik forms and throws a glowing bead of green which misses one of the ghouls and splashes on the ground, scoring the bones where it missed with acid.

R1T19: Ankarum, there are three ghouls in this room, all spread out some, but the closest one is 15' away. The debris on the ground is not enough to count as difficult terrain. You are currently holding a 5-foot-wide breech. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Must hold the opening to protect the spell users. There are three dead things in this room.
Ankarum will take a defensive stance and will take a five foot step to the side as the others move up. If this means he must delay his action, so be it.

[lostsole31]

R1T19: "Must hold the opening to protect the spell users," Ankarum warns as he steps in and to the side while taking a defensive stance. "There are three dead things in this room!"
The assumption is that you stop at the last 5-foot square of a passageway, not step in 5 feet. As such, you have to move in 5', and then step 5' to the side. You can't diagonally step 5' through the corner, which takes up your move action. Without having readied a standard action (such as an attack), I'll assume you instead turned your "take a defensive stance" to mean total defense for +4 dodge bonus to AC.
R1T18: Instead of stepping forward to help hold the breech, Lalarlia instead now has a clear line and runs in to charge the closest ghoul, but she stumbles some on the bones and debris and misses wildly.

R1T14: Ankarum hears Jask casting a spell.

R1T9: Pezock moves in to take advantage of initiative and moves to attack another ghoul. Pezock's surprising strength gripping the serrated sword nails the creature in the head, a powerful sawing motion across the temple, for 14.

R1T8: Aron's voice is heard casting a spell.

R1T7.1: Stephan steps forward and just a step out into the room to block the breech but still get a good arc of attack (though exposure as well), and grips his sword in readiness.

R1T7: The enemy now begins to recover from the shock of the initial assault. Lalarlia's armor holds against the bite of her enemy, but claws her shield arm's elbow for 3. She sweeps her shield across her body to block the last attack. The ghoul begins to hoot and holler, and the others will follow suit.

R1T6: Erin steps forth and to the left. Now, there is a line of three heroes standing just in front of the passageway. She tosses her magic dagger at the one Lalarlia's fighting, since it's closer. The ghoul hunkers down some behind Lalarlia and the dagger goes sailing past. Erin quickly has another dagger in her hand.

R1T4: Pezock ducks and dodges quickly, but a claw still manages to get past his defenses and stabs deep into his left calf for 9 (max). Pezock caws loudly in pain!

R1T3: The ghoul farthest back charges across the expanse of the cavern towards the Shoanti brave, but is easily repelled and pushed back by the latter's shield which is enough to hold the beast in place while Stephan holds a devastating blow that drops the undead. Stephan looks at Ankarum and nods with a small smile.

End Round 1, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T20: Gelik begins to tell jokes to lift up the party's spirits in battle.

R2T19: Ankarum, only two enemies now, both uninjured. One fights Lalarlia (10' away), and another fights Pezock (on the other side of the "centerline" of the passageway, 20' away). You could charge or move to attack the one, simply move and attack the other, or stay in place in case any try to get around those two (or some other action, of course, but these are the three standard choices). What do you do?

Lalarlia on deck, Jask in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Stephan, hold here. Ankarum goes to give aid to our friends and the final death to evil things!
With a yipping war cry, Ankarum charges the ghoul fighting Pezock figuring if he can finish the wounded creature fast and then help Lalaria if she needs it.
[roll0] to hit with a mighty chop with his tomahawk
damage [roll1]

[Blackhawk101]

Stephan hold here. Ankarum goes to give aid to our friends and bring the final death to evil things
With a yipping war cry, Ankarum charges the ghoul fighting Pezock figuring that the two of them could finish off the wounded ghoul and then help Lalaria is she needs or wants it.
[roll0] to hit the ghoul with a mighty chop of his tomahawk.
[roll1] damage

[lostsole31]

Go into the first post above, the one where the rolls failed, and delete it. Go to "Edit Post" and at the top of that form there will be a section on deleting a post.
R2T19: "Stephan hold here. Ankarum goes to give aid to our friends and bring the final death to evil things."

With a yipping war cry, Ankarum moves over to the ghoul fighting Pezock, figuring that the two of them could finish off the wounded ghoul and then help Lalaria is she needs or wants it. With a powerful strike, he nails the ghoul in the very low abdomen and it gurgles and drops.

R2T18: Lalaria recovers from her charge, and switches her sword back and forth to briefly channel healing power into herself with her hand, but the fell evil of the area seems to be just oppressive enough that she only heals 1. She goes with what works when she takes her sword back into her hand, and sure enough it does as she crits the thing in the chest for 14.

R2T14: Jask casts a spell and two bolts of pure magical energy rip into the ghoul and drop it.

All enemies are destroyed.

Pezock cleans his sword off on the ghoul. Aron goes over to Lalarlia, and prays to lunar forces and she heals the vengeance cleric fully. Erin retrieves her magic dagger. Stephan keeps guard. Gelik stops his big jokes, but does make quips here and there.

Ankarum, what do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum spends a few minutes searching the room for
stuff
searching 1d20+

[lostsole31]

This is a small hall of the dead. The space of the places you've been to before have been large enough to not give claustrophia. But this room is smaller to the ceiling, full of bones, and cramped. The floor isn't covered, but it takes conscious effort to step over or begin moving bones about. The air is hideous, not just the smell, but the very sense of things. Other than the muted sounds your group makes in the humid underground, it is a stillness. And of that thickness, there comes a croaking voice, like that of an old woman. From a small passageway steps another ghoul, but something about this crone marks her as definitely different.
http://www.techcomfort.com/Dungeons/Game/mareth-kor/images/nylithati_lacedon.jpg
There is a faintly shimmering field that surrounds her. It is not a general light, but it is green and a ghostly form of scales, with a form of a snake's head seeming to have swallowed her up to her neck and over the top of her. While the rest of the ghouls had sprung forth into violent abandon, she does not move.

In her creaking voice she says, "My name is Nylithati; Mother Thrunefang to the Thrunefang cannibals . You have taken my family from me, yet your persistence impresses me. I offer you a gift, life beyond death. You will never again know pain or suffering; fear not the sun nor the stinging humidity; never again be bedeviled by random beasts. Neither fear nor old age shall ravage your mind or your body. If I will bite you if you are willing, and if you allow my offering to pass through you with the fever, I shall let you languish in the unbirthing area until you die - die as a weak mortal creature to be reborn as my newest children. Any who refuse this boon are only fit for food.

"Mother Thrunefang walks right up to Pezock, who is also next to Ankarum with blinding speed. "Think of it. Bird-man, my children above have told me of someone of your description that eludes them, cowering in fear in the jungle. You, mighty savage Shoanti; you would be strongest of all of your kind. Minds which shall likewise increase. The darkness would hold no more secrets from your primitive mind; darkness, such as this."

She casts a spell, and all of the light in the room dims. The light spells all cast only dim light, while the dim light they held before melts into darkness. She is a shadowy figure before you.

Erin says, "You don't mind if I take precautions before we negotiate this, do you?" She casts a spell upon herself that looks exactly like the one Jask had cast upon himself.

R1T21: "What? And be enslaved by you? Never creature. I shall destroy you, first!" boasts Lalarlia. "How many have suffered because of you and your so-called family; and worse yet, the cannibals above? No, taste Calistria's sting."

She brandishes her holy symbol and holy energy bursts forth, but Mother Thrunefang is strong with her evil will and only takes 3 PE.

R1T20: Stephan meditates over his sword and raises it high. It lights like a the rest of the magical lights, but just like the rest it is only dim light. Stephan comes to the side of the crone.

R1T19: Pezock steps back 5 feet, takes out a device, and activates it while sticking it on his belt. Same protective shimmer as Jask and Erin.

R1T18: Jask blesses the allies.

R1T13: Traces of fluid begin to run down Gelik's arm and coalesces into a glowing ball of acid, which the shoots forth a wad of acid that hits her square in the Achilles' heel for 21 acid.

R1T6: Aron casts spell.

R1T5: Ankarum, Mother Thrunefang is right in front of you. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

You will not have them, evil dead Thing! Your time is at an end!
Flying into a Rage, Ankarum swings at her with his tomahawk.
[roll0] to hit while raging
[roll1] to damage

[lostsole31]

R1T5: "You will not have them, evil dead Thing! Your time is at an end!"

Flying into a rage, Ankarum swings at her with his tomahawk. There is a light pushing against his axe by the shifting coils of her surrounding snake aura, just enough so that when he contacts her skin it is not enough to get through.

End Round 1, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T23: "Food it is, then!" she screeches. As she does though, the snake charm on her neck seems to scream as does the glowing snake head around her, and that whole area is filled with a blast of dark energies. The energy seems to infect some part of your souls, but everyone has become inured to the dangers of the many undead of the souls of Smuggler's Shiv and resist. All except Jask, whose ordered nature is affected more deeply by Mother Thrunefang's hate. For Ankarum's part, so full of wrath is he that hers cannot overcome his own.
All damage is NE (negative energy).
Saved: Ankarum (1), Aron (4), Erin (3), Gelik (1), Lalarlia (2), Pezock (4), Stephan (4).
Failed: Jask (11).
R2T22: Erin casts a spell and disappears from view.

R2T21: "How terrible it must be for you to know," chides Lalarlia, "that the power of life is greater than that of death."

Lalarlia sends forth her own burst of healing energies to wash over the group for 9 PE. Though not fully healed, Jask heaves a great sigh as one that comes out of the water searching for breath. Likewise, Pezock is healed well of the wounds he had received previously, but still suffers a little.

R2T20: Stephan points at Nylithati and he is limned with a holy light. It is not as strong as the one you had seen earlier, but still enough. He walks up to the creature's left and swings .... but the dim light throws off his aim.

R2T19: Pezock steps forward so he is to her right and swings wildly and when he's done, his head is wobbly.

R2T18: Jask has his dagger in his hand, but his hand is flat, palm upright, with the dagger resting on it and pointed at the Mother. He concentrates and it zips out at her and pokes her in the belly for 1, before the dagger returns to his hand.

R2T13: This time, Gelik's hand create a mote of fire between his shifting palms and he shoots it out at her, but the snake aura knocks it to the side.

R2T6: Aron moves up behind Pezock, on the other side of the Mother, and casts a spell which takes care of the rest of the tengu's wounds.

R2T5: Ankarum, you really can't step to a position to flank, but you are still a raging monster. What do you do?

Mother Thrunefang on deck, Erin in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Growling with rage, Ankarum's tomahawk whistles in a deadly arc towards the fell creature.
[roll0] to hit
[roll1] to damage

[lostsole31]

R2T5: Growling with rage, Ankarum's tomahawk whistles in a deadly arc towards the fell creature and cracks deep into her left shoulder for 12! :roy:

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T23: She tries to back up, but something stops her. She hisses and then gains her unholy energies and casts a spell, raising her hands upward from which some of the glowing green separates and then coalesces into a snake handled dagger of glowing energy she sends at Lalarlia, but her armor holds true as the profane thing is stopped.

R3T22: Erin's magic dagger suddenly appears stuck in the back of the Mother's left lung even as Erin appears from having been invisible.

R3T21: "The dagger cannot harm She whose dagger protects me and stings my enemies," says Lalarlia as she casts a spell. Mother snaps at her but Lalarlia ducks and surrounding the cleric appears a glowing form not dissimilar to the snake around Mother, but in this case a glowing, translucent yellow-red wasp.

R3T20: Stephan continues to throw power into the swing of his mighty glowing sword deep into where her shoulder and chest might have been, but the darkness throws off his aim once again.

R3T19: Pezock was utterly tossed about by his bad miss last round. He raises his sword back to cut and swing forward, but the serrations cut his own upper R arm instead for 11 damage! :smallfrown: "CAAWW!!" he screams before he shakes his head in disbelief and has gathered his senses again.

R3T18: Jask does the same thing with the flying dagger, but Mother Thrunefang's snake protection lashes out to knock the dagger off to the side onto the ground several feet away.

R3T13: This time, Gelik simply holds his palms apart in a semi-cupped shape, and water from the air condenses into snow in his hands, which quickly hardens into a ball of pure cold which he sends at the enemy and pounds her for a whopping 12 cold.

R3T6: Aron, shakes her head and prays over Pezock yet again for 7 healing. "My connection to the moon is weakening," she says. "I don't think I can do but one more healing spell."

R3T5: Ankarum, what do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Grunting with effort, Ankarum hacks at the thing again.
Ghhrrrrr!

[roll0] to hit
[roll1] to damage

[lostsole31]

R3T5: Grunting with effort, Ankarum hacks at the thing again. "Ghhrrrrr!" he snarls as much from the effort as the miss. She is very fast on her feet, much moreso than her lesser kin.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T23: Chopped and hacked and poked, Nylithati has shown herself to be a truly enduring opponent, but she surely cannot take too much more. She directs the glowing dagger at Lalarlia again, but again is blocked.

"Ydersius curse you all!! You shall fall to his poison and be dissolved in his stomach!" she screams and another wave of life-sucking energy is drawn from each of the group. The snake mouth opens and sucks in the most energy from Lalarlia, but even that is not a lot.All damage is NE damage.
Saved: Ankarum (3), Aron (1), Erin (1), Gelik (3), Jask (3), Pezock (4), Stephan (4)
Failed: Lalarlia (5)
R4T22: Erin goes to stab with her magic dagger again, but the snake form knocks her attack away.

R4T21: Lalarlia just laughs once she catches her breath and again lets loose with her own energy to wash over the group. All of the wounds on the party have disappeared.

R4T20: Stephan swings again with his sword with incredible power, hitting only because of the teamwork of others (bless and flanking with Pezock). Mother Thrunefang puts up her arm to try and protect her, but Stephan's sword cleaves through her forearm and deep into her head. Black ichor spatters, and a long gurgling sound is heard with her incredibly long tongue whipping about. She twitches horribly and quicly in full-body spasms, until the glow around Stephan disappears.

A few seconds later, her glowing snake form disappears and you simply have a terribly maimed lacedon on the ground.

Combat Ends!

[lostsole31]

A casting of detect magic on the area and a careful sweep merely notes that the only magic are an amulet and a ring worn by the destroyed Mother.

"Allow me," says Gelik to Lalarlia. "Your pointy ears are like grounding rods for magical knowledge, but a simple spell is better."

Gelik takes out an incredibly tiny vial of purple-red liquid, opens the stopper, and swirls it around with a tiny feather. He then studies the objects. "This amulet with the thick-scaled square helps toughen the hide and flesh to help stop weapons when armor isn't enough. This silver ring with the aquan designs increases one's skill in swimming. Let's take these things back and figure out what to do."

The rest of the caverns are checked, and it is determined that the tunnels heading out underwater are merely sea caves heading to the sea (which also gives a sense of how far down you have come; it was deceptive). The party heads up, and you travel back to Aycenia's tree, feeling proud that a major threat has been dealt with.

"At least now," says Lalarlia, "no waiting creature in the dark shall spring upon any possible liberators come to investigate."

Discussion is given to whom should best get the ring or amulet.
Amulet
* Ankarum already received magic bracers to help him with defense, despite not wearing armor. The amulet is considered to be about the same level of protection, but of a different nature.
* Aron has armor, shield, is fast on her feet, and is skilled at defense.
* Erin is similar, and a spell she has can make a very powerful shield effect.
* Gelik desperately wants the amulet. He has no armor, a simple buckler, and really has only his small size and speed to help him. If ambushed, he is in true peril. Besides, the mere studying such an artifact interests him.
* Jask is even a little less well-defended, but he can cast the same spell as Erin that is like an incredibly powerful shield.
* Lalarlia is the most heavily armored and she isn't interested in it.
* Pezock is similar to Erin, though he is interested .... because he is paranoid.
* Now that he has some armor, and a buckler when he needs it, Stephan is more than willing to allow Gelik to have the amulet.

Ring
* Ankarum has only the most basic swimming skill, diminished in his armor.
* Aron doesn't know how to swim.
* Erin knows just enough on how to swim, like Ankarum, but her strength and lack of armor help her.
* Gelik doesn't know how to swim, and he jokes that he'd look like a wet rat. But he complains that his small size, weak arms, and lack of skill would doom him in a bathtub without the magic ring.
* Jask doesn't know how to swim. Without real training and having weak arms from age, he laughs and says that while the ring might be helpful, it is likely to be "lost at sea."
* Lalarlia doesn't know how to swim, and Gelik says that the ring has no chance of overcoming her armor.
* Pezock knows how to swim. Not incredibly, but well enough. He sees no need to go splashing around in the water in the near future.
* Stephan has already proven himself the best swimmer. Jask says that while it might seem like overkill, anyone else would not be given enough of an advantage for very strong waves. If Stephan gets the ring, with his training he can swim places that others cannot. Gelik does NOT like this and complains, but Lalarlia shuts him down.
Any RP for Ankarum?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum hates snakes, but hates ...pant...dead snake things ...pant, pant ...even more!

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum is glad dead snake thing is dead...er. Friends can have treasure. Snake temple needs to be destroyed after rest. This is known.
Ankarum settles down with some fruit and whistles for his monkey companion, Bob.

[lostsole31]

The question is raised in camp as to whether or not the strange Captain Ekubus should be approached again or not.

What is Ankarum's input?

[Blackhawk101]

Cap'n Ekubus is done with us. We don't need him. This tribe is strong; Fights well. Snake witch will pay for what she did.

[lostsole31]

DAY 76

The party decamps to Red Mountain. As before, four stone monoliths appearing as jagged stalagmites of rock protrude from the grass at the edge of the bluff. A weathered, snakelike rune is carved into the inner face of each of these stones, all facing a three-foot-high pyramid-shaped block of stone at the center of the four surrounding spires. The vegetation and soil surrounding this pyramid has been trimmed back and excavated to expose the strange block fully to view. The peak of the central pyramid has a cup-shaped indentation -- channels run down the four sides into empty basins at the base of the pyramid. The four monoliths seem to hum and vibrate slightly to the touch. The casters each use magic to figure out what type of magic it might be. Jask, who has become something of Ankarum's unofficial tutor, mentions that the magic is a type that changes things, usually physical, and in this case it is powerful and seems to affect water somehow. The scholarly types study the scene for a little bit.

When it's time to figure out the long climb down, that is when Ankarum, Stephan, and Gelik notice that they don't see the tide pools. The water level is much higher, some 20' higher, which entirely covers the area below ... including the temple doors and the remains of the Salty Strumpet. The waves slam against the area below as would be expected, and Ankarum is sure that if there are doors, they must be closed. They were massive, and the idea that the party could break through them or force them open .... especially underwater .... is ludicrous.

Lalarlia nods. "Well, we know that this is probably a Tide Stone that pushes back the water, to 'command the tides to rise up,' - as in rise up and back - 'and eschew what lies below.' Which, of course, would be what Ankarum's team found earlier. So, now we need to crack the riddle. I'm loath to call upon the snake god at that."

As the group discusses the ways to best to deal with the Tide Stone concerning blood sacrifice, pure metal, and the like, a minute later tremendous bolts of lightning arc up into the sky from the surrounding monoliths. Ankarum, Aron, Jask, and Pezock are all temporarily deafened, but no one more than 45 seconds (the middle-aged, non-combatant wizard, of course). Once the ringing in the ears are gone, the four hear what the others are already hearing, and everyone peers over the side. The rumbling thunder from Crab Lagoon (which Gelik came to call it when describing the place) as the waters roil and recede is even more impressive. The level of water in the entire lagoon lowers 20', exposing rocks, flopping fish, and several sunken ships to the air (including the Salty Strumpet). Perhaps most interesting of all, though, is the large stone doors of the temple slowly and noisily grind open as the waters recede.

With the long coils of spliced, knotted rope, and by tying off and lowering Jask (who is so weak there is a danger he might not be able to hold on), the party manages to make it safely down the 100' descent. You see the waterfall. In addition, there is seaweed, sea urchins of all colors, bright green anemones, scuttling kelp crabs (numerous enough that is why Gelik named the place Crab Lagoon), and bare rock glistening here. The party has to slow down and walk carefully or possibly slip and fall, hurting themselves on the uneven rocks of the tide pool .... or in one place falling into a pool of water where Ankarum noticed something swimming around before (he doesn't see it now). Below, a large portion of the rope is unspliced and carried along, just in case.

The party carefully crosses the sloped, algae-slickened deck of the Salty Strumpet to the other side. Gelik whines that he wished he could actually see inside the ship to look for any "historical curiosities for a dedicated explorer."

Finally as before, two stone doors stand open at the base of the cliff above a curling spur of rock. Seaweed covers the doors, hanging down in thick green and black sheets, just obscuring some sort of carvings on the surface. The seaweed had already been peeled and scraped away (courtesy of the last expedition), and the religious scholars take a look. Since they are no longer seeing crude drawings secondhand via Gelik (who stands back with no clue of the hideous markings), they are disgusted and fascinated. Ankarum and Stephan stand guard. The brilliant old cleric of a god that holds knowledge in high regard is unable to make heads or tails of the profane marks. Lalarlia seeks insight in a short prayer and is even more stymied.

Finally, Aron says, "Allow me ten minutes to watch the birds, and I will try." She doesn't go "into a trance," but just comfortably takes in the salt air and watches the birds go to and fro. After that time period she walks over to the doors, says a short incantation and then she does briefly go into a trance.

"Blood..." the seer says cryptically and slowly and it is in a way that is creepy enough to silence everyone. "Sacrifice .... cannibalism ... ancient horrors and betrayal."

She slowly opens her eyes. "There is a cult which is whispered to exist, though the style of the carvings are quite ancient and unusual from what little of the current I briefly and in passing read when in religious studies at the Grand Lodge. It is the cult of Zura, the demon lord of vampires and cannibalism. This blood-red, fanged skull embossed with runes that you see here ... here ... and here ... is her symbol. She is believed to be the first vampire in all of creation. Supposedly, she was an ancient Azlanti queen who possessed so powerful a lust for eternal life she eventually resorted to feeding on her own kind. Let us take great care to use here name sparingly lest from the bowels of the Abyss itself she is enticed to visit a non-undead mortal that foolishly and accidentally calls upon her."

Everyone, including the savage (and likely superstitious) Ankarum feels a chill in their bones from Aron's recounting, but it is momentary and it is time to head inside. Light spells are passed around as before, including one on Ankarum's shield. [It is important to note that the front of the shield is not an object, the spell makes the entire shield light up.]

"You know, Aron," says Gelik, "if we can get a complete map of this temple, not to mention of its location at Smuggler's Shiv, it would be of great value to the Society."

Aron nods her head. "You don't find anything like this even on 'standard ancient' excavations and explorations."

Now inside the large sanctum, whose heights are lost even to the sharp-eyed elf-blooded and tengu, await. The battle is described again by Gelik, who points to the pile of bones from one of the skeletons that fell. Aron once again briefly trances over the remains. "Strange. Now that we know a little of what we're dealing with in Ieana, insomuch as she seems to be one of the legendary serpentfolk, it now seems that this creature was something like that. I get the faintest glimpses of devolved members of the race, or those who were raised as a warrior caste. This one was such a warrior whose duties continued even beyond death."

As she seems to have more of a sense of the underground and what the party might be dealing with, and her natural charisma, Aron steps out of her role as silent partner, and though humbly she is the one that the party is now looking to for guidance in the temple.

"We may have to deal with the bridge above where you said they first attacked, but first let's check this entire place. Let's not touch the double doors to the south yet."

Of the four alcoves to the northwest, Stephan discovers a poorly hidden trap door in the floor. With a fantastic feat of strength he manages to pry it open. A gust of foul-smelling, stale (but breathable) air rushes up from a hole that appears to drop down 20 feet.

"I think I hear a faint rattle, as if of shaken bones, from somewhere down below," caws Pezock.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum calls dibs on being hanging bait!

[lostsole31]

The front doors of the temple are of a strange alloy of bronze that beers eerie runners of red, almost as if the bronze were bleeding. The air within is strangely cool, musty, and damp. Aron figures that there must be a ventilation shaft somewhere, and with Ieana having opened the doors earlier, most of the mustiness that one would expect has had a good airing out.
It would be a tough climb were it not for dropping the rope. Though Ankarum still needs two hands and puts his tomahawk away, the shield on his back still provides plenty of illumination going down the shaft, which is only 10' high.
"You and your frickin' rope!" - BOONDOCK SAINTS
At first glance, this damp cavern seems natural, but here and there the mineral deposits on the walls and ceilings don't quite obscure ancient walls that were carved by hand. The floor is covered with a shallow layer of brackish water from which numerous small mounds of delicate crystals emerge. A large mound of ancient bones caked with thick mineral deposits lies along the west wall under the hole in the ceiling. (The hole you climbed down.) The ceiling here is only 10' high.

Ankarum, as soon as you get down and turn around, you see two little, freaky, doll-like, bony creatures hiding among some of the bones looking at you. They are right next to you! Their heads turn sideways and up a little, almost like an owl, before it snaps back to normal with an eerie, rattling sound.
http://cdn.obsidianportal.com/assets/118595/Soul_doll.png
S24.1: The first one bursts out of its hiding spot with its tiny dagger and little arms. It jabs right into the little depression of your foot slightly underneath the ankle but before the heel with a perfect strike, doing only 1, but causing excruciating pain, even as Ankarum sees fluid on the tiny dagger go from the blade into the puncture hole just created. His body, trained against toxins, easily fights off the venom but the pain has stunned him.

S12: The next one comes out and pokes at Ankarum to hit him for 1, and once again Ankarum doesn't even feel the toxin.
Little known to both little creatures and Ankarum, the poison is medium spider venom ... something to which Ankarum had built up an immunity. Their only real advantage against big creatures - poison - just made them practically ineffective barring the lucky shot from the first attacker.
Round One ...

S24.1: The first one slashes at a toe for 1 this time.

S24: Ankarum. The little bastards. What do you do? You are at the bottom of the rope, and if you really want someone down here, you'd have to move. These things are so small, the size of infants, that you can step right over them without provoking an AOO. In addition, every time they try to attack you they have to move close enough to you that you get AOOs. Feel free, after taking your normal action, to roll two separate attack/ damage rolls entitled "Combat Reflexes," but be sure to let me know with what you attack them. You can't take out your axe and ready your shield and attack in the same round. So, if you want to attack this round, choose tomahawk or shield.

[Blackhawk101]

More dead things!? Ankarum smash!
readying his shield, Ankarum swings the heavy oak disk at his diminutive attackers.
Ahyiii!

[roll0] to hit
[roll1] to damage

AOO1
[roll2] to hit
[roll3] to damage

AOO2
[roll4] to hit
[roll5] to damage

[lostsole31]

R1T24: "More dead things!? Ankarum smash!"

Readying his shield, Ankarum swings the heavy oak disk at his diminutive attackers. "Ahyiii!"

The big shield easily finds the creature, though it seems that even slamming the bony doll, it somehow mitigates the damage so the strike only does mod 3.

R1T12: With his shield readied and finally his wits about him, Ankarum easily dodges the slash from the other even while cracking it mod 4.

End Round 1, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T24.1: The first one Ankarum struck, the same one that stunned him, tries to get at him, but not before Ankarum strikes him again for 5 mod and knocks its not-quite-adorable little poisoned dagger to the side.

R2T24: Ankarum?

[Blackhawk101]

Dead dolls want more? Have some of this...Wham!...and some of this...Bampf!

[roll0] to hit with shield
[roll1] damage

Combat Reflexes
AOO1
[roll2] to hit
[roll3] to damage

AOO2
[roll4] to hit
[roll5]to damage

[lostsole31]

R2T24: "Dead dolls want more?" goads Ankarum to the doll. "Have some of this ... Wham!" with a satisfying onomotopaeic response with a successful strike ... to the bones on the floor.

R2T22: Aron, from above, begins to sing to try and help her savage friend below. Ankarum can't see her, but he can hear her haunting melody.

R2T20: Pezock climbs down and swings across to stand aside Ankarum. If the opponents were larger, he might have had a problem, but not this time. The tengu draws his sawtooth sabre.

R2T17: "Dolls?" calls down Jask. "What is it?"

R2T12: The second doll continues to attack the Shoanti, but not before Ankarum growls, "... and some of this! Bampf!" This time, his verbal anger is justified as he slams the thing for 5 mod. Pezock also gets in a cut for 12, and Ankarum realizes that Pezock's sword seems to cut clean, unlike Ankarum's shield. The double attack is enough to push the dolls attack back.

R2T8: "Any room for me down there?" calls Erin.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T24.1: The first doll attacks Pezock, and Ankarum tries to swing to his left (the same side as Pezock), and so lousy is his swing that he crits Pezock for a whopping 17! Pezock's AOO misses as well. The doll then shows a glimmer of intelligence as its jaw clatters as if it were laughing (even though it misses).

R3T24: Ankarum, what do you do?

Pezock on deck, second doll in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Sorry Pezock...ouch.
Ankarum sees that Pezock's sabre is more effective and draws his tomahawk.
Ayhiii

[roll0] to hit
[roll1] to damage

Combat Reflexes
AOO1
[roll2] to hit
[roll3] to damage

AOO2
[roll4] to hit
[roll5] to damage

[lostsole31]

R3T24: "Sorry, Pezock ... ouch."

Ankarum sees that Pezock's sabre is more effective and draws his tomahawk. He gives a war cry before attacking. "Ayhiii!" The tomahawk makes a satisfying cut for 5 mod. He notes that a little bit of his strike still gets held off just a little bit.

R3T22: Aron is still singing.

R3T20: "Room here!" calls Pezock, "but one." He cuts hard and his opponent shatters.

R3T8: Erin climbs down the rope and draws her magical dagger. "What the hell is that?!"

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T24.1: The last little bugger goes to attack Ankarum, but Ankarum makes a perfect strike. And yet, he doesn't cut as incredibly as he thought he might with so good a strike, but still does max damage of 8 mod, even though the tomahawk still didn't cut as deeply as he thought it should. Pezock misses, but Erin hits for 6, piercing it with her dagger; it seems her strike wasn't slowed. The thing just can't get in a strike.

R4T24: Ankarum makes yet another attack for 6 mod.

R4T22: Aron continues to sing.

R4T20: Pezock swings and misses.

R4T8: Erin misses her attack.

End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T24.1: This thing is without fear or a sense of self and attacks Ankarum again, but Ankarum makes the cut and the thing finally shatters at the point of impact and falls.

Combat Ends ...

[lostsole31]

The rest of the party climbs or is guided down to the bottom of this cavern, and the party takes up most of the spot. There is a very thin passageway to the east which would require everyone except Gelik to squeeze through if you went through rather than go back to the temple entrance room and the alcove. Aron studies the remains of the creepy little undead and conducts a brief trance.

She looks at the group and says, "It's not undead, it's a small construct made in the form of a small humanoid, called a 'soulbound doll.' There's a soul in each of these two gems where the chest was, though each seem to be very expensive."

Gelik gives a long, low whistle. "I'd say that each of these gems is worth a whopping 2,000 gp apiece!! That's 4,000 gp. What about the daggers? They don't really look special."

The casters all agree that the gems are magical, but they figured that was probably the case since it was inside the chest. The exact type of magic of the gems are unknown. Gelik casts a spell, the same one Ankarum saw him used before with a tiny vial of dark fluid stirred with a feather and sipped. Gelik shakes his head. "Even with my spell, this is some kind of thing beyond what I can figure."

"Stop," warns Lalarlia. "I sense evil coming from the gems. I think that they should be crushed lest we carry evil talismans with us."

"WHAT?!" cries Gelik. "Then sell them to a religious group to get money. It's a win-win, then. But you're asking us to smash a king's ransom because you detect evil from it. Sure, and maybe that's what powered that little critter, but they're crunched now, so who cares?"
Aron likes Gelik's reasoning. In fact, as a fellow Pathfinder, she mentions that is exactly what the Society specializes in .... archaeological items that might be dangerous, finding a way to neutralize them for study. They usually pay members and associates top gold.
Erin trusts in her sister and agrees.
Jask agrees, but would like to sell them to the church of Nethys who would likewise pay well. It is an unknown article of magic, and Nethys is the God of Magic, after all.

Pezock doesn't want a damn thing to do with them, even backing away practically hiding behind Lalarlia.
Stephan stands by Lalarlia, taking out his dread maul. He shakes his head, swings the hammer onto the ground, cracking a mineral deposit.
Ankarum, where do you stand on this?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum does not fear evil gems; their power is spent. What Ankarum wants to know is why go to much effort to make dolls and put in this hole? What is the doll's purpose?

[lostsole31]

"Half-owl actually has a good point," says Gelik.

"No doubt a guard of some sort," adds Jask. "Which means something or someone worth guarding."

"Well, to it, then," says Lalarlia.

The seemingly natural, tube-like tunnel, after a closer look, is only 2' in diameter. Not one of the Big Folk in the party has any illusions about fitting or having the spelunking training to fit through such a narrow space, with or without their gear.

"I have some skill, having a slender frame with thinner shoulders," creaks Pezock, "that has helped me in the past to get out of tight spots, but even on my best day I can't do this.

There's this slow pause as everyone begins to look at Gelik. "Hell, no. Sure, I can squeeze through, but we don't know what's on the other side; and, I'm disinclined that it happens to be dinner ... me."

[Blackhawk101]

Guards out here, treasure inside. We tie rope to Gelik to pull out fast if there is trouble. Gelik can wear Ankarum's bracers if they help. No risk ....no reward.

[lostsole31]

Gelik looks at Ankarum with mouth agape, then recovers and flatly says, following it up with more of a sing-songy, mocking tone, "You're an idiot. Let me ask you, do you think the whooole reason we came heeeere - Ieana - is hiiiiding dowwwwn theeere, hmmm? Well, I doubt that this is a necessary risk. There was more to look at before we came down that trap door in the alcove, like the bridge the skeletons attacked us from in the first place. But I damn sure am not going down there, needle-shooter.

"Put it this way,"and at this point he mocks Ankarum's style of speech, even taking on a goofy attempt at a lower human voice,"Gelik no go in tube. Gelik say go back up rope to big room. Gelik say go place snake woman might go. Gelik tired from Gelik speak in third voice and speak with few silly-balls."

Definitely laughter in the ranks with that one, try as they might to hold it back.There's only so much you can do when a comedian goes on the offensive and makes a result of 27 on his Perform (comedy) check to insult his target while entertaining everyone else.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum smiles and shrugs good naturedly.
It is good to laugh in this place. This is something only Gelik can decide to do. Ankarum just thought that Gelik would want to help the group. Back up the rope then...

[lostsole31]

Gelik looks at you wryly and then laughs and says, "I'm glad to see you find my scholarship entirely lacking. Ha-ha! No, that is not the way I wish to help. Though, he brings up a good point. Aron, we've talked a lot about our differing styles. I can actually do more in a day with my comedy than you with your song, and you have other powerful gifts. I just make people laugh and in the only way we've seen that be of use is in making folks feel better fighting their opponent. So, unless something happens, I'll start with that; otherwise, you take me out of the loop and you find yourself pigeonholed as well."

Aron nods and says, "I simply have acted when it seemed natural to do so, in the way most natural. You're right. I am blessed and cursed with things which give me a use in actual 'adventuring' (such as it is). The gift of laughter in the face of death is a powerful one, indeed."

The party makes its way back up the knotted rope to the sanctum of the temple. Across from that alcove (NE), in the NW alcove, there is a lever. "Considering it's right by the temple doors," thinks Aron aloud, "I have no doubt that this is a way - without the efforts of those required on the outside - to simply open the doors. I don't know if that does anything to the water level, but it seems like the stairs come high enough that it is above the waterline."

The rest of the large sanctum is checked. There are doors at the far south, with four pillars in line going from W-E, spaced 10' apart. Meanwhile, Ankarum can only barely make out the underside of the 20-foot-wide bridge that the strange skeletons used to attack from and then jumped. The elf-blooded (the sisters and Lalarlia) and Pezock, however easily note the same underside; the rest of the bridge is in dim light, as is the ceiling of the sanctum which appears to be 60' above.

The choices, then, are get up to the bridge (no apparent means), or simply take the double-doors. Pretty easy choice, since it's reasoned that surely there is some means to get up to the bridge anyway. Stephan and Erin will pull in the double doors to expose Ankarum. The door opens with an awful, bone-shuddering screeching as they open on ancient hinges. The lights might tell people in the next chamber or down the hall you're here, but those doors are loud enough to possibly alert the entire temple if anything else is here.

Ahead is a 10-foot-wide passageway that goes 40' before it dead ends. 10' ahead there is a 10' x 10' intersection. Both lead to 10' wide stairs heading up. Jask says to take the west stairs upwards, which goes up 30' before it gets to a long landing 10' x 20'. The end of the landing continues upwards to the north, along another 30' of stairs until you get to a place where bits of bone and fragments of wood lie scattered through this room. The walls are carved with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of strange runes interspersed with the periodic image of a stylized rune that looks like a fanged skull.

"An ancient scriptorium," Jask whispers reverently. Gelik gives a long, low whistle, nodding his head in agreement.

"All that remains of the wooden tables and chairs are fragments on the ground," comments Lalarlia, "and yet, they should have rotted away by now."

Jask and Gelik read several passages on the wall, and both agree that they are primarily prayers to Zura written in Azlanti. The two scholars of that ancient time look at more of the runes on the wall, though there is some frustration in translation because of missing portions of wall that have cracked and the ancient inscriber's fondness for awkward metaphor, but four key bits of information can be gleaned from the carvings.

This chamber was once a scriptorium where books and scrolls sacred to the worship of Zura were transcribed and illuminated.
This temple was built over an even more ancient temple -- one that was dedicated to a deity referred to only as the "Beheaded One," an entity that was apparently an enemy to the ancient cult of Zura.
Several prayers seem to indicate that the ancients made use of undead slaves created from both "humans culled from the unbelievers and slaves of the Beheaded One."
As much hatred as the Zura cultists had for the "slaves of the Beheaded One," they also seemed to despise their own kind -- especially those they called the "misbegotten of Saventh-Yhi."


Gelik gives a slight gasp as he speaks the last out loud. He looks around. "When I was bored at the Grand Lodge - which was not common considering how hard they worked us - my guilty pleasure would be to sneak into the map room. I would just look at the artistry of the maps, and read the atlases and almanacs of the wonderful places to visit. Of course that means that I read stories about fabled places as well. See, 'Saventh-Yhi' is a legendary but still undiscovered lost city said to lie hidden somewhere in the depths of the Mwangi Expanse. Any knowledge of Saventh-Yhi is rare, and these mentions would be of a great value to the Society, let alone any scholar interested in the subject."

"It so happens," Jask says, "I have no idea of this place, and you have me at a disadvantage. But my focus of study is actually the history of the Mwangi Expanse. Perhaps we can work together to rubbings of the runes on the walls. I estimate three days of work.

"First things, first," interrupts Lalarlia to the two drooling scholars. "Let us finish our task of vengeance, which is work more timely sought, and then we can enjoy the fruits of our labors - scholarly and otherwise."

[Blackhawk101]

What Lalarlia said.

[lostsole31]

There are a large set of double doors to the E. On the north end of the wall, there are two doors to the E and W. Jask guides the group to the smaller doors first, reasoning that larger places have closets or smaller rooms that may be important clues to non-standard passage. The upper W door is checked and then opened. Bare alcoves line the wall of this hallway, each containing a scattering of wood and cloth fragments. You turn the corner, and a larger empty chamber lies ahead. Empty, that is, except for four seemingly human skeletons that linger here, armed with ancient, broken thin swords and wearing tattered fragments of chain shirts.

R1T27: With amazing speed, Pezock rushes forth past the savage and up to one of the skeletons. With a two-handed slice he comes down, but the skitters off the ancient armor.

R1T25: That skeleton now trades parries and attacks with Pezock.

R1T24: Ankarum, it is only 5' to the nearest skeleton for you. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

With a lunge (5ft step), Ankarum deals a savage backhanded swing to the skeleton with his heavy wooden shield.

to hit
[roll0]
to damage
[roll1]

[lostsole31]

R1T24: With a lunge, Ankarum attempts a savage backhanded swing to the skeleton with his heavy wooden shield, but it clips off of the old armor.

R1T22: Lalarlia moves up and produces the symbol of Calistria as she says something in foreign words. In doing so, two are utterly annihilated by holy energy (including Ankarum's opponent).

R1T21-20: Knowing this to be a short battle, Aron and Jask hold back, careful not to expend any resources.

R1T8: There is quite a pause, but the second of the two remaining skeletons attacks Ankarum, but with little hope of scoring with broken sword or claw.

R1T7: Stephan takes out his dread maul while stepping up beside Ankarum, and that skeleton is no more. One more.

R1T6: Armed with nothing but small, edged weapons and magic of mental trickery, Erin holds back.

R1T5: With only one weak opponent left, Gelik does not make jokes but sends forth a bolt of acid. Being neither combatant nor marksman like Ankarum or Erin, the sizzle goes past Pezock's ear.

End Round 1, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T27-25: Pezock continues to fight with his opponent with sword and beak. The skeleton manages to strike a blow against the side of Pezock's head for 6 (max), something the previously wounded bird-man does not need.

R2T24: Ankarum, a simple 5-foot step to get to the last skellie fighting Pezock ...

[Blackhawk101]

Five foot step and bash with shield.

to hit
[roll0]

to damage
[roll1]

[lostsole31]

R2T24: With a step forward, Ankarum obviously is used to flattening meaty opponents. Of course, this opponent is totally devoid of any meaty parts and he misses wildly.

R2T22-20: Lalarlia moves in, and while far from being a preferred weapon it nevertheless is part of any good holy warrior's complement and she swings, just glancing with the shield but it is enough to nearly shatter the monster which barely lingers on.

R2T7: Stephan moves around and comes back around the limping bone-thing and shatters it with an almost disinterested blow from the black, musclebound Mwangi half-breed.

[Blackhawk101]

Humph. Bone things not good fight.
Need to find snake witch. I will see if I can find trace of recent tracks.

although not his familiar terraign, Ankarum searches for recent distubances in the dusty floor of the ancient temple as they explore.

[roll0] perception

[lostsole31]

Ankarum searches around and determines that nothing has been here for many generations.

[Blackhawk101]

No tracks here. Keep eyes open for signs of disturbances as we go.

Ankarum will continue to make periodic checks for signs of recent passage as the group explores the temple.

[lostsole31]

Everything done here, the group backs out of this section to the scriptorium. The E double-doors are checked and open, and this is the W entrance to the bridge that overlooks the main sanctum from which you entered, and is also the place from which the strange skeletons attacked. It's 50' to a similar set of double doors to the E. Checked/ opened as before and beyond are 10w (10' wide) temple halls that extend past light. 30' along the path, the alert savage notes that there are strange ridges in the ground, separations of ancient tile that don't seem right. A closer look and it seems like this might be trapped, but in what manner is unknown.

What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Stop!says the savage warrior. Ankarum holds up a closed fist as his search for signs of recent passage alert him to unusual marks on the floor. After a lengthy examination of the marks (seems like days pass), Ankarum addresses the group.
Looks like wierd marks on the floor to Ankarum. What do you guys think?

[lostsole31]

Erin moves forward, and easily finds what might be a trap even without Ankarum's help.

"Well, it seems to be a pit trap, but I don't have the tools to try to undo it. I'm going to try to put hands on to feel around for a means to bypass it."

As she pushes along the sides to feel the faint impressions of the trap's boundary, a pit door snaps open and Erin just barely pulls back in time to keep from falling in. The pit is the full 10' width of the corridor, and is 15' long. That is when Ankarum happens to notice that Erin is practically standing on the scuff marks, and those scuff marks seem to fit roughly part of the curve of feet. If a person ran to this point to get a running leap, the scuff is where someone might have launched from to get to the other side.

[Blackhawk101]

Who is best jumper? There are marks here like somebody jumped this pit recently. I can lower my shield with the light spell on a rope to see if there is s bottom.

[lostsole31]

"Don't lower your shield, nit wit," says Gelik. "What happens if you lose it, hmm? I have my hat with my light spell on it. We'll lower that."

Erin looks to Ankarum to answer the first, "Stephan is easily the best jumper, and I'm probably the better after him."

With lowering Gelik's hat, it appears that the pit goes down a good 30' ... a dangerous fall. The walls could be climbed, but it would be a difficult climb without rappeling and an anchor up top. The pit is not well-worked, and the space below is not particularly large. There does seem to be a natural crawl space on exiting to the north and south.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum grunts in agreement with Geliks plan, not sure what a "nitwit" is but coming from Gelik it is probably a put down.
If Stephan jumps the pit he can anchor another rope on that side and Ankarum can anchor on this side as the rest climb down and up with ropes. Heavy people in the middle of the line. I can then free climb down then up rope. Good?

[lostsole31]

Everyone backs off so Stephan can get a good run. He moves swiftly, though no moreso than Ankarum for the savage is faster, but Ankarum notices something at the point Stephan just about leaps. There is a split-second where his legs bulge more than normal for the run as he easily clears the 15' gap, though for a fit man that's not an exactly a tough jump. As the muscles take the impact of landing the legs seem normal again.

The rest get across as folks are ferried over with Ankarum as the last man and the rope is pulled over to the far side. Still, the climb is difficult, and Ankarum is no real ascension expert. Barely over the edge, he falls 20' to land flat on his back for 9 and a great, loud cry of pain. As you are on the ground, there is a natural tunnel right next to you to the north, and 5' up and 10' over on the other side of the wall is another natural tunnel. You see that it would require a squeeze for anyone but Gelik. The crawlspace you're lying next to turns sharply to the east, and as a natural, imperfect and small tunnel it's hard to see without light being shined right into it.

What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum needs to get some elfin rope...Ugh. Ow. Nugh! Hey, there are more of the little tunnels down here.

Ankarum takes his light spelled shield and rising to his knees shakily, he checks the tunnels for signs of recent use.
[roll0] tracking/survival

[lostsole31]

He can get on his knees, but he has to go low with one hand and use the other to prop himself and use the light at the same time. The tunnel does not seem to have been used recently.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum climbs up out of the pit using the rope.
No sign of recent use. Could be drainage pipes or snake tunnels ...

[lostsole31]

Ankarum makes it up the rope easily enough. He readies his shield and tomahawk. 20' from the hallway there is a 10' x 10' "T" that goes N and S. A quick look up and down both reveals a set of double-doors to the north, and stairs heading downwards to the south. Aron figures that those stairs lead down to the passageway to the other stairs going to the double-doors leading to the sanctum. Given Pezock's condition, and Ankarum's light wounds, Lalarlia boosts the area with positive energy. It's not nearly as powerful as you've felt before, but she fully heals you. Aron holds Lalarlia back from healing Pezock, and she casts a spell on him to heal him more. It still might not be enough before any new things happen on the other side of that door. Aron's next is as an extremely weak one for healing Pezock, but he only has a few scratches remaining.

You carefully move down the hallway to the north. This time, you aren't as careful and another pit trap opens - with you on it. This one drops you a whopping 30' down to take 9 of impact on the ground. There are two smaller tunnels, similar to before heading E and W, with the one heading to the east right next to your head. There is a strange, rolling-shlurping sound, and that is when some bizarre, mind-jarring noise comes from the tunnel next to your head. It is a maddening sound, but you manage to steel your mind against it.

What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Blood and bloody ashes! Ankarum is tired of falling into pits. Throw me a rope, there is something making noise in the little tunnels!
Ankarum rises to his feet shakily and prepares to defend himself by readying his shield first.

[lostsole31]

Ankarum does as above, standing and with his light shield at the ready and his weapon hand open to draw or climb one-handed, whatever might be necessary.

R1T23: Ankarum, your adrenaline is pumping and your reflexes are sharp. You are standing right next to the crawlspace with your light shining. The hideous yammering continues, but your mind is steeled against it now. What do you do next?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum draws his tomahawk and gets ready to attack if a foe should appear.(readies an attack action)

[lostsole31]

R1T21: Pezock practically rappels down a knotted rope to stand next to Ankarum.

R1T20: Lalarlia puts away her shield and sword.

R1T19: Stephan belays the rope from above.

R1T18: Spilling to the entry of the tunnel at a fluid speed is a creature that is truly hideous and terrifying. It has no definable form, like a great blob of flesh, but a horrid mass of eyes and mouths are all about it - the eyes looking in a variety of directions, and the toothy mouths yammering. Ankarum slashes with his tomahawk, but it is difficult to aim. By not allowing it to come out of the hole (because he is standing in front of it), it already has cover. His tomahawk blade goes just into the space, but this .... thing .... manages to rear back just enough at the time. The thing spits right into Ankarum's eyes.
Ankarum, roll a Fort save vs a DC of 18! Failure means you are blinded (time unknown). Feel free to edit in a voiced reaction either way, or just grunt or say nothing.

[Blackhawk101]

Agh! screams Ankarum as the creature spits noxious fluid at his eyes. He struggles to clear his visions.

[roll0] fort save

[lostsole31]

"Agh!" screams Ankarum as the creature spits noxious fluid at his eyes. He struggles to clear his vision.

R1T12: "What's wrong, Ankarum?" calls down Erin. She moves to the edge of the pit, next to Lalarlia, taking out her magic dagger and starknife.

R1T11: "Erin's right, Ankarum, Pezock!" shouts Jask from what sounds like he is a little further away. "Only Lalarlia and Erin can react to or see the 30' down to you."

R1T8: "Sorry, Gelik," says Aron, "but they can't see either of us."

Aron begins to sing, filling Ankarum's heart with strength.

R1T4: Gelik delays ...

End Round 1, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T21: "Ankarum, step back to draw it out so I and Lalarlia and Erin can attack," croaks Pezock.

R2T18.1: Ankarum, though your vision is beginning to return as quickly as it went, you can't see anything beyond a light blur from the shield. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Still mostly blinded, Ankarum staggers back from the creature keeping his shield towards where he thinks the creature is. (5ft step and full defense)

[lostsole31]

R2T18.1: Still mostly blinded, Ankarum staggers back from the creature keeping his shield towards where he thinks the creature is, and involving what footwork he can and with guarding open areas with his tomahawk.

R2T18.05-.0: Ankarum can hear the squishy-squirmy of the babbling blob as it comes out of the crawlspace. He hears Pezock swing, but doesn't hear a connect. Ankarum then hears the acid-spit sound but doesn't know an obvious effect. There is a wet, whipping sound and Ankarum feels a toothy mouth hit him in the belly. It only does 1, and it seems like a graze until there is a slight feeling that the thing is still attached to his gut. He hears some parrying action from next to him, but then it seems like Pez got hit as he gives a croaky growl, followed by a struggling sound, and then it is followed by another grunt from Pezock.

Ankarum's vision finally clears. This disgusting thing has a mouth-tentacle on Ankarum's belly, and Pezock has two (chest and right lower leg, he has taken 3).

R2T12: Erin shivers in disgust and tosses the starknife down at the creature and it looks like the weapon goes into the body, but it is extruded outwards and clinks on the ground with only a minor wound showing (mod 2). "What?!" shouts Erin incredulously.

R2T11: "I understand the voice!" calls Jask to everyone. The voices are in Aklo - a foul, primordial language. Of course, it's merely shouting how it is happy for food to come to find it."

R2T8: Aron's voice sounds a little shaky, but then it steels up fully as she continues singing.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T20: Lalarlia shoots an arrow into it, and it pops out a broken arrow and it doesn't seem to have been hurt. "That was definitely a hit," shouts Lalarlia. "And Erin's starknife is pointed as well. Try to cut and strike if you can."

"That," adds Erin, "and I was woozy there for a few seconds from its noise .... which is still disconcerting. It's a gibbering mouther, a creature outside of nature's laws, and blades work poorly against its blobby form, and there is no true anatomy to target. Dangerous monster; it's tiny bites are worse than they look. If they latch on, they can suck large quantities of blood, and even totally pour over and engulf a man."

R3T19: Stephan moves up and drops the rope into Lalarlia's hands. His form begins to thicken and hair bristles out of all over his skin. His brow and nose ridges forward and thickens while his nose practically retracts and his nostrils flare. His ears change position and shape and along with a more hunched but still relatively upright form, Stephan is still about the same height as before (just shy of 6'), but lower in height from stooping. He is now more of a human-monkey with light fur and a long, prehensile tail.

R3T18.1: Ankarum, do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Pezock! Cut the tentacles and climb out. Don't wait for Ankarum. We cannot fight this thing in such tight quarters!


[Ankarum swings his tomahawk attempting to sever the tentacle attached to him.
[roll0] to hit
[roll1] to damage

if the attack severs the tentacle, he stows his tomahawk in preparation at grabbing the rope. If not, he will keep his weapon and take a 5ft step towards the rope.

[lostsole31]

R3T18.1: "Pezock! Cut the tentacles and climb out. Don't wait for Ankarum. We cannot fight this thing in such tight quarters!"

Ankarum swings his tomahawk attempting to sever the tentacle attached to him, hitting it for 3 mod. Some of the mouths towards that spot scream and that tentacle lets go ... not severed, but likely in pain. But in doing so, what seemed like tentacles blob to a thickening around the bite areas.

R3T18.05: Pezock manages not to sever the tentacles, but actually squirms and gets free of both. Pezock then steps back 5'. "It's right under the rope!"

R3T18: The monster follows Pezock and attacks, with 4 tentacles (or whatever) hitting Pezock for a total of 11, and all latch onto him, wrapping around him as the thing moves next to him (same square, per grappling).

R3T12: "It looks like it's really hard to cut into it!" calls Erin. "Try to squash or stab it."

She casts a spell and throws down a gobbet of acid, trying not to hit Pezock. It only just hit it, but with her skill at throwing things and her sister's song, she does 4 acid (min). "That did it," she says.

R3T8: Aron keeps her song going.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T19: Monkey-Stephan climbs down 20', and then jumps down the rest of the 10' while taking out his dread maul. He lands on his feet next to Pezock and the mouther.

R4T18.1: Ankarum, the grappling two are right next to you. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

With his savage war cry, Ayhiiiiiiiiii!,
Ankarum becomes enraged and slams his heavy wooden shield into the horrible creature. (Rage)
Leave bird man alone foul demon!

[roll0] to hit
[roll1] to damage

[lostsole31]

R4T18.1: With his savage war cry, "Ayhiiiiiiiiii!" Ankarum becomes enraged and slams his heavy wooden shield into the horrible creature for the full 7. "Leave bird man alone, foul demon!"

R4T18.05: With amazing dexterity Pezock uses the things mouth-arms to twist around each other to let him go.

R4T18: Driven by hunger, and now pain, when its food escaped the monster now focuses on the wood-whacker next to him. Ankarum gets nailed hard in the upper left arm for 4 (max). Another 3 strikes hit for a total of 6. The first three are easily shrugged off, but only because of Ankarum's great strength is the savage able to shrug off the last.

R4T12: This time just flat misses.

R4T8: Aron continues to sing.

End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T19: Monkey-Stephan swings overhead to bring his dread maul down, splatting into it for 16. It still seems to be doing just fine, though.

R5T18.1: Ankarum, hammering it definitely seems to be more effective than hacking. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

where is a fire slinging (grunt) halfling when you (grunt) need one!

Ankarum swings his heavy wooden shield at the nearest clump of eyes and mouths.

[roll0] to hit
[roll1] to damage

[lostsole31]

R5T18.1: "Where is a fire-slinging *grunt* halfling when you *grunt* need one!" Ankarum swings his shield at the nearest clump of eyes and mouths, but it is as if the thing "dodges" by having its whole form spread and curve a distance around the shield from all sides of the shield.

R5T18.05: Pezock steps back 5', takes out a potion, and downs it for a terrible 2 healing (min).

R5T18: Though Stephan pounded it last round, the toothy blob monster simply jumps forth with all of its tendrils around Ankarum's shield. Four nail him for 8 total, but the last one makes a perfect strike into the hollow of his shield-shoulder to do 12 with a moderate wound. It is this piercing strike that holds Ankarum in place long enough that the other tendrils wrap around him fully to grapple him.

R5T12: Erin barely gets it for 3 acid.

R5T8: Aron continues singing.

End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T19: Stephan puts more power than normal into his swing and just barely slams into its rubbery form, but the power behind the swing has him doing 23.

R6T18.1: Ankarum, you are in the middle of a much-needed rage. You are being grappled, though you might be able to slam the thing, or you might try to power your way out. You are badly wounded. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Off of Ankarum, spawn of Evil! snarls the savage barbarian as he attempts to wrench himself free of the creatures grapple.

[roll0] to break the grapple

[lostsole31]

R6T18.1: "Off of Ankarum, spawn of Evil!" snarls the savage barbarian as he attempts to wrench himself free of the creatures grapple. But it's no use, Ankarum is weakening and the thing has him at too many points.

R6T18.05: Seeing the monster engaged with Ankarum, Pezock steps forward to attack with his sword and swings but the monster proves suprisingly quick enough so that when the sawtooth sabre connects, it simply bounces off the pliant "skin."

R6T18: As if things weren't bad enough, with Ankarum grappled, the blobby-eyed, toothy creature totally engulfs him, and Ankarum finds himself totally inside the creature. What mouths are on the "inside" (or rolled inward) nip all around for only 3, but Ankarum suffers 2 CON from the monster leeching away his blood.

End Round 6, Begin Round 7 ...

R7T18.1: Ankarum, you have been gobbled up and are in the "belly" of the beast. No longer does it seem like you can simply force your way out with brute strength as you could when grappling. The situation is truly dire (18 CON with rage, 10 hit points remaining. You aren't sure what is happening outside, but you don't hear Aron's song with all the mouths gibbering right next to you inside of the thing. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Desparately, Ankarum drops his tomahawk and reaches for the magic Javalin in his quiver and jabs the creature with it.

[roll0] to hit
[roll1] to damage

please...

[lostsole31]

R7T18.1: Desparately, Ankarum drops his tomahawk and reaches for the magic javelin in his quiver, but grappled as he is he just can't get it.

R7T18.05: Pezock swings desperately at the monster and the creature dodges. Out of desperation, the sword-bird pecks at the horrid thing ... and hits! He does 5 (max)!

R7T18: The monster tears more skin all over Ankarum's body with its its leech-like mouths (13), but it still manages to siphon bits more of the savage's vital blood from the various tiny bite wounds (1 CON), and the terrible wounds bring Ankarum into unconsciousness. He suffers massive hemhorraging, and is near death.

R8T18.1: Ankarum is unconscious and very, very close to death. Dramatic Irony: Pezock pecked, Erin sizzled, and Stephan finished it off, so the monster is dead ...

With your rage automatically ending, you are at -13 hit points right now. Roll a flat 1d20 with no modifiers. On a natural '20' .... your body amazingly stabilizes. If you fail, we'll see how your allies fare in cutting you out.

[Blackhawk101]

[roll0] for a miracle

[lostsole31]

R8T18.1: Ankarum continues to bleed away ...

R8T18.05: Pezock cuts a whole in the monster's side to reveal the bloody sack holding Ankarum.

End Round 8, Begin Round 9 ...

R9T19: Stephan channels energy to heal Ankarum and Pezock by a decent amount, and Ankarum is now awake, but disabled (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/conditions#TOC-Disabled) (at 0 hit points, stable).

[lostsole31]

With the tiny size of the tunnel - easy for something amorphous to have squished through, despite its size - only Gek'k would have a chance, and a squeeze at that. It is decided that the group climb down and up, but not before Ankarum's weakened form is roped up.
Disabled means you can take a move action, sure .... but RP out of combat, unless it's important you move, makes sense that you are too weak to go bouncing about on your own.
Lalarlia channels energy (6 Ankarum, 5 Pezock). She lays her hands on Ankarum (2), she casts the party's single most powerful healing spell on him (10). Stephan lays his hands reverently on Ankarum twice (15). He then lays hands once on Pezock (13), so his wounds are very minimal. Aron casters a healing spell on Ankarum for 10, and the physical tears on his body are nearly non-existent, but he still suffers the weakness from where his blood was leeched away. The decision is that the party needs to go back to the bridge overlooking the main temple. It's high ground, and any ... land-based ... attack could only come from two sides, with the temple floor 40' below.

On the other hand, if you wanted you could put your vote in to press ahead and drink your potion of lesser restoration to try to heal some or all of your 3 points of CON damage.

[Blackhawk101]

Make camp good idea. Smart. Rest, eat, recover spells. Bridge is good defense but easy to be trapped.

[lostsole31]

There is a realization discussed that anywhere can be trapworthy. But pinching off ends with good movement to either side is good. The knotted rope is tied to the balcony and coiled. If anything happens, it can be tossed over the edge quickly. A few hours later after the redoubt is set, there is a horrible grinding noise preceded by a crackling of bright lightning. The flash of lightning enters into the main sanctum, and the temple sanctum doors shut.

The party is now in this ancient temple. There is nothing to do but what has been done to survive. Conserve food and water, but make absolute sure each person eats and drinks enough as well. It's not just about survival, but you have to be strong enough for whatever fight is ahead .... because you all feel it.

Ankarum wakes up the next day, right as rain. No doubt the spellcasters prayed to give you some ability for your body to heal the injuries. Pezock, of course, if fine. studies, meditations, prayers, and the like are made to prepare for the day. It is time to begin.

The party returned to what was the landing by skirting the known trap, going down to the landing (leading to the sanctum), up to the level with the scriptorium, and through the double doors. This time, Jask instructs to have the party to take the double-doors on the eastern side of the bridge (they were never opened).

At 10'-wide, and considering how things were truly dire previously, Pezock will be the primary expert to search for any more little hidden goodies from unspeakably ancient creatures. His engineering knowledge may prove invaluable, and he does have experience with these things. Besides, it has been noted that Ankarum and Pezock more or less have the same eyesight and awareness. Still, he does feel good that someone who is just sharp-eyed and quick-footed is with him, for any man that can go as long as he did against that globby mouth-monster deserves respect (and is quite handy to have). Sure enough there is another trap just 20' away from the double-doors that led to the eastern double-doors to the bridge. This time it doesn't long for Pezock to be able to find and release a lever. The trap just can't be ignored ... it still has to be crossed and it is too long for most to jumpers (even the jumpers), so it's better to have folks climb down, walk across, and then climb up ... with the party's best climber (Stephan the very last and very first on each). Just to be sure, he changes back into that monkey-man form. Aron and Jask call him a vanara, a type of ape-man from a continent far away, so climbing up and down the walls are a breeze.

Ankarum, what do you have at the ready? Shield and tomahawk?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum has his standard tomahawk and shield armature.

[lostsole31]

20' along and the passageway gets to a 10x10 N-S 'T'. You recognize this as the point at which just north is the trap you fell and nearly died. The party gets down into the pit, wherein lies the stinky protoplastic goo of the monster. The smell is not good. The bonding of the gelatinous body, the surface tension, is gone. This means that the entire mass is putrefied and soaks the entire bit of the bottom of the 10'x10' bottom at a height of up to roughly 1-1/2 to 2". That doesn't seem very deep, but deep enough to squish around; for those wearing moccassins or simply shoes (you, Gelik, Jask, Stephan) it is particularly disgusting, especially for the smaller Gelik where it pools through his shoes to cover all around his toes. All of the teeth that were part of the monster, for the most part, form a small mound from where the monster first started to discorporate, but enough were washed away with the rest to be here and there throughout the bottom. It is a foul mess.

The other side of the trap (N side) was a 10' wide section that was only deep enough for one person apiece to be able to stand in front of two double doors. Disgusting as it may be, the climb in/out strategy only works with everyone below before climbing up the rope Stephan has. Stephan and Pezock search the door; satisfied they open it. Again, that fantastically loud, bone-shuddering, shrieking noise on ancient hinges. The two search the area just past the door to make sure the party can safely get up to this side.

"Found a trap! Found a trap? *caw-caw*" calls down Pezock. "We try to disarm. ......... Okay, a section disarmed, but it looks like pressure plates from point-to-point."

Ankarum is called up since they just made room (and they don't have to fumble with light and do their job, the light-shield is fine). Ankarum is now something of a guard for them. Once up top, he notices that the great bronze doors are made of the same alloy with the runners that look they are running with blood. Looking inward, there is an oval pool of what looks like softly rippling blood that sits at the center of this octagonal room, filling the air with a metallic tang. Four round pillars support a ceiling decorated with criscrossed supports and grooves, while ten-foot-wide circular holes decorate the walls at chest level. Since there is room for another, some magical support might be needed with all of the testosterone on the "action" side. You couldn't keep Jask from jumping at the chance to look at these ancient ruins, anyway. Well, you could if the older man could climb. With the knots and the wall, he's not in danger of falling, but he's just weaker than most and having trouble but he makes it 5' up.

"Seems one of those pressure plate traps that is triggered by specific points," says Pezock. "Makes sense. Cult must navigate, and too unwieldy for all tiles her to be trapped." Jask manages to clamber up another 10' (15').

Another spot not trapped. Jask has a little more trouble and only moves up 5' (20'). With the rope tied off to a great rung of the door, Stephan doesn't have to worry about weight limits. (The doors, by the way, opened out so Stephan and Pezock had to squeeze, but they opened both so both doors hang over the pit ... they don't open inward.) Erin, an excellent climber, speeds up to just under Jask (15').

And that is when it happens, Ankarum sees sheets of the same red-streaked bronze falling from the doorway across ... and from this doorway as well. Not having stepped fully in (in case someone needed topside belaying until there were enough people were here you needed to continue moving in behind the troubleshooters), the savage has a choice.

Ankarum, either you can stay on the outside of the room and be (possibly) fine, and guard the two current climbers (Jask and Erin) and those in the pit ...

... or, you could endanger yourself by trying to be quicker than the bronze sheet falling on your side to get into the room with Pezock and Stephan.

Stay outside and be fine? or, risk yourself by possibly getting trapped inside with the other two?

If you choose the latter, roll a DC 15 Reflex save or the sheet slams down on you as you try to jump across in time.

[Blackhawk101]

Look out! Doors closing!
Ankarum shouts as he dives into the room, trying to avoid the on rushing slab of metal.

[roll0] Reflex save to avoid the door

[lostsole31]

In true cinematic style, Ankarum barely makes it under the falling sheet of metal, rolling to the inside of the chamber. He feels stuck, and forcing himself up, and shirt rips off as a major piece was not as lucky as its wearer. Ankarum's income increases in international sales among the women who enjoy his tightly-muscled contract shot and exotic looks.

And there you are, in that room (previously described), just the three of you - Pezock, Stephan, and yourself. What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Blood 'n Bloody Ashes! That was Ankarums only vest! .....AAh OK, now what? Ankarum has a feeling he should have thrown Jask in here instead...

[lostsole31]

Stephan looks towards the central "blood-bath" carefully. Pezock walks around carefully.

A pendulum suddenly swings down from the criss-cross grooves. Ankarum's animal senses easily notice and he ducks out of the way as the pendulum swings back up into the ceiling on the opposite of the room from where it came.

What do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Pezock! Disarm it! Ankarum will watch Pezock's back.
The savage warrior puts away his tomahawk so he has a free hand to snatch Pezock out of the way of any falling pendulums.

[lostsole31]

Pezock is furiously trying to do something with the tiles on the floor, but breaks a pick doing so.

Stephan seems to notice something and bolts towards the closest of the floor pillars. Looking at the other four he finishes his gaze on the column near him and slams his palm on the column. The bronze sheets lift back up into the ceiling, and the southern doors you came through are open (though, of course, the northern doors had not yet been opened. After several seconds of tension, it seems like whatever Stephan managed to stop the trap entirely. The rest of the group is brought up and into the group (warily).

All characters, with their own gifts, searching around the room. The majority of the holes in the wall are only 3' deep. Lalarlia grins, "I know what these are for. When we hold naked prayer meetings, there are usually small alcoves like this wherein we store robes and other belongings before moving on to attend worship."

Several castings are made here and there. "The pool contains real blood, kept circulating and at humanoid body temperature by some ancient magic that still functions. The blood pool radiates necromantic magic. I believe the cultists - once naked," Lalarlia continues, "would disrobe and then bathe themselves in this blood before heading north to those double doors there. The blood probably refills itself; I'm sure it will do us no good to mess with it. Beyond those northern doors I believe we will find the temple's worship area."

"The buttons on these columns, all facing inward, have weak transmutation auras," notes Aron.

"Don't. press. them," says Pezock emphatically. "They will probably reset the pendulum trap and the falling bronze sheets."

Aron stops, seeming only too happy to oblige.

The party readies itself to continue. Pezock and Stephan find no traps, and just before they are about to open the door, Aron calls, "STOP!"

She holds her hand out (the one not holding her buckler and bow). "I have had a vision of terrible death if we go now. The moon is slightly out of sync for us, but will be better after some more rest. I know we have done very little, but this isn't just fear. I truly believe that as much as want to hurry, we need to give this a day."

Though Pezock and Lalarlia just wants to get on with things, even if Ankarum disagrees and thinks moving forward now is better, enough people in the party begin to see that it is important to pay heed to Aron's mystical advice. The party, even if Aron's vision is cryptic and "can't be explained or described," will stop here. A particularly focused watch shall be kept on the pool. The a sounding was taken (only 2' deep), it is necromantic magic and maybe there is more to it than just ritual preparation.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum says that we listen to the Seer. If the spirits speak and the living fail to listen, Doom is not far, ehh?

[lostsole31]

The double doors are checked again. Just in case. They are opened with that same incredible noise. There is a mere 10' x 10' hallway to the next set of double doors. Those are checked (as well as the ground to them). No traps on the door. The door is then opened with that same shuddering, grinding noise.

Judging from just the little bit you see of this cathedral-like chamber's decor, this area must have once been a significant temple dedicated to some vile god. There are stone pillars that support the roof 25' above. There is a large alcove to the north, visible in dim light, and it contains complex carvings. The strange thick, metallic tang of blood is in the air here, and there is a 10'-wide river flowing E-W in the middle of the chamber. This entire chamber feels unnaturally cold, and now and then strange disembodied whispers slither through the air.
http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Temple%20of%20Blood%20first%20look_zpsu4tk9fzc.jpg ?t=1427779412
The party is coming in from the double-doors to the south, and enough of you actually go off the map into the room you were in before.

[lostsole31]

From well across the hall to the west, resounds a sibilant, female voice. "I do not fear the light like you, insectsss. But, pleeeasse, come in and introduuucccce yourselvessss. I am ssso clossse to making a great disscovery concerning Saventh-Yhi, I would love to face my competition."

Any thoughts for Ankarum? Pezock and Stephan are the trap checkers, but this room is massive and would take a long time to cover.

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum whispers to the party, Keep together, until close enough for charge. Hold ranged attacks until snake bitch attempts her spells. Any prayers to say, say them now.

to the voice ahead, Ankarum snarls Ankarum and friends not come to compete with evil snake witch! Ankarum come to kill! For friends lost and to wipe the evil snake presence from this place!

Ankarum stows his tomahawk and shield and readies his war bow with his +2 arrow. When ready, they begin forward.

[lostsole31]

Spells and overall intentions:

Aron has entropic shield. She will come in slowly from party rear, and use sanctuary before coming to the aid of a wounded party member.
Erin wants to bolt over the river of blood to get to the other side. She'll use columns as cover, and then use 'vanish' to get into position to sneak attack Yarzoth. Magic dagger out already. If there is any chance to get her alone, she'll use breath weapon.
Per party pre-planning, Gelik will use comedy to bolster the troops. If he has to use arcane bolt, he starts with cold (snakes are cold-blooded, right?).
Jask has shield. Quarterstaff in one hand for lighting, and choose spells as necessary, but spiritual weapon likely start. Wand of VT if things go poorly.
Lalarlia. Bear's strength. As soon as she sees Yarzoth, invoke a smite. True strike, then shoot an arrow. Bane next, if there are multiple opponents. Finally close for combat, stowing bow and taking out shield.
Pezock: expeditious retreat, extended shield. If things start clustering poorly, he's willing to drop obscure mist. Javelins until closure, sword out in other hand.
Stephan, like Lalarlia ... smite, but focus with using bow. PBS/Precise Shot chosen to replace 2 feats. Form changed to halfling.


Current light spells:
Ankarum's shield (via Erin)
Pezock's Tricorn Hat (via Gelik)
Jask's staff (via Jask)
Lalarlia's Belta (via Lalarlia)

So, Aron gets multi-colored lights bouncing around her. Jask sets up a shield spell. Lalarlia casts a spell to make her stronger, but for now she will go with a bow. Pezock uses bizarre pieces of things. There are springy strips of treated bark that are like stirrups that he gets into, and using some other natural equipment - which is strange enough - a field of energy briefly glows around him. Stephan gets his warbow ready. As big and muscular as he is, he (and his equipment changes to a halfling. It is still a powerful warbow, but sized for him (and he is now not quite 3' tall). This is the first time Ankarum sees him using something less powerful, at least physically; however, Ankarum realizes that Stephan must be thinking he'll be in this form for the long haul so a smaller, more agile form is probably better.

[lostsole31]

"Ankarum?" hisses the female snake-voice curiously. "Aren't you the self-exiled, mentally challenged Shoanti the Jenivere picked up on the island of Mediogalti, so very far from your home? You survived, hmmm? A testament to your people. There is no way you made it here this far on your own. Humans have the intellect of a fly, but yours is only that of a gnat. Who else survived my 'little detour' to the Shiv, hmm? I am here on a holy mission to find an ancient temple for my people: the fabled Saventh-Yhi. The answer lies in these carvings somewhere, Ankarum. With your obvious ability to survive hardship, and the surprising ability to have found your way inside the Temple, I do not doubt that I could make use of slaves such as yourselves. I almost think I could do it. Almost. But I do sleep, and I shall brook no poorly placed vengeance while I find the long lost temple for my people.

"So, either submit to me, or commit against me. Your souls are merely fodder for Ydersius, anyway."

R1T25: Not having a missile weapon and willing to let the others handle such things, Pezock and zooms at incredible speed to jump across the 5-foot-wide river of blood, past the first avenue and columns, and to the other side of the wall. His tricorne hat now lights up the other side well.

R1T24: Stephan moves in a little, but not terribly far since the light from Pezock's hat for Ankarum's shield doesn't reach all the way down, but he is still ready to fire.

R1T22: Ieana casts a spell and calls out from the darkness. "You, come to my side and protect me from harm! You four, attack that one."

R1T21-18: Several skeletons go zooming past Ankarum, and he hasn't gotten his bearings yet for the actual combat.

R1T17: Erin, now with a skeleton in front of her, quick draws her short sword and gets the blade through its ribs ... through, not cracking in.

R1T16: Gelik begins giving everyone pluck by putting the bitch down and making you feel good about it.

R1T12: Aron begins casting a spell taking her full turn doing so.

R1T11: "Nethys," says Jask to the skeletons. "God of Magic, but a god of destruction as well!"

He brandishes his holy symbol of the mask-face of Nethys with one-half made of silver, and the other half of cast iron. Holy energy bursts forth to shatter the bones of one skeleton and do 4 PE to the other two.

R1T10: Lalarlia does the same, which is enough to blast one of the skeletons and leave the other one barely intact.

R1T5: Ankarum, you have a bow out, and there is a skeleton to your FWD-RT. You also saw and heard another skeleton zip past along the red river and is now partially seen behind a pillar and next to Stephan-archer-halfling. Pezock is on the far north of the room. What do you do?
http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Temple%20of%20Blood%20Round%20One_zpsk0qsjvjb.jpg

Pezock on deck, Stephan in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Keep together! The skeletons will come to us. Which direction did the voice come from? Can anyone sense her?
Moving slowly (for him) with the remaining group, Ankarum heads towards the direction he thinks he heard her voice, holding his action to shoot the snake witch should he get a shot. He ignores the skeletons for now.

[lostsole31]

R1T5: "Keep together! The skeletons will come to us. Which direction did the voice come from? Can anyone sense her?"

Moving slowly (for him) with the remaining group, Ankarum heads towards the direction he thinks he heard her voice, holding his action to shoot the snake witch should he get a shot. He ignores the skeletons for now. The one he put his back doesn't have a chance as the Shoanti is too fast for it.

He only needs to move 30' (skirting a fountain) and he'll shoot right past the blood river, up the dais and at her he shoots one of his +2 arrows, which she dodges with incredible agility. Speaking of which, while you knew verbally that Ieana was supposed to be a snake-woman, you still had only seen her as the Varisian scholar. Now with your shield you finally get a good look ...
http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Ieana_zpsak24sd3g.jpg?t=1428697518
End Round 1, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T25: Pezock goes speeding westward. A javelin sails in and grazes halfling-Stephan in his upper right arm for 5. Ankarum recognizes it as one of Pezock's javelins. :smallfrown:

R2T24: Stephan doesn't even allow the skeletons a chance. He lays his bucklered hand on his large Iomedean symbol on chest and the party's most powerful burst of holy energy rushes forth to blast the two remaining skeletons. He scurries to the west, and takes cover behind a large pillar.

R2T22: Ieana stands there looking at Ankarum, and her form begins to shift and waver constantly.

R2T17: Erin curses and says "I am just buying time with Pezock for the rest of you to hit her!"

She moves westward in line with Pezock and breathes a cloud of multi-colored gas at the tengu. The smoke doesn't conceal anything and dissipates quickly, but the tengu looks like he is under the effects of some psychedelic drugs.

R2T16: The very mention of a need to "buy time with Pezock" is enough for Gelik to drop his comedy. He moves north right next to the icky river of blood, and then begins his comedy again, this time to include mocking Pezock.

R2T12: Aron thinks the better of it and releases the arcane she was casting. Though she still has her bow in hand, she moves well up to just south of the river, just next to the curving front of it. She casts a spell using song.

"Ha!" derides Ieana. "You think your enchantments can work on me, rodent? I am immune to such things!"

R2T11: Jask, as he moves into the room and behind Aron, says "Huh. Thanks for that. Don't worry, murdereress! Here's something to tickle you that bypasses your illusion and to which I doubt you're immune."

He casts his spell and two arcane bolts zip out at her to hit her squarely for 7 force. "Well," he says to his friends. "Looks like I finally drew first blood. Now, assuming we get off of this rock, who would like to buy an old man a triple-shot of single malt .... neat?"

R2T10: Lalarlia, like Jask, does not recognize the spell effect on Ieana as she comes out and sees her. The paladin casts a spell on herself.

R2T5: Ieana's got a blurry form. Your first +2 arrow missed. What do you do?

Pezock on deck, Stephan in the hole ...
http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Temple%20of%20Blood%20Round%20Two_zpsfcdg1fay.jpg? t=1428697100

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum holds at the edge of the blood river and nocks another arrow +2.
Bloody Ashes! Hold still so I can shot you.
[roll0] to hit
[roll1] to damage

[Blackhawk101]

Fail
[roll0]

[lostsole31]

R2T5: Ankarum holds at the edge of the blood river and nocks another +2 arrow. "Bloody Ashes! Hold still so I can shot you."

He pulls his back momentarily and the arrow misses, but it is only a minor twinge and the savage is fine .... albeit without his two most powerful magical weapons.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T25: In a type of dreamy look, Pezock stumbles from where he was to a position that might help to provide cover for Ieana.

R3T24: Stephan takes out a 4-lb bag of something, which in a halfling's hands is sizeable. He throws it and it hits Pezock, with the bag bursting open and all of this goo splashing over him and hardening. Pezock is entangled by it, but not glued to the floor.

R3T22: More magic from Ieana, but even more of a headache. In addition to her blurry nature, there now seem to be several images of her. The visual is too difficult to fully parse out, but her entire space seems "crowded."

R3T17: Erin casts a spell on herself and then jumps across the blood and stairs to land on the dais above. She is now adjacent to Ieana, and has magic dagger in hand.

R3T16: Gelik continues his comedy. He blows into his hand and there is the slight bluing of his fingers, and he tosses that. A bolt of cold looks like it would have gone straight through her skull, but merely takes out an image.

R3T12: Aron sings, but in doing so she uses a lot of sliding notes. The area underneath Ieana's and Pezock's feet betray a slight sheen. Pezock slips on the ground and falls, though the serpentwoman is fine. "I wouldn't go traipsing in that area, anyone."

R3T11: Jask casts a spell, raising his quarterstaff high. From that weapon shoots forth a semi-tangible quarterstaff that spins until it is in front of the serpentwoman. One end of the staff is dark, the other light. It spins in front of her in a threatening manner with a few thrusts here or there, but no real effective attack.

R3T10: Lalarlia points the bow's end at Ieana as she invokes her smite. "Now, know vengeance."

Against ALL odds, the arrow gets through the various defenses the snakewoman has to hit her squarely in the chest for 8.

R3T5: With Aron's slippery spell, Pezock tripped and Ieana is no longer covered by an ally. Ankarum, what do you do?

Pezock on deck (literally), Stephan in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Bloody Ashes!

Ankarum continues to target the snake witch with his war bow, thinking perhaps he should have practiced more for just such an emergency.
[roll0]
to hit with arrow +1, MW bow +1, point blank shot +1, inspire +1
[roll1]
to damage: +3 MW bow strength, +1 PBS, +1 arrow, +1 inspire

[lostsole31]

R3T5: "Bloody Ashes!" Ankarum continues to target the snake witch with his war bow, thinking perhaps he should have practiced more for just such an emergency. A beautiful shot, but it does nothing more than destroy one of the shifting images.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T25: Pezock, sliding around on the ground, gooped, staggered, and sickened, tries to scrape the resin off his body with his sabre, and getting 6 damage against it.

R4T24: Stephan cuts around the outside by Ankarum and leaps onto the stairs in front of Pezock (S side of altar). He silently prays and the halfling-sized longsword symbol on his halfling-sized chest glows, and he then fires two shots with his bow at the woman that both take away images. He seems resolute, as if taking away images didn't bother him.

R4T22: Ieana begins casting a spell.

R4T17: From her short range, Erin casts acid splash at the enemy but misses.

R4T16: Gelik continues comedy and sends a ray of cold that misses.

R4T12: Aron begins casting a spell.

R4T11: Jasks force staff gets rid of another image. He mentally sends forth an arcane bolt that hits for 4 force.

R4T10: Lalarlia fires and the arrow seems to go through the mix of shifting, blurring images.

R4T5: Ankarum, I'm not changing the map, but Stephan moved right in front of Pezock. What do you do?

Pezock on deck, Stephan in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Keep it up!
[roll0] standard arrow
[roll1] damage

[lostsole31]

R4T5: "Keep it up!" calls Ankarum as he fires another arrow. As luck has it, his aim is true as it hits her for 13.

End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T25: Pezock scrapes at the goo again, and there's only a bare amount there, but enough to be annoying. He carefully gets up in the greased area.

R5T24: Stephan drops to a horizontal position, holding his bow upwards on his right, and swivels on his left hand to spin and hand jump away from Pezock. He scuttles over to the north comes up and then shoots. Once again, the gods are with the group as his arrow strikes her in the lower sternum for 16, and her spell fizzles.

R5T22: No sooner does her spell fall out from the pain of Stephan's strike than Ieana starts casting another spell. She steps just south she is now out of LOS of Ankarum's bow.

R5T17: Erin casts a spell and her kaleidoscopic blast rolls forth to hit Pezock and Ieana. Pezock blinks his eyes but is otherwise fine. Ieana continues to cast.

R5T16: Gelik continues his performance and throws a bolt of ice at Ieana which doesn't hit but does the party the favor of removing yet another image.

R5T12: Aron's spell finishes and a golden eagle with actual gold-tinged feathers appears above Ieana to attack as the feather's glow a little. It looks like both of its talons should at least have torn an image but the attack seems grab nothing in the wavering image.

"Ankarum, step into my spot here once I back up so you can get a shot." Though not a warrior by any stretch, Aron enjoys the luck everyone has as her arrow hits Ieana's left upper arm for 6. Not a lot, but a solid hit for her (though not enough to spoil the serpentfolk's spell). She moves back 15' to right in front of Gelik.

R5T11: Jask's spinning quarterstaff blasts another image so with the exception of the blurriness, you only see double. He then sends forth a small bolt of force as before and unfailingly hits her for 5 (max) force.

R5T10: Lalarlia, you are 45' from Ieana. The enemy has an eagle attacking her from above. Pezock has only a little bit of sticky resin on him. That whole 10' x 10' square in the corner with Ieana and Pezock is greased. Calistria has truly been with you and your bow, and you are dealing with smite-y goodness. What do you do?
Sorry for the super-crappiness of the hand-writing and scratch-outs. I'm in an RV right now and it is as if I were on a ship in high sea-state.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Temple%20of%20Blood%20Round%20Five_zpsfrqwa7ph.jpg
Ankarum on deck, Pezock in the hole ...

[BuckGodot]

She will continue on as before dealing damage with her bow.

Taste the righteous vengeance of Calistria once more, again!

[roll0]

[lostsole31]

Calistria's grace keeps Lalarlia from falling on her bum.

Ankarum? What do you do?

Pezock on deck, Stephan in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Deprived of his target, Ankarum moves to his right, passes in front of Jask (gives him a ferocious grin of pure joy) and screaming his war cry as he leaps the river of blood to land on the other side.

[roll0]

If sucessful, he draws and fires at the snake witch.
"Die snake!" he snarls.

To hit. [roll1]. (+1 :PBS, INSPIRE, MW BOW, standard arrow) to damage [roll2] (+1 : PBS, inspire;+3 MW Bow)

[lostsole31]

R5T10: Lalarlia continues on as before, hoping to deal damage with her bow. "Taste the righteous vengeance of Calistria once more, again!"

She nearly slips but manages to keep her footing as her arrow goes practically northwards to skip off a far column.

R5T5: Deprived of his target, Ankarum moves to his right, passes in front of Jask (gives him a ferocious grin of pure joy) and screaming his war cry as he leaps the river of blood to land on the other side. He draws the bow and shouts "Die, Witch!" as he shoots ... and misses.

End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ....

R6T25: The goop had cracked and fallen shortly after Pezock's movements last. He gets his second hand on his sabre and blasts the summoned bird back to its home plane.

R6T24: Stephan's first arrow finally drops the multi-image form of the enemy, but her blurriness continues enough to throw afoul his second arrow.

R6T22: Ieana finishes a spell, and a viper appears next to Erin. It glows with a sickening green as it darts at the half-elf to nip her in her right shin for 2.

"You are persistent, cretins!" she announces as she casts a spell upon herself. "To have survived the shipwreck and months on this island with dangerous animals and cannibals. Tell me, how have your people fared against the latter?"

R6T17: Erin starts as she's bitten in the leg, with an understandable fear of poisoning. A single stab from her sword nearly guts it, but not quite.

R6T16: Gelik calls out (as his comedy), "It was a rocky start, but we have since become quite good at killing snakes, so we kindly appreciate your help in bringing us up to speed to make a better challenge. Ain't that right, gang? We wouldn't want to make it too easy for you, would you? How else could you test your superiority?"

He fires a cold bolt that misses, no thanks to Pezock providing good cover.

R6T12: Aron begins casting a spell again ...

R6T11: Jask's floating staff fails to strike, and for the first time as he sends out another bolt that simply curves around to hit her, the spell seems to have fizzled when it should've contacted.

R6T10: Lalarlia, Pezock happens to be providing cover for Ieana, which will make hitting her a little more difficult ... and she is already ridiculously agile. Though your smite may help offset some of that. And other than a possible chance of missing because of that strange effect on her, she has no more misleading images of herself. What do you do?

Ankarum on deck, Pezock in the hole ...

[BuckGodot]

Pezock, move your blasted feathers!! She takes careful aim and releases another arrow...

[roll0]

[lostsole31]

That's going to be a miss.

Ankarum?

[Blackhawk101]

Frustrated by the idol screening his target, Ankarum moves around the column to his right and fires a +1 arrow at Ieana.

to hit: [roll0]
PBS, MW BOW, +1 arrow

to damage: [roll1]
PBS, +3 bow, +1 arrow

[lostsole31]

R6T10: "Pezock, move your blasted feathers!!" Lalarlia yells as she takes careful aim and releases another arrow to a miss.

R6T5: Frustrated by the idol screening his target, Ankarum moves around the colum to his right and ahead (to get PBS benefit) and fires a magic arrow to hit her in the head for 7.

End Round 6, Begin Round 7 ...

R7T25: "Kill the halfling!" commands Ieana. Even with the greased floor Pezock hops up onto the altar and swings his sword to do a back cut for 13 to Stephan.

R7T24: Stephan throws down his bow and takes out his sword, which begins to glow with the light of a torch.

R7T22.1: The viper goes to strike Erin and she attempts a counterstrike and fails so spectacularly that she pierces herself in a vein for 2 CON. This strange maneuver so throws the snake that it, too fumbles and slides 5' next to Ieana.

R7T22: Ieana casts a spell and a loud burst of sound rips into the area of Aron, Gelik, and Jask. Sonic damage is 4 (Aron), 1 (Gelik), and 2 (Jask). Jask drops his quarterstaff and holds his ears with a cry of pain.

R7T17: Pissed off, Erin is focused on the snake and misses with her sword.

R7T16: Gelik continues with his jokes, but backs way up to the grates to the far east.

R7T12.1: Another golden eagle appears above Ieana. Aron points to Ieana and says "Smite attack!"

With an amazing flurry of talons and beak, a talon and a beak hit blurriness while a talon crits for 12.

R7T12: Aron shoots an arrow at the now fully-exposed serpentwoman (courtesy of her own short-sighted command to her thrall), but the woman's agility is not to be underestimated.

R7T11: It appears that Jask was stunned by the cacophonic blast, even as his spinning force-staff disappears.

R7T10: Lalarlia ... well, Pezock did as you asked of him and you have a clear line of fire to Ieana. Now what?

Ankarum on deck, Pezock in the hole ...

[lostsole31]

R7T10: Lalarlia fires again and the arrow hits hard with a bounce but fails to penetrate the scales.

R7T5: Ankarum, what do you do?

Pezock on deck, Stephan in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Keep it up ! Yeeiii!
Screaming a war cry, the savage barbarian grabs another +1 arrow from his quiver. He hopes that he has enough arrows to finish the fight.
to hit Ieana
[roll0]
PBS, MW BOW, +1 arrow

to damage
[roll1]
PBS, +1 arrow, strength bow +3

[BuckGodot]

R7T10: Lalarlia fires again and the arrow hits hard with a bounce but fails to penetrate the scales.

Yeah.....What he said....

[lostsole31]

R7T5: "Keep it up ! Yeeiii!" Screaming a war cry, the savage barbarian grabs another magic arrow from his quiver. He hopes that he has enough arrows to finish the fight. With Pezock covering effectively offering his mistress cover (in addition to the altar), the arrow sinks into Pezock's belly for 12.

End Round 7, Begin Round 8 ...

R8T25: Stephan blocks Pezock's sword with the buckler, and his studded leather just manages to block the latter's beak.

R8T24: Stephan takes his sword and tries to make soft cuts against non-vital areas on Pezock, and it is a series of attacks/parries.

R8T22.1: The viper attacks but is repelled by Erin's magic.

R8T22: "I know you can do it, thrall! Do not be cowed by his glowing blade!"

This exhortation seems to put some wind into Pezock, who until now has had some difficulty with the nimble "halfling." She then easily manages the greasy floor to the stairs, hops over the blood stream, and is now adjacent to a shocked and suddenly alone Jask; the evoker is just capturing his wits, and it is a terrible thing to notice. Aron's eagle tried to hit, but she easily ducked it. Jasks magic force-weapon winks from view.

R8T17: Erin fails to hit the quick viper.

R8T16: Gelik continues his tirade. His cold-bolt is thrown off by her magically shifting form.

R8T12.1: Aron's eagle gives chase and is above and behind her, but a snap from its beak misses.

R8T12: Aron finishes her spell, and yet another creature is summoned. This time, a red beetle with gold tinging, glowing red as a torch appears next to Ieana.

"Attack!" cries Aron, and the creature snaps with its mandibles. "Lalarlia, we can wait at range no longer. Please, for our sakes, go in to cover Jask and the rest of us. Jask, pull back!"

R8T11: Jask withdraws all the way back behind Lalarlia, leaving his quarterstaff at Ieana's feet.

R8T10: Lalarlia, you are currently 20' from Ieana, with Aron 10' from you (and she is 15' from the snake priestess). You have your bow in hand, which means your shield and melee weapons are stowed. What do you do?

Ankarum on deck, Pezock in the hole ...

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Temple%20of%20Blood%20Round%20Eight_zps9rcxlph3.jp g

V is the Viper. The yellow blotched area is grease. It's hard to see, but Pezock (P) is atop the altar fighting Stephan (S). The faint "E" is Aron's eagle. The faint "I" is the enemy, Ieana. AR is Aron, and G in the back (far east) is Gelik.

No longer with the advantage of cover, and so skilled with archery, Ankarum has a fine shot to Ieana if he shoots her when it is his turn. As I doubt there is anything Lalalarlia will do to end Ieana now, Ankarum might as well take his shot (or declare his action).

[BuckGodot]

Dropping her bow, Lalarlia will draw her shield and rush forward in a straight line while drawing her scimitar.

Enough of this toying around. It's time to send this foul spawn back to the depths of whatever dark pit she came from!

[lostsole31]

Ankarum?
Pezock on deck, Stephan in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum keeps up the hail of missles.

to hit Ieana
[roll0]
PBS, MW BOW, +1 arrow, -4 fire into combat

to damage Ieana
[roll]1d8+5
PBS, +1 arrow, strength bow +3

[lostsole31]

R8T10: Dropping her bow, Lalarlia will draw her shield and rush forward in a straight line while drawing her scimitar. "Enough of this toying around. It's time to send this foul spawn back to the depths of whatever dark pit she came from!"

R8T5: Ankarum shoots and misses.

End Round 8, Begin Round 9 ...

R9T25: Pezock swings wildly and his sawtooth sabre goes so wildly he looses its grip. It flies and hits the column by Ankarum but on the opposite and bounces into the blood stream. Pezock snaps with his beak which Stephan dodges.

R9T24: Stephan cuts across at the legs and the tengu jumps.

R9T22.1: The viper misses.

R9T22: "You've come to meet your end, then? Very well." She snaps at Lalarlia with a bite.

R9T17: Erin stabs the summoned viper and it disappears.

R9T16: Gelik continues comedy ...

R9T12.1-12: The eagle misses, but the beetle actually hits her in the back of her left upper arm with a soft bit of glowing light for 4. Aron moves up behind Lalarlia and readies to heal her if she gets harmed.

R9T11: Jask casts a spell on himself.parry strike (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/3rd-party-spells/rite-publishing---3rd-party-spells/p/parry-strike)
R9T10: Lalarlia, what do you do? You have flanking with the lucky beetle.

Ankarum on deck, Pezock in the hole ...

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/q755/lostsole31/Temple%20of%20Blood%20Round%20Nine_zpsr5a5vbyg.jpg

[BuckGodot]

Taste my steel, she demon!

She swings with her scimitar.

Using parry strike. [roll0]

[lostsole31]

Miss.

Ankarum?

[Blackhawk101]

Ankarum takes a five foot step towards the blood river and tries to put another arrow in Ieana.

to hit
[roll0]
PBS, MW bow, +1 arrow

to damage
[roll1]
PBS, +3 bow strength, +1 arrow

*to hit not modified for firing into combat