Megadungeon B-II (IC)

[Malimar]

DM

The party of Scarecrow (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=417566), Doldor Wildheart (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=321802) (and his faithful dog Brutus), Shian (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=626281), and Leontius (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=158282) finds itself at the end of the dwarven catacombs, chatting with the spectre of Savzad, Bard-Queen of the Dwarves, over what sort of wish they might desire as reward for completing the tests of the Bard-Queen's ancient adventuring party.

Savzad looks concerned by Scarecrow's suggestion that they wish for her to grant no further wishes, but doesn't actively speak against it. It is, after all, their decision.



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. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
0 = sarcophagus
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
- = stone table

C = Scarecrow
H = Shian
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
S = ghostly Savzad the Bard-Queen


(OOC thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?401244-Megadungeon-(OOC)-IV))

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow stands still for a moment, before shaking his head. "No, I guess it wouldn't be right. It is a concern that should be dealt with directly, not like this... Doldor, the honor is yours. Ask away."

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[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

The druid nods solemnly to Scarecrow. "As much as I recognize the value of wealth, I believe that the best wish we can make is one that sets us on the path of repairing this world. Queen Savzad, we Wish to know, as descriptively and in as great of detail as possible, the best way to return the Lawful Plane of Earth to its correct location among the planes."

I was about to say "don't worry, I'll be able to give us Miracles one day", but the best I can offer as a Druid is Shapechange.

[Malimar]

DM

Savzad nods to Doldor, and says, "Let it be done, then."

Suddenly, the surface of the huge stone table whirls clear of dust, and images appear on the surface, showing the path that must be taken to return the Lawful Plane of Earth to its correct location.


First, it shows a picture that, it soon becomes clear, is Endeesy, seen from above. It zooms in near the center of the city, zooms in to what any visitor to the city can recognize as the grand Cathedral of Quasxthe. It zooms in through the roof, and shows a room on the top floor of the Cathedral, all marked up with profane ritualistic diagrams. It shows priests of Quasxthe in this room, performing some ritual of obeisance around a strange black orb covered in runes, about a foot in diameter, made of some unknown metal. The vision highlights the orb.

Then, the surface of the table swirls and changes to show an underwater scene, an undersea city swarming with shark-faced sahuagin. Not knowing much about geography, it's difficult to tell for sure, but you have a sense that this is the sahuagin capitol of Snajuk. The vision zooms in on what appears to be a temple (in the shape of a spiral shell), with masses of sahuagin worshipping outside at the feet of what appears to be an aquatic mind flayer. It zooms in on the temple, on a storeroom at the top of the temple. Once again, you see a black orb, of strange metal, a foot in diameter, covered in runes. The vision highlights the orb.

Then the table swirls and changes again. It shows six strange complex machines, all tubes and knobs and gauges and gears and arcane orreries. Each machine has two hemispherical depressions in its control surface, about a foot in diameter. You know that there is one machine on each on the six Elemental Planes: a machine in a large, airy spherical chamber; a machine at the top of a dark tower; a machine in an underwater chamber; a machine surrounded by fire; and so on.

The vision focuses on the machine at the top of a dark tower, which you know to be on the Deathly Plane of Shadow. The tower is infinitely tall, and you reach the top by travelling horizontally in a circle. Because that's how the Elemental Planes do -- expect not simple Euclidean geometries there. The vision focuses on the machine in the dark tower on the Plane of Shadow, and you know that it is showing you the past: a group of figures (An elven wizard in red robes, a human pirate, an aasimar cleric, a dark-skinned Omorashi human scout, and a seaforged knight, Sir Bucket the Bold, whom you have met). The party in the past fights through waves of drow guardians in the tower, correctly guesses the password to let them into the machine room, fights a strange tentacled spider monster that you never get a great look at because of darkness. Then the party in the past inserts two strange metal rune-carved orbs into two hemispherical depressions on the control surface of the machine, and the wizard manipulates the controls until the machine's purpose is reversed. You get a good look at what he does, and are pretty sure you can replicate it. In a flash of darkness, the party in the past is returned to the Material Plane.

Then the vision repeats, starting again from the beginning, allowing you to study every aspect of the quest at your leisure. (You are now considered to have "studied carefully" all the locations described in this post for the purpose of teleport.)


So now you know: To accomplish this quest, you must retrieve the two key-orbs from the temples to Quasxthe in Endeesy and Snajuk, then bring them to the machines on each Elemental Plane in succession (minus the one on the Deathly Plane of Shadow, which has already been done for you by a previous adventuring party) and set the machines to reverse their original purpose.

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

The moment the vision ends completely Leontius sighs and starts muttering to himself "I guess it was too optimistic of me to assume that the solution would be in our plane and on land. I highly doubt we can start now. We have to get stronger and get more money. We will also need to hire a thief to steal the orb from the temple....But what about the underwater temple? We would need to find a way to breathe underwater. A magical item perhaps? Do we have any means of going to the other planes? We will need a powerful wizard." He continues thinking out loud and planing until someone stops him.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Breathing underwater... I'm not sure how I can pull such a thing off myself. Haven't taken a breath in my life." Scarecrow observes. "For you, there are plenty rather low tier spells that can do that, and the fact that water is quite a big place, it is not unlikely that some magical item to allow breathing will be quite readily available. We have some time before that becomes important though, as without some plane shifting and teleportation, we cannot do much. Now, if we had someone that can grant Wishes assist us..." Scarecrow glances at the Queen, though his features aren't quite able to present a smile. "Thank you"

"Regardless, we need to grow in power first. I think we should finish exploring entire dungeon first, but... Doldor, you rather leave now?"

[Rizban]

Shian

Shian does his best to memorize the scenes he has witnessed.

'I, for one, am ready for some fresh air; however, I'd also like to explore more of this dungeon.

Queen Savzad, I think you for granting us this boon. I do have a question though. Outside of your party's tombs here, what can you tell us about this dungeon? It seems rather large for your group to have built the entirety of it by yourselves, especially since large swaths of it seem to have little to nothing to do with you or your allies.'

[Malimar]

DM

Savzad nods when the party thanks her.

When Shian asks about the dungeon, she says, "This complex was the burial place for many dwarves, yes. We built the catacombs first, when it turned out our expanding city needed it, then we six built our tombs into it later on. It continued to be used as an active burial place for centuries. There's also an extra throne room, used for some ceremonies honoring the ancestors."

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

After witnessing the vision, Doldor remains quiet for a minute or so, processing the information. Finally, he shakes his head with a sad smile. "I'm glad we used our wish on that. I never could have put that together myself, not given a hundred years. And now we know exactly how to reconfigure those arcane devices. This also confirms my suspicions; the movement of the planes was not a natural event, not a part of some grand cycle; it was manufactured. And now we know how to unmanufacture it. We'll have to get stronger, certainly, but I will be able to take us between the planes with druidic magic; I can't cast Plane Shift, but I'll be able to summon things that can. I should be able to let us breathe water, to shield us from fire and crushing stone..."

He nods, a smile appearing from under his thick beard. "It'll be hard a hell, but we can do it once we get a little stronger. No doubt about it. And then we'll be well positioned to set the new lands on the right path once they emerge from the seas."

Once Scarecrow addresses him Doldor thinks for a moment, then he draws his club and brandishes it. "I'm feeling strong, to be honest. I have access to a new tier of magic, which always has that effect on me. And more than that, I feel like my connection to nature is sharper. Makes me feel a bit... feral, in a good way. Let's continue exploring and purifying this place at least until we're feeling spent again. Where do you think we should look next, based on the map?"

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"There are three rooms and a hallway in this part of the dungeon left to explore. Two of which are behind that trap by the entrance to the maze. I want to be thorough and explore those first, since none of them lead to anywhere else... Well, the hallway might lead somewhere, it's not quite clear from the map fragment. Then there is a path leading east, which isn't covered at all by the map." Scarecrow says, pointing to the four locations and the eastern side on the map. "Let's go to this room first." He says, pointing at the room directly south of where they battled the mimic, the one with the entrance being from the north.

[Rizban]

Shian

The little bird chirrups happily.

'Then, as much as I enjoy the company of Queen Savad, we should get moving.
But perhaps I can return at some point in the future to converse with you at length, your highness. I'm sure you have great knowledge and wisdom that you could share with a humble fowl.'

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius walks out of the room without saying anything and waits for everyone at the first door.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow glances at Leontius leaving, before turning and bow to the queen. "I, too, have many things I would wish to converse with you about. But for now, this is goodbye." He says and leaves, heading towards the room he indicated and scanning for magic. Once Shian has searched it, he opens the door, ready to fire at hostiles!

[roll0] fire damage.

[Malimar]

DM

Savzad smiles brightly, "Oh, come back any time, I'm always up for a chat."

And then the party is off on their way! Every pair of doors with faces closes behind them as they depart. (One door cracks up again when you pass, chortling, "Owls!")


And off to the room directly south of where they battled the mimic! Scarecrow detects magic, and he detects... some magic in the room! Several sources of it!

So he throws open the door, sees monsters, and breathes fire upon them!

The room contains the detritus of the sea like most of the rooms in this complex, as well as a skeleton lying on the floor wearing fine armor but missing its head, a heap of disgusting mucky ooze interspersed with flesh and bones, and what appears to be an unnatural amount of darkness. Seven darknesses. The darknesses are probably some manner of shadow, like the one you faced a few days ago.

Scarecrow's fire breath takes the monsters by surprise, and he catches three of them in his cone. Two of the darknesses catch fire and evaporate, destroyed; one of them does not, the fire passing through it as if it wasn't there.

Combat time!



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#######

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
0 = sarcophagus
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
@ = inert headless skeleton wearing nice armor

C = Scarecrow
H = Shian
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
Y = darkness
o = ooze

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor's dealt with incorporeal monsters several times now, and he kicks himself for not figuring out a better way to deal with them. His best method, a Flaming Sphere, isn't very impressive; but it's better than nothing. He calls up his sphere right on top of the closest shadow, hoping to destroy the creature before it can do any harm to his companions. Brutus stays back, having learned his lesson about trying to bite shadows and ghosts.

"Anyone recognize that kind of ooze?" He mutters after finishing his spell.

Conjure a Flaming Sphere on top of the closest Shadow. It takes [roll0] Fire damage, DC 15 Reflex save negates.

Initiative: [roll1]

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius gets ready to strike the monster if it gets near Scarecrow.



"Mountain Hammer" maneuver
Attack
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (Normal Attack + Punishing Stance + Mountain Hammer)

Stops using Punishing Stance

AoO
Attack roll: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (Normal Attack)

[Rizban]

Shian

Not wanting to draw the attention of the things that can kill him with a single touch, Shian spits acid at the mucky oozy thing instead then flies back away from the room a little bit.

Dissolving Spittle – [roll0] – [roll1]

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Too many shadows! Scarecrow thinks as he fires another jet of fire. If they aren't handled quickly, he would be in danger...

[roll0] fire damage, DC 17. Either a 15ft cone or a 30ft line, depending on how many shadows he can catch.

[Malimar]

DM

Four shadows go first!

One slides towards Scarecrow, attempting to touch him! It is off-balance, though, and its touch gets nowhere near Scarecrow.

One slides into the eastern wall, and reëmerges in the corridor to the north!

Two slide into the western wall, and reëmerge in the sarcophagus-niched corridor to the west!


Shian spits acid, which passes through the nearest shadow as if it weren't there strikes the ooze and has no apparent effect -- the monster is immune, perhaps due to being acidic itself. Then he ducks down the corridor to get away from the shadows!


The last shadow moves up to take its turn whacking at the party next turn.


Scarecrow can hit two shadows and the ooze with a cone, so he does that! The two shadows are affected, fail their saves, and evaporate in bursts of fire! The ooze also takes the brunt of the fire, but does not evaporate.


Ooh, I found more descriptive text! A writhing puddle of black and green sludge twists and squirms as though animated by a supernatural force. Within the disgusting liquid are the limp body parts of a variety of dead humanoids (in this case mostly dwarves). Here and there, chunks of flesh can be seen -- a severed head protruding from one side, a leg extending from the top of the creature. As the sludge slides across the ground, human faces and hands appear to be pressing outward from within.

The ooze schlurps mindlessly towards the party, squeezes into the doorway, reaches out a bone-filled psuedopod, and attempts to slam Scarecrow! But Scarecrow ducks out of the way, and is unharmed.


Leontius strikes at the ooze! He hits it so hard bits of protoplasm go flying and pouring out of the creature, then he slips out of Punishing Stance.


Alas, nobody has the dungeoneering training to recognize the traits of this specific ooze. Shian has the religious training to recognize this ooze: This is a graveyard sludge, an ooze that spontaneously appears in areas where negative energy collects. Any creature slain by a graveyard sludge rises as a zombielike creature with an acidic touch.

Doldor casts flaming sphere on the nearest shadow! The shadow fails its save, and is immolated!


Brutus barks at the shadow he finds menacing him from the north!



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‎ #.*...#####.#######o###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #..*oo.#.#‎
‎ #.....####### #..*.*.#.#‎
‎ #.....# #......#.#‎
‎ #.....# #......#.╪‎
‎ #.....# #......#.#‎
¶.....# #......#.#‎
╪.....# #@.....#.#‎
╪.....# ###╪#########|#‎
¶.....# ╪...^....****.#
#.....# ######¶|¶######
#######

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
0 = sarcophagus
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
@ = inert headless skeleton wearing nice armor

C = Scarecrow
H = Shian
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
Y = darkness
o = ooze
ô = Doldor's flaming sphere

[Rizban]

Shian

Finding his dissolving spittle apparently useless against the ooze and the shadows simultaneously frighteningly deadly and well under control, Shian's instincts kick in. He turns and flies back down the hallway towards Queen Savad's tomb, trying to get just far enough away that the closest evil dark thingy can't reach him before he can run again.

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius strikes the ooze again and moves his hand to a more comfortable position on the weapon's handle.



Attack
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Makes a swift action to recover his maneuvers.

AoO:
Attack roll: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Fleeing?! You don't deserve a share of the XP!" Noticing the weapon going past him, Scarecrow turns slightly to Leontius. "I can handle the ooze, assist D & B!" He says, spitting fire once more on the sludge.

[roll0] fire damage, DC 17.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

With a twist of his hand Doldor sends the rolling ball of flame into the nearest shadow. He then mutters a few words, whirling his hand in a tight motion, and he touches Brutus on the flank. The hound's teeth begin to glow faintly, and Doldor urges him on. "You can hurt them now, boy! And Shian, spit at these things! We still need you!"

Move action to direct the Flaming Sphere to the nearest shadow (as long as that wouldn't make it collide with a comrade). [roll0] Fire damage, Reflex save DC15 negates.

Standard action to cast Magic Fang on Brutus.

Shift up 5 feet as Brutus shifts up 5 feet.

Brutus attack (magic now): [roll1]
Damage: [roll2]

[Rizban]

Shian

'Too scary! Can't hurt the mucky thing, and the undead are waaayyy too scary!

[Malimar]

DM

The two remaining shadows!

The shadow to the north 5'-steps west, and reaches out to touch Brutus! It succeeds in its touch attack, and Brutus takes 1 strength damage!

The shadow to the west shies away from the flaming sphere, melting into the wall (provoking an attack of opportunity from Leontius, whose weapon passes right through it) and reëmerging between Doldor and Leontius, where it attempts to touch Doldor! It touches the air above Doldor's head instead.


Shian keeps far enough away that the nearest shadow can't get him!


Scarecrow breathes fire on the ooze! It wiggles and jiggles and fails its reflex save, and bits of it ablate off.


The ooze reaches out to slam at Scarecrow again, but its psuedopod bounces off his shield and does nothing.


Leontius strikes at the ooze! He hits it, piercing its sticky outer membrane, and goo and fleshy gobbets pour forth! The ooze is destroyed!


Doldor gestures the flaming sphere around the corner, narrowly avoiding Leontius, and drives it into the nearest shadow! The burning orb strikes the shadow, and the shadow melts and evaporates and sublimates and is destroyed!


Brutus magically bites at the remaining shadow, tearing it to pieces, and it dies.


All the foes are destroyed! Leontius and Shian gain 563 XP each; Doldor and Scarecrow gain 513 XP each!



###|##########╪####
╪............*....╪
‎ #.###.#######b###.#
#######╪#####.# #.#######D# #.#
#u.*.|....H...# #.#0#0#0#ô# #.#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*L# #.#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##C# #.#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #..***.#.#‎
‎ #.....####### #..*.*.#.#‎
‎ #.....# #......#.#‎
‎ #.....# #......#.╪‎
‎ #.....# #......#.#‎
¶.....# #......#.#‎
╪.....# #@.....#.#‎
╪.....# ###╪#########|#‎
¶.....# ╪...^....****.#
#.....# ######¶|¶######
#######

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
0 = sarcophagus
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
@ = inert headless skeleton wearing nice armor

C = Scarecrow
H = Shian
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
Y = shadow
o = graveyard sludge
ô = Doldor's flaming sphere

[Rizban]

Shian

Flying back a bit sheepishly, which is kind of hard for a bird only a fraction the size of a sheep, Shian returns to the party as the sounds of battle stop.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow examines the remnants of the ooze for anything he can extract before scanning the room, and armor, for magic and identifying anything that comes up.

"Everybody okay?" He asks.

[Rizban]

Shian

Shifting essentia to his truthseeker goggles, Shian takes time to search the room as well.
[roll0] If <25, Take 10.
Take 10=25 If he finds nothing, take 20.
Take 20=35

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor takes a moment to check Brutus over, and he eventually shrugs. "He got hit, but it didn't weaken him much. Still stronger than me, that's for sure. He should be better in a day or so, based on the last time we dealt with these things."

He directs Brutus to sniff about for anything interesting, and he checks the stonework with his dwarven intuition while Shian searches the area.

Brutus will use his Scent to sense anything out of place, and Doldor will Search [roll0] for unusual stonework.

[Malimar]

DM

In the slimy, gooey remains of the graveyard sludge, Scarecrow finds protoplasm-soaked loot that has not been dissolved:


481 gold coins
A Small masterwork short sword
A Medium masterwork studded leather armor


In the corner, on the headless skeleton, is found a suit of splint mail armor, which Scarecrow can identify as +1 splint mail armor.

In amongst the sea detritus on the ground, Shian finds a crystal, which Scarecrow can identify as a least crystal of glancing blows (MIC p25).

Doldor finds no unusual stonework, and Brutus smells only the gross remains of the sludge.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor is happy about the loot, but when Scarecrow holds up the armor he can't help but laugh. "Splint mail? Magical splint mail? You've got to be kiddin' me. What kind of self-respecting dwarf would wear splint mail over something like banded mail or a nice breastplate; and then what fool would get it enchanted rather than upgrading to something better? Stars and stones, a set of full-plate would offer more protection for less cost."

He continues in this vein for a bit before shaking himself out of it. "Anyway, it should sell. I guess. Now then, that crystal helps avoid things grabbing you? Sounds like Leontius could use it most. Brutus and I are fine in a close fight, Scarecrow just breathes on things, and I'd hate to see the monster that can catch Shian."

I assume Doldor is carrying a lot of this random stuff, what with dwarves not going slower despite their load. His max load is 175lbs, so we should still be fine.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Glancing at Leontius Scarecrow shakes his head. "This version of armor crystals, the least powerful ones, needs the armor to be of at least masterworked quality. You and I can use it." He tells Doldor. "Even Brutus can. Leontius will need an upgrade first. Unless he wishes to wear that splint mail or the studded leather." With the room searched and looted, Scarecrow leaves the room and heads southward, to the maze entrance and intends to open the door that would lead to the room adjacent to this one, which was just beyond the disabled trap. He will scan for magic and give Shian time to search it, and once everybody is ready, will open the door, ready to breathe.

[roll0] fire

[Rizban]

Shian

Shian takes 20 to search the door and then uses detect evil, which he seems to have forgotten he gained several levels ago...

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

"I shall keep my armor for now. I will get an upgrade when we return to the city or if we find something that suits me." He follows Scarecrow and prepares to attack anything he can reach once the door is open.


As always he is back to his punishing stance.

If the enemy has 2 legs and is medium sized or smaller he tries to trip him

Trip attack roll: [roll0]
Strength check: [roll1]
Bonus attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (punishing stance)

If the enemy is hard to trip (He has more than 2 legs or he is Large) or can't be tripped he uses the "Mountain Hammer" maneuver.
Attack
Attack roll: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5] (Normal Attack + Punishing Stance + Mountain Hammer)

If the enemy does not die or there is more than one enemies he stops using the "Punishing Stance"

AoO:
Attack roll: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

[Malimar]

DM

Down the hallway with the ancient sculptures, past the mashed-up skellingtons, past the disabled portcullis trap, to the door!

Shian searches the door, and finds no traps. Shian uses detect evil, and finds no evil (not even a faint aura of evil pervading the catacombs -- the faint pervasive aura is necromancy, and it raises the dead as undead, but it is apparently not particularly evil).

And so the party enters! They find... no monsters!

They do find an armory full of rack up on rack of badly rusted ancient weapons and armors. They're high-quality dwarven make, but not masterwork, and they crumble a bit when you touch them, so probably not worth very much, even to antiquities collectors.

However, the party finds one weapon that stands out as being much less rusty than the others, albeit still a little barnacle-studded. Scarecrow can identify it as a +1 longsword.



###|##########╪####
╪.................╪
‎ #.###.#######.###.#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#
#u.*.|....H...# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#.#‎
‎ #.....# #......#......#.╪‎
‎ #.....# #.√√√√H#......#.#‎
¶.....# #...LDC#......#.#‎
╪.....# #√√√√b√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....# #####|#########|#‎
¶.....# ╪...^....****.#
#.....# ######¶|¶######
#######

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
0 = sarcophagus
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
@ = inert headless skeleton
√ = weapon/armor rack

C = Scarecrow
H = Shian
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor looks around, curious. "Glad we didn't have to kill anything in here, it all seems a bit fragile. Shian, see anything other than the sword?"

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow waits patiently and quietly for Shian to search the area before walking to the next door down the hallway. It would be a small room, but the last one had a mimic, so Scarecrow wasn't taking his chances. After scanning for magic and having Shian search for traps (and evil), he opens the door, vigilant as always!

[roll0] fire

[Malimar]

DM

At the next door, Shian finds no traps. His detect evil registers a single evil aura in the room; Scarecrow's detect magic registers a single magical aura. (EDIT: the magic aura is faint abjuration.)

So then the door is thrown open, the party ready for combat! But the room contains only a single moderately fancy sarcophagus, sealed shut, and no immediately visible monsters.

The auras, as one might guess, emanate from within the sarcophagus.



###|##########╪####
╪.................╪
‎ #.###.#######.###.#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#
#u.*.|....H...# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#.#‎
‎ #.....# #......#......#.╪‎
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#.#‎
¶.....# #......#......#.#‎
╪.....# #√√√√b√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....#######D#########|#‎
¶.....#...|CLH^....****.#
#.....#0..######¶|¶######
#######...#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
@ = inert headless skeleton
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus

C = Scarecrow
H = Shian
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Protective gear, probably." Scarecrow says, looking at Doldor, one to approve the looting and one to pry it open.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor nods in assent, and he sets to prying the fancy coffin open. If need be he'll use his club as a crowbar.

He'll Strenth it open, with his +2. Take 10, then 20. Brutus readies an action to attack anything angry that might be inside.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow offers his actual crowbar.

[Malimar]

DM

The party gathers around the sarcophagus, prepared to combat its contents as Doldor crowbars it open! It takes a couple minutes to get the correct angle on it, but eventually he manages it, lifting the lid off and sliding it off to the side, where it lands with a mighty KTHUNK.

Immediately, the creature inside the sarcophagus sits up (allowing everyone to see and attack it)! It is a horrific bandage-wrapped skeletal dwarf: a mummy! Shian recognizes the creature and knows that you do not want it to punch you, lest it disease/curse you!

However, that's not all! The very visage of the creature is terrifying! Shian and Leontius, on seeing it, are paralyzed with fear; Shian for [roll0] rounds, Leontius for [roll1] rounds! Everyone else shakes off the terror.

Everybody goes before the mummy, so Brutus's readied action to bite happens like a regular attack. I think I'll say Doldor's full-round action this turn was successfully lifting the sarcophagus lid, so he can only 5'-step.



###|##########╪####
╪.................╪
‎ #.###.#######.###.#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#
#u.*.|........# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#.#‎
‎ #.....# #......#......#.╪‎
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#.#‎
¶.....# #......#......#.#‎
╪.....# #√√√√b√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....#######D#########|#‎
¶.....#.bC|...^....****.#
#.....#0DL######¶|¶######
#######..H#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
@ = inert headless skeleton
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus

C = Scarecrow
H = Shian
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mummy

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor's eyes go wide, but Brutus doesn't hesitate for a moment. The hound feels that strange magic surge inside him, and his muscles grow tight for a moment as he snaps down on the mummy. Doldor moves to the side to give Leontius room to fight, but he quickly notices the paralysis that has swept over his ally. He changes his strategy and tries to call attention away from his vulnerable teammates. "Hey, over here! Face me like a proper dwarf and let me return you to the earth!"

I assume you mean that Doldor doesn't get any other actions before the mummy goes. Which is unfortunate.

Brutus will use his daily Strength boost, because the mummy is prone and it freaks him out.

Attack, Power Attack for 2: [roll0] +4 from the mummy being prone, hopefully.
Damage: [roll1]

Doldor will shift down and to the left.
Brutus will shift down.

The copies of Doldor and Brutus still in the last room will cling to each other desperately before being erased in the next map revision.

[Rizban]

Shian

Shian's body goes rigid. Assuming he's not perched on someone's shoulder, as he often has been in similar situations, he falls from the air like a dropped teacup.

'C-C-Can't move. Thing carries disease. Don't get close.'

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Haven't seen one of those before..." Scarecrow notes, not quite feeling the rigidness that threatens his allies. "You look rather flammable."

[roll0]

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus


Moment of Perfect Mind: [roll0]
If I succeed Leontius will attack normally in order to recover Moment of Perfect Mind.
Attack
Attack roll: [roll1]
Damage: [roll2] (punishing stance)

[Malimar]

DM

Shian plummets to the ground! Poor sparrow.


Scarecrow breathes fire on the mummy! The monster's embalming-fluid-infused bandages go up in flames like a torch! This creature is definitely vulnerable to fire, and it took the full brunt of that flame.


Leontius fought his way out of the fear after all! He takes a whack at the mummy, striking it a solid blow with his Punishing Stance!


Brutus chomps down on the mummy's arm, pulling it from its socket! This brings the mummy down to exactly zero hit points, and it collapses in a heap, destroyed and reduced to charred bones.



###|##########╪####
╪.................╪
‎ #.###.#######.###.#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#
#u.*.|........# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#.#‎
‎ #.....# #......#......#.╪‎
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#.#‎
¶.....# #......#......#.#‎
╪.....# #√√√√.√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....#######|#########|#‎
¶.....#..C|...^....****.#
#.....#0bL######¶|¶######
#######.DH#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
@ = inert headless skeleton
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus

C = Scarecrow
H = Shian
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus


Shian recovers from his paralyzing fear. Leontius and Shian gain 400 XP each. Doldor and Scarecrow gain 375 XP each.


Inspecting the contents of the sarcophagus, it turns out that the mummy was buried with a fine steel tower shield, which it failed to bring to bear quickly enough to prevent its doom. Scarecrow can identify this as a +1 Tower Shield of Fire Resistance (which woulda been super-helpful for this mummy if it had managed to get the shield between itself and Scarecrow's fire). The mummy also had an ordinary iron key (item #107).

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius looks at the little bird, making sure that he is okay and ready to move on and then follows Scarecrow once he moves out of the room.



If we open a door:
If the enemy has 2 legs and is medium sized or smaller he tries to trip him

Trip attack roll: [roll0]
Strength check: [roll1]
Bonus attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (punishing stance)

If the enemy is hard to trip (He has more than 2 legs or is Large) or can't be tripped he uses the "Mountain Hammer" maneuver.
Attack
Attack roll: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5] (Normal Attack + Punishing Stance + Mountain Hammer)

If the enemy does not die or there is more than one enemies he stops using the "Punishing Stance"

AoO:
Attack roll: [roll6]
Damage: [roll7]

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Satisfied that nobody got hurt, Scarecrow will lead the group to the last area, the long hallway with the necromantic aura. As always, ready to blow.

[roll0]

[Malimar]

DM
As it transpires, the door in question... is locked!



###|##########╪####
╪.................╪
‎ #.###.#######.###.#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#
#u.*.|........# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#H#‎
‎ #.....# #......#......#C╪‎
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#L#‎
¶.....# #......#......#D#‎
╪.....# #√√√√.√#@.....#b#‎
╪.....#######|#########|#‎
¶.....#...|...^....****.#
#.....#0..######¶|¶######
#######...#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
@ = inert headless skeleton
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus

C = Scarecrow
H = Shian
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor stops the party before they can leave the mummy room. "Someone else needs to carry this shield. It's a big metal shield, big enough that just wearing it on my back probably counts as using it. It'll mess up my magic and my power, so Scarecrow or Leontius should use it. Scarecrow, can you use a shield without it messing up your fire breath? Seems like a good idea."

Once the party comes to the locked door, he'll shrug and hold up the key. "Should we just try this thing first?" If no one objects (and Shian finds no traps) he'll try the key in the lock.

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius turns to Scarecrow and asks "Do you want me to break it down?"

If Scarecrow says yes I break the door down [roll0]

[Malimar]

DM

Before Leontius has to bust it down, Doldor tries the key, and, astonishingly, the door unlocks and can be opened! (Shian finds no traps here.)

Beyond, the party finds a long, empty hallway, lined with sarcophagus niches, with three doors at the far end! (The necromantic aura that Scarecrow sensed before? It emanates from the sarcophagi.)



###|##########╪####
╪.................╪
‎ #.###.#######.###.#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#
#u.*.|........# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#H#‎################
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#C#‎0#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#╪##
‎ #.....# #......#......#D|..................‎╪
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#b##0#0#0#0#0#0#0##╪##‎
¶.....# #......#......#L#‎###############
╪.....# #√√√√.√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....#######|#########|#‎
¶.....#...|...^....****.#
#.....#0..######¶|¶######
#######...#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
@ = inert headless skeleton
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus

C = Scarecrow
H = Shian
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus

[Rizban]

Shian uses detect evil and searches the sarcophagi. (on phone)

[Malimar]

DM

Shian finds evil in each sarcophagus! He finds a handful of coins scattered on the lids of the sarcophagi, to the tune of 15 gold pieces. (These sarcophagi aren't so difficult to open as the one with the mummy in it was, but Shian's itsy-bitsy bird strength is still not sufficient to budge the lids.)

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor narrows his eyes at the long corridor filled with sarcophagi. "This looks like an excellent place to stand behind Scarecrow and let him use the terrain to his advantage. Assuming there's something undead in each of these, this kind of corridor is perfect for your fire breath. I don't want to sound lazy or cowardly, here, but I think it's sensible tactics. I can summon something to open the sarcophagi up, if you'd like."

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

"There is nothing cowardly about tactics. We should proceed the way you said."



Leontius prepares to strike any enemy that enters his range

[roll1]
[roll]1d6 (Punishing Stance)

[Artorias]

[roll0] (Punishing Stance) Sorry, I forgot to add it with the normal damage. Also he continues using it.

[Rizban]

Shian

'We should open them one at a time. Better chances of not being swarmed that way.'

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

At Doldor's note that the shield might interfere with his own magic, Scarecrow, first waving his own Tower Shield about, believing that it should be enough to explain that it would not interfere with his attacks, decides to strap his own shield to his back and hold the fire shield instead. "I won't keep it, but it will be a bit more useful to me for now. The enchantment itself is quite powerful, but there are better ones around for me." (I did a bit of math, so check out OOC for an approximation of how much gold we obtained so far)

He examines the corridor, first adding it to the map. "That's interesting. I can see that the far door may connect to something just beyond the edge of the map fragment, but the two other doors don't seem to lead anywhere. On the other hand, these sarcophagi are concerning... I mean, an evil aura indicates undead, but a necromantic aura as well? If not for the evil aura, I would have assumed that a preservative magic is in play... Shian, what is the strength of those auras? Doldor, can you tell if Brutus smells anything rotting inside?"

Taking 10 on Spellcraft, for a result of 21, of trying to determine if there is an evil necromancy spell that matches the aura strength that Scarecrow and Shian detect, taking into account the information Brutus can glean. Also the potential long duration non-evil necromancy magic that fits the aura strength.

Taking 10 on knowledge arcana for a result of 19, thinking about necromantic magical items that might fit the parameters.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor directs Brutus to seek undead, letting him snuffle about the first few coffins. He avoids going to far into the hallway, concerned about traps and ambushes.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"I sure hope they are just zombies or skeletons..." Scarecrow says, waiting for the others to return to the formation, where they hide behind his shiny body. With that, he stomps the floor. "Hey, wake up!" He says, hoping that it is enough for a few at least to open their own sarcophagi. Otherwise, he opens the first one. Regardless, he breathes at enemies if he is able.

Use this roll for the first opportunity I get, since I'm off to bed soon: [roll0]

[Malimar]

DM

Scarecrow deduces, from his knowledge of spellcraft and arcana and the necromantic auras in play (and Shian's knowledge of religion and the specific evil auras in play), that these sarcophagi are filled with low-level undead. Or else filled with skeletons that will be animated as soon as the sarcophagi are opened. Either way, same result.

The necromancy is just whatever's animating them, or whatever's about to animate them as soon as the sarcophagi are opened.

Brutus confirms this, snuffling up to several sarcophagi and barking at their contents. He smells angry bones.


Anyhow, Scarecrow walks up, lifts the lid off the nearest sarcophagus, and when a skeleton sits up, Leontius strikes its head off (despite being at a poor angle wrt the walls and technically too close; just roll with it), and it collapses in a heap of bones. Scarecrow, meanwhile, waits a moment.

Slowly, with a great rumbling, all the lids of all the sarcophagi are pushed aside, and skeletal dwarves stand up and clamber out of each sarcophagus. Brutus tries to bite one, but misses.

Once they're all in a line, Scarecrow bathes them with a line of fire, and five skeletons collapse.

One skeleton, standing in its sarcophagus, didn't step out into the line, because Brutus was in the way. This one pulls out a dwarven waraxe and hacks at Brutus, but the dog easily ducks under the attack and is unharmed.

The remaining skeletons, in response to this, whip out javelins and begin chucking them. They all miss, thunk off Scarecrow's new shield, or clatter off his armor plating, or Brutus dodges, or takes them on his armor, and all their attacks are generally ineffective.



###|##########╪####
╪.................╪
‎ #.###.#######.###.#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#
#u.*.|........# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎################
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#H#‎*#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#╪##
‎ #.....# #......#......#DLCb*****@@@@@@@@...‎╪
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#.##@#0#0#0#0#0#0##╪##‎
¶.....# #......#......#.#‎###############
╪.....# #√√√√.√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....#######|#########|#‎
¶.....#...|...^....****.#
#.....#0..######¶|¶######
#######...#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus

C = Scarecrow
H = Shian
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
@ = skeleton

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"You know, with this many skeletons... The novelty is really wearing off." Scarecrow says, passing by Brutus and breathing fire!

Move 20 feet forward, breath a 30ft cone. Yeah, ignoring the nearby skeleton and taking the AoO.

[roll0]

[Rizban]

Shian

Flying to 15ft away from the nearest skeleton and horks acid at it.
Swift: invest 3 essentia into Dissolving Spittle.

[roll0] – [roll1]

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Brutus snaps at the spare skeleton left near the group from Scarecrow's initial assault, and then he moves closer to the remaining skeleton pack to head off their advance. Doldor moves in behind him, ready to assist, and he also takes a swing at the skeleton if Brutus fails to destroy it.

Brutus Attack the skeleton next to him: [roll0]
Damage (Bludgeoning): [roll1]

Brutus shifts forward one space towards the other skeletons.
Doldor moves to Brutus's previous space, where he can strike that same skeleton (if it's still standing).

Doldor Attack: [roll2]
Damage (Magic, Bludgeoning): [roll3]

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius tries to destroy the skeleton if he can reach. If he can't attack he just holds action to attack anything that enters his range.



Attack
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (punishing stance)

AoO (same as above):
Attack roll: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (punishing stance)

[Malimar]

DM

Between Brutus biting and Leontius thwacking the skeleton, it is torn apart and destroyed! Then Brutus shiftss over towards the rest of the skeletons, with Doldor right behind him!


Shian flies over to the pack of skeletons and bathes one in a splash of acid, which melts it, and it dies!


Scarecrow moves forward and breathes fire, frying and taking out another three skeletons!


One skeleton draws a waraxe and charges Scarecrow over the field of bones! But Scarecrow takes the axe on his shield.

The other three skeletons shift 5' forward and chuck javelins, one of which misses Scarecrow, the other two of which clatter off his shield and armor.



###|##########╪####
╪.................╪
‎ #.###.#######.###.#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#
#u.*.|........# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎################
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#.#‎*#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#╪##
‎ #.....# #......#......#.L.Db*S@*****@@@....‎╪
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#.##*#0#0#0#0#0#0##╪##‎
¶.....# #......#......#.#‎###############
╪.....# #√√√√.√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....#######|#########|#‎
¶.....#...|...^....****.#
#.....#0..######¶|¶######
#######...#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus

S = Shian and Scarecrow sharing a space
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
@ = skeleton

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow waits, delaying if needed, for someone to kill the skeleton in front of him, before advancing forward and breathing on the remaining ones.

[roll0]

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

If Leontius can do so he will move behind Scarecrow and attack the Skeleton in the front

Attack
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (punishing stance)

AoO (same as above):
Attack roll: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (punishing stance)

[Rizban]

Shian

Backing up 5 feet, Shian acids the skeleton in front of him.

[roll0] – [roll1]

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor and Brutus will move in to attack any skeletons still standing after the rest of the party have had their go. "This is my kind of undead. Dumb, fragile, willing to line up and get destroyed. I can club skeletons all day. But another room full of shade or mummies and I'm out of here; they inflict wounds that are a lot harder to heal."

Doldor Club: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Brutus Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Malimar]

DM

Leontius moves up, but the skeleton takes his pike on its armor and is unharmed!

Shian flaps backwards 5 feet and spits acid on the skellington, which dissolves into a puddle of bony goo!

Scarecrow breathes on the remaining skeletons, which collapse into charred heaps, their animating principle exhausted!

The skeletons are all destroyed! A most difficult fight indeed! Everyone gains 563 XP.

The skeletons leave behind 15 scale mails, 15 dwarven waraxes, and 68 javelins! All the things are barnacle-encrusted, rusty, and charred, with a couple of them melty from acid, to boot, but they're all serviceable.



###|##########╪####
╪.................╪
‎ #.###.#######.###.#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#
#u.*.|........# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎################
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#.#‎*#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#╪##
‎ #.....# #......#......#.|.Db&****C*****....‎╪
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#.##*#0#0#0#0#0#0##╪##‎
¶.....# #......#......#.#‎###############
╪.....# #√√√√.√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....#######|#########|#‎
¶.....#...|...^....****.#
#.....#0..######¶|¶######
#######...#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus

C = Scarecrow
& = Leontius and Shian sharing a space
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
@ = skeleton

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor walks up to Scarecrow, and he gives the warforged a solid thump on the back. "Great job, my friend. The upside of being in these tombs are the hallways and chokepoints for your fire. Now, we need to figure out how much of this stuff we can take with us. A javelin is worth one gold and weighs two pounds; I'd rather just take a couple for us to use and leave the rest. Not worth the weight to carry. A waraxe weighs around eight pounds, if I remember my smithery training properly, and costs about thirty gold. Much better bet for value. Then the sets of scale mail... thirty pounds apiece, plus barnacles. I don't think they're worth hefting."

[Rizban]

Shian

Ignoring the loot he can't carry anyway, Shian darts ahead and thoroughly searches the doors and uses detect evil.

Shift 2 essentia to Truthseeker Goggles.

Search: Take 20+15=35

[Malimar]

DM

Shian scoots on ahead and searches the doors! Astoundingly, he finds... a trap! All three doors are hooked up to a trap door -- if you try one of the doors, the pit trap will open up and dump you into a pit who knows how deep (unless you can, like Shian, fly). Moreover, he's almost certain the doors are, in fact, fakes. They don't go anywhere, they probably don't even open, they're just built right into solid stone. Just an elaborate trap for the unwary.



###|##########╪####
╪.................╪
‎ #.###.#######.###.#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#
#u.*.|........# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎################
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#.#‎*#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#╪##
‎ #.....# #......#......#.|.DbL****C*****._H_‎╪
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#.##*#0#0#0#0#0#0##╪##‎
¶.....# #......#......#.#‎###############
╪.....# #√√√√.√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....#######|#########|#‎
¶.....#...|...^....****.#
#.....#0..######¶|¶######
#######...#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus
_ = trap door (not yet triggered)
@ = headless skeleton

C = Scarecrow
L = Leontius
H = Shian over trap door
D = Doldor
b = Brutus

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

The dwarf takes a moment away from counting up loot to look at the doors. "You know, theoretically, I should be able to sense something trappish about this, since it's all in stone. But I've never had my stonecunning do much. Lemme see here..." He closes his eyes, trying to sense the trap Shian's already found.

I'm just being silly, ignore me. Stonecunning Search: [roll0]

[Malimar]

DM

The trap is cunningly hidden; Doldor doesn't see it until Shian points out the details -- the telltale crack in the floor where the trap door ends, the... um... hm, actually, that's the main apparent detail, the rest of the mechanism is well-hidden behind the fake doors.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Line 'em up, burn 'em down." Scarecrow nods. "Now there, 30 gold is how much you pay. You'll only get fifteen gold out of them, if you aren't willing to open up a stall and wait for some dwarf to buy them off of you for the full price, which is still a lot to hope for as they are quite old... Split among us, and it is 4 gold for each of us, coming up to half a piece of gold per pound. This shield alone," Scarecrow waves the fire resistant shield, "is worth nearly ten thousand gold, and I do mean how much we will get for it."

Scarecrow approaches the trap door and scans for magic. He is mostly curious, but there is always a chance that someone with magical items got caught by the trap... And remained there.

If he doesn't detect magic down there, Scarecrow turns to the others. "Well, we are done with this part of the dungeon. Let's explore the off-map part!" He says, leading the way back to the room that led to the two-three tombs and takes the path not taken. Being more cautious about this path, he assembles his pole and pokes it ahead of him for traps.

[Malimar]

DM

Scarecrow, alas, detects no magic in or around the trap!


And then back to the big room with the dirt floor and all the pillars and the huge heap of defeated bones in the middle and so on! And the party discovers, when they enter the big room, that they are not alone in this room! Over the course of the day or more since the last time they entered this room, creatures have wandered into the room! What has wandered into this room, you ask?

MULES. Three mules, complete with saddles and saddlebags containing who-knows-what and mournful hungry expressions like they haven't had anything to eat or seen the sun for days.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Juancito.jpg/1024px-Juancito.jpg



¶¶¶¶╪¶¶¶¶¶##¶¶¥¶¶#¶¶¶¶¶##Ϟ
#.................*......Ϟ
#.................#######Ϟ
#..#..#..#..#..#..#
#.................#
#.................#
#..#..#..#*.#..#..#
#........*...m....#
#.......***.......#
#..#..#**#*.#..#..#
#......m**.**.....#
###|##########╪####L........***.....#
╪.................|HC#..#..#..#..#..#
‎ #.###.#######.###.#bD...............#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#............m....#
#u.*.|........# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#..#..#..#..#..#..#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#.................#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#.................#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎##################
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎################
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#.#‎*#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#╪##
‎ #.....# #......#......#.|..************.___‎╪
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#.##*#0#0#0#0#0#0##╪##‎
¶.....# #......#......#.#‎###############
╪.....# #√√√√.√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....#######|#########|#‎
¶.....#...|...^....****.#
#.....#0..######¶|¶######
#######...#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
¥ = closed portcullis
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus
_ = trap door (not yet triggered)
@ = headless skeleton
Ϟ = the tunnel goes on for a ways here

C = Scarecrow
L = Leontius
H = Shian over trap door
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"What?" Scarecrow asks, not quite sure who will answer. "I'm... I'm not equipped for this... Doldor, you're up." Scarecrow says, scanning the mules for magic.

[Malimar]

DM

Scarecrow detects magic on the mules... and he detects magic! He detects a faint aura of transmutation in one of the saddlebags!

The mules appear used to human company, and do not shy away from the party. They simply stare curiously. Indeed, they amble slowly towards you, perhaps in hopes of being fed.



¶¶¶¶╪¶¶¶¶¶##¶¶¥¶¶#¶¶¶¶¶##Ϟ
#.................*......Ϟ
#.................#######Ϟ
#..#..#..#..#..#..#
#.................#
#.................#
#..#..#..#*.#..#..#
#........*.m......#
#.......***.......#
#..#..#**#*.#..#..#
#....m..**.**.....#
###|##########╪####L........***.....#
╪.................|HC#..#..#..#..#..#
‎ #.###.#######.###.#bD...............#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#..........m......#
#u.*.|........# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#..#..#..#..#..#..#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#.................#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#.................#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎##################
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎################
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#.#‎*#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#╪##
‎ #.....# #......#......#.|..************.___‎╪
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#.##*#0#0#0#0#0#0##╪##‎
¶.....# #......#......#.#‎###############
╪.....# #√√√√.√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....#######|#########|#‎
¶.....#...|...^....****.#
#.....#0..######¶|¶######
#######...#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
¥ = closed portcullis
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus
_ = trap door (not yet triggered)
@ = headless skeleton
Ϟ = the tunnel goes on for a ways here

C = Scarecrow
L = Leontius
H = Shian over trap door
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow approaches the mules slowly, examining the saddlebags, starting with the one containing magic. Perhaps they would give them an idea of who these mules belonged to. Well, at least for now, these mules are their responsibility. Maybe there will be food in the saddlebags? "Do they eat chalk?" Scarecrow asks.

[Malimar]

DM

OH RIGHT, almost forgot: for successfully avoiding the pit trap, everyone gains 75 XP.


Scarecrow approaches the mules, and they gather curiously around him. There appears to be miscellaneous adventuring accoutrements in the saddlebag -- rope and flint and tinder and torches and a 10-foot pole and all, the works. There's at least one bag of mule food, but it looks like the mules have broken it open and been at it already. They must have been wandering down here for awhile.

The magical object Scarecrow finds is... a wand! A slender wand of cherry wood. He can identify it... but it is a strange enchantment he hasn't encountered before, and it takes a few moments for the identify effect to function. It appears to be some sort of tautological wand -- when you use this wand, the wand becomes used. A joke item, garbage created by a mischievous wizard to confuse and upset the unwary. The tautological wand has 36 charges -- using a charge consumes a charge.



¶¶¶¶╪¶¶¶¶¶##¶¶¥¶¶#¶¶¶¶¶##Ϟ
#.................*......Ϟ
#.................#######Ϟ
#..#..#..#..#..#..#
#.................#
#.................#
#..#..#..#*.#..#..#
#........*........#
#.......***.......#
#..#m.#**#*.#..#..#
#...Cm..**.**.....#
###|##########╪####L..m.....***.....#
╪.................|H.#..#..#..#..#..#
‎ #.###.#######.###.#bD...............#
#######╪#####.# #.#######.# #.#.................#
#u.*.|........# #.#0#0#0#.# #.#..#..#..#..#..#..#
‎#..uu###|###### #.╪.....*.# #.#.................#
‎#######.....# #.##0#0##.# #.#.................#
‎ #.*...#####.#######*###.#‎##################
‎ #.....╪.....# #...**.#.#‎
‎ #.....##########......#.#‎################
‎ #.....# #√√√√√√#......#.#‎*#0#0#0#0#0#0#0#╪##
‎ #.....# #......#......#.|..************.___‎╪
‎ #.....# #.√√√√.#......#.##*#0#0#0#0#0#0##╪##‎
¶.....# #......#......#.#‎###############
╪.....# #√√√√.√#@.....#.#‎
╪.....#######|#########|#‎
¶.....#...|...^....****.#
#.....#0..######¶|¶######
#######...#
#####

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
¥ = closed portcullis
| = open door
u = miscellaneous bathroom apparatus
* = defeated foe / smashed door
^ = disabled trap
√ = weapon/armor rack
0 = sarcophagus
_ = trap door (not yet triggered)
@ = headless skeleton
Ϟ = the tunnel goes on for a ways here

C = Scarecrow
L = Leontius
H = Shian over trap door
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Of course, how could I expect something else..." Scarecrow says. "Well, it might fetch a bit of coin still. Crafters could drain the magic and craft something useful out of it. Now, if you really want to drag all those waraxes, we also have the means to carry... If you could feed them."

[Rizban]

Shian

'I wonder who led them down here then left them behind. Do you think another party is down here making a map?

In any case, I would request that we use the 10-foot pole to trigger that pit trap if possible. I'm passing curious as to what is inside of the pit.'

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Sure, let's go." Scarecrow uses his 11ft pole, even though it's longer than requested, and tries to trigger the trap by messing with the doors.

[Rizban]

Doesn't the collapsible pole explicitly allow you you attach a 10-foot pole to the end to make a 21-foot pole? Maybe you should try that, just to be extra safe. :smalltongue:

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor seems rather concerned for the mules; he approaches them slowly and gently, speaking to them calmly as he does. He rubs their ears and pats them once he has come close, and only then does he motion for the rest of the party to come forward and inspect their packs.

While Scarecrow is identifying the wand, Doldor finds a large bowl or depression in the floor or something else suitable to hold water. He then casts a quick orison, filling the basin with ten gallons of pure water, which he directs the mules to drink. Only then does he look back up to the rest of the party. "I can't feed them down here with what I've got, though it'll be a simple enough matter back outside. I'm not willing to let them starve down here. We can finish up the day down here, but once it's time again to rest I'm leading these poor things outside so they can graze and be away from the undead and traps."

Take 10 on Handle Animal for a 14.

He'll cast Create Water, creating ten gallons.

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius goes around the mules and encircles them just to be safe. He has his back on a wall to be safe from anyone sneaking in the shadows, trying to check if anyone is here with them or nearby as he says "We should find them and make sure they don't reach the ....place. Who knows what will happen if they do."


Spot
[roll0]
Listen
[roll1]

[Malimar]

DM

Scarecrow pokes at the doorknobs with his 11-foot pole, and after a few pokes, the trapdoor collapses out from under nobody and reveals a 20-foot deep pit! No spikes at the bottom or anything, though there are the desiccated skeletons of a few big rats that found their way down and couldn't find their way back up. After a minute, the complex apparatus of the trap resets, the trapdoor slowly closing again, ready to entrap somebody once again.


Doldor befriends the mules! They make muley noises when Doldor rubs their ears and pats them and they snuffle at his hands for treats.

Doldor finds a large pot on one of the mules' saddlebags, and conjures water into it! The mules look skeptical. The water overflows, because ten gallons is a lot of water, but what remains in the pot is plenty for the mules to drink. They snuffle at the pot briefly, then drink the water gratefully.


Leontius doesn't see or hear anybody else in this area at the moment!

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

After making sure the mules are in good condition, Doldor puts them to work. Not too much work; he knows that a hungry mule has a very short temper. He spreads the load of the fifteen dwarven waraxes between them, along with a set of scale mail apiece. Not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things, but Doldor is nothing if not practical.

"Now then," he says as he finishes tightening the last bundle in place. "Let's finish up our exploring day. Where do you think we should go next, Scarecrow? You've been really handy with your sense of direction."

Carrying math time.

A light load for a mule is 230 pounds, which we should stay under because these are already tired and unhappy mules.

The 15 waraxes all together weigh just 120 pounds. They donkeys are already carrying an indeterminate amount of weight (I like their stuff being unspecific, because then we can make up items and claim they have them). The Scale Mail is hardly worth it, but we can load up four sets (30lb and 50gp apiece) for good measure.

That's a lot; mules are like very cheap bags of holding that can die and require looking after.

[Rizban]

Shian

Wanting to be sure no one is killed by the trap, Shian decides to deactivate it to the best of his ability. Since there's no chance of him falling into the trap, he spends the time and effort to make sure he does it right.

Disable Device take 20+9=29

[Malimar]

DM

The mules take this additional load without much complaint!


Shian unhooks the connections between the door handles and the trap door! Now the trap door won't open unless somebody puts in some work reattaching these connections, and nobody seems to be maintaining these catacombs that would do that.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"There is only one way, and it is beyond the reaches of the map fragment." Scarecrow says, leading the way into the tunnel with his pole poking ahead.

[Rizban]

Shian

Fluttering along the ground in front of Scarecrow, Shian scans for traps.

Taking 10 for 25 total on Search.

[Malimar]

DM

And so the party continues on, through the busted-down door, heading down the tunnel to the northeast!

The going is slow, as Scarecrow pokes with his 11-foot pole and Shian searches for traps! And it's a long tunnel. There's another bashed-down door about 75 feet down the tunnel, then more tunnel.

After another ways, you come to a choice! To the left, there's a closed door (Shian finds no traps, but it is locked). Straight ahead, the tunnel opens out into a room! You can't see much in the room other than a stone statue, and several floating shapes moving in the shadows.



?
##╪######.....?
#####LCH........Ω.
#############mmmbD#######?...?
¶¶¶¶¶############.............##### .
*...............*.#############
###################

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
* = defeated foe / smashed door
Ω = statue

C = Scarecrow
L = Leontius
H = Shian over trap door
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule
? = shape moving in the shadows

[Rizban]

Shian

Shian will attempt to bypass the lock.

[roll0]

Are we close to resting anytime soon?

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow looks down, noticing that the trap door from the skeleton hallway has followed Shian. He is confused and startled, but isn't sure how to react. Perhaps the door resents being sparrowhandled, or maybe it fell in love in the little sparrow during their encounter... Scarecrow was curious to see how this relationship will blossom, so he did not mention it. For it to be real, it would need to happen naturally, without the Warforged interfering.

Instead, Scarecrow scans for magic, both beyond the locked door and the statue with the shadow figures. He hoped those were not even more undead shadows that they were seeing.

[Malimar]

DM

The creatures in the shadows of the next room are too substantial to be shadows, don't worry. They do, however, appear to have writhing tentacles, which is never good news.


Shian pops the lock of the door with not too much difficulty.

While Shian fiddles with the lock, Scarecrow detects magic! He detects at least nine distinct sources of magic in the room with the statue (it's a bit hard to count because they are moving around a bit), including the statue itself, most of them evocation, one of them feels funny and is probably psionic, not magic.

And he detects at least one source of magic beyond the door Shian just unlocked -- or rather, it feels funny, it's probably a source of psionic power or something like it.


Anyhow, there's something on the other side of the door! As soon as it hears the click of the lock, it slams the door open and roars! It's a giant green lizard or small dragon, no wings, a brightly-colored crest on its head! There are more, similar creatures behind it, in the room! It roars, in slightly primitive Draconic, "Spical ihk voga magarth, kavari?" (Translation: <Back for another round, fiends?>)

There's a series of squawks and clicks from the room to the east. The shapes over there have perhaps had their attention attracted by the ruckus.



#######
#.....#
#...d.#
#.d...#
#...d.#
#.dd..#
#.d..d#
#.dd..# ?
###|######.....?
#####LCH........Ω.
#############mmmbD#######?...?
¶¶¶¶¶############.............##### .
*...............*.#############
###################

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
* = defeated foe / smashed door
Ω = statue

C = Scarecrow
L = Leontius
H = Shian over trap door :smallannoyed:
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule
d = dragon lizard creature
? = shape moving in the shadows

[Rizban]

Shian

The bird responds telepathically so the dragonish creatures can hear him.

'Indeed! Another round of drinks with friends is always welcome!'

Shian may speak draconic, but he's always had difficulty telling the difference between "fiend" and "friend". It's one of those hard concepts.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor prepares to start casting and fighting. "What did they say? Was it hostile?"

Talking is a free action!

[Malimar]

DM

The dragon-lizard-things yelp, in Draconic, <Voice in my head!> <I heard it too!> <Everybody panic!> and start running around in circles inside the room.

[Rizban]

Shian

To the party, Shian says.

'It said, "Back for another round, friends?" Now, they are afraid because of my telepathy.'

Shian is about to respond to them again but takes a half second to try to better identify what these things are.

And now I'm glad I put ranks in every knowledge skill that identifies creatures.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

[Malimar]

DM

Shian identifies these creatures as Crested Felldrakes. Felldrakes are generally good-aligned creatures, distant relatives of true dragons, created by Numiel in days of yore to help mortals guard their settlements from the encroachment of evilkind. They're not very intelligent, though they're allegedly smarter than, say, dogs.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

[roll0]

<We are not enemies, brother. We are bound together by our draconic heritage, See? Fear us not.> Scarecrow says, trying to reassure the lizards.

(For what it's worth, I have +4 diplomacy with dragons and dragonblooded creatures)

Scarecrow will also try to pinpoint the location of the special aura within the room.

[Malimar]

DM

Scarecrow knows the same things about the Crested Felldrakes as Shian does, plus he knows that they (being Small) are the smallest of three varieties -- Crested, Spitting, and Horned.


The lizards gradually stop running in panicked circles and start running in celebratory circles. "Thurirli! Thurirli!", they say. <Friends! Friends!>


Scarecrow tries to pinpoint the psionic power within this room! He compares his detect magic sense against his visual senses and sees a glint of something shiny lying on the ground within the room (which has a number of low benches and a sort of podium arrayed in such a way that one suspects this room might have recently been used as a courtroom, maybe?) -- a whitish gem of some sort, perhaps a pearl.


Just then, a bolt of lightning comes from the east! A hovering, tentacled monster scoots out of sight as the bolt of lightning strikes the wall beyond the party. (The mules shy backwards away from the lightning.)




#######
#.....#
#+...d#
#.d...#
#...d.#
#d..d.#
#..d.d#
#d..d.# ?
###|######.....?
#####LCH........Ω.
#############m..bD#######?...?
¶¶¶¶¶############...........mm##### .
*...............*.#############
###################

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
* = defeated foe / smashed door
Ω = statue
+ = pearl lying on the floor

C = Scarecrow
L = Leontius
H = Shian
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule
d = crested felldrake
? = hoveringing, tentacled shapes moving in the shadows

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius casts magic weapon on his Dwarven warpike and stays where he is, behind Scarecrow. "I doubt those are friendly."

[Rizban]

Shian

The bird casually points out that the mules do not seem to have followed them or are completely invisible. Perhaps they're simply immune to being tracked by the minimap.

He then looks around for a useful perch somewhere in the hall, maybe 10 to 15 feet closer to the end of the hall but no further. Once comfortably perched, he tries to hide in the shadows and readies an action to hork acid at any of the tentacle monsters who come in range. A small, roughly sparrow-shaped crystal reminiscent of Shian (http://www.bellaantiquesny.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/LLQ05-2.jpg), indeed his own psicrystal which seems to have manifested almost out of thin air, crawls along the ground into the same square and hides in a corner near the wall, also readying an action to attack the first tentacle monster to come in range that Shian doesn't kill.

Swift: Shift 3 essentia to Dissolving Spittle

Shian - Move and [roll0]
Psicrystal - Move and [roll1]

Readied Attacks:
Shian - [roll2] – [roll3]
Psicrystal - [roll4] – [roll5]

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Those... Those are probably Grell, like the one we faced before. They electricity is probably from a Lightning Lance...My armor will do little to them..." Scarecrow says, not too pleased. The fact that he detected 9 auras, meant that there could be around eight grell there, and that wasn't a pleasing thought. "Well, nothing to it. Let's take them down." He glances at the Felldrakes. <We will attack the fiends, but this is dangerous. You should stay here...>

Scarecrow moves to the corner, firing a blast of fire before slipping back into cover.

It's like... Sniping from cover, I can do that, right? 30ft line, mostly to intimidate, but if I can hit any...

[roll0]

[Malimar]

DM

Shian and his new psicrystal hide in the darkness near some uneven tunnelwork and/or corals!


Three floating betentacled monsters go! You get a good look at them now, they are indeed grell (I'd forgotten you'd fought a grell before). Giant floating brains with ten barbed tentacles hanging down and giant parrot beaks sticking out the front!

One floats out into sight just at the mouth of the tunnel, before getting pegged with a spurt of acid from Shian! Its tentacles writhe in pain. Then it gets pegged by Shian's psicrystal, too (because it is flat-footed as well as touch, because the psicrystal was well-hidden, otherwise it would've missed)! The grell squawks, reconsidering being out in the open, and floats back to cover.

A second grell, braver than the first, scoots out into sight and shoots a bolt of lightning at... it very briefly consults with the first grell... at Shian! And it just barely hits the tiny sparrow for 9 electric damage!

A third grell, braver still, scoots into the tunnel down to where Shian lurks, and reaches out to caress the little bird with a tentacle! But the sparrow ducks out of the way of this attack.


Doldor and Brutus delay to the top of the initiative. (I was going to give you some extra days because I know you're on holiday, but then I got bored and antsy. But hey, now you're first in the initiative!)


Leontius casts magic weapon on his warpike! His suspicion is definitely confirmed, these grell are definitely hostile.


Scarecrow tells the felldrakes to stay put, and they happily sit on their haunches and obey his suggestion for now. Then he moves up and breathes a line of fire! Going all the way out into the room is now blocked by the grell in the tunnel; he can catch two of them if he moves all the way up to well within tentacle range of #3. I'm open to retconning the exact placement if this isn't exactly what you'd want to do, but it's what I'd do, so: Scarecrow eats the attack of opportunity (a tentacle attack, which misses him altogether), moves up close and personal with grell #3, and opens fire. The grell in the hallway takes the full brunt of the fire, which scorches out into the room with the statue and also hits #2 full-on; semi-panicked and indignant squawks are heard from all 'round the room. Not doing too badly on the intimidation front, apparently.


The remaining four grell are concerned. They don't want to line up to get roasted, so they... mill about a bit and take safer positions and probably ready attacks.



#######
#.....#
#+...d#
#.d...#
#...d.#
#d..d.#
#..d.d# #### ###
#d..d.# #45....#
###|######......#
#####L...HC3...2Ω..#
#############m..bD#######......#
¶¶¶¶¶############...........mm##### #617...#
*...............*.############# ########
###################

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
* = defeated foe / smashed door
Ω = statue
+ = pearl lying on the floor

C = Scarecrow
L = Leontius
H = Shian and his psicrystal
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule
d = crested felldrake
1-7 = grell (numbered to keep track of them better)

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor's darkvision gives him a good look into the shadowy room, and he begins casting a summoning spell. Electricity doesn't have any respect for thick hide and dragonskin, so he intends to summon something with no respect for electricity.

Doldor begins casting Summon Monster II, and shifts closer to the fight. Brutus moves closer to the fight, but remains adjacent to Doldor.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow isnt too pleased by the situation. His armored nature isn't going to help much against electricity... But their most evasive member was also rather fragile, so he couldn't ask him to attract the grell's attention... At least his fire kept most of the grell at bay... If they could handle them a few at a time, it would be manageable... Scarecrow breathed fire once more!

[roll0]

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius moves behind Scarecrow if he can and attacks any grell that he can attack or he holds action to do so when one comes into range


Attack
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (punishing stance)

Leontius stops using the punishing stance.

AoO (same as above):
Attack roll: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Rizban]

Shian

The bird and psicrystal delay until after Scarecrow breathes fire again.

If the two grell in view of the tunnel drop, they both make their way to the end of the tunnel but do not enter the room. Shian manifests vigor on himself, sharing it with his psicrystal.

If the two grell do not drop, they both make acid attacks against them and move to the end of the tunnel if they drop at that point, staying behind scarecrow if at least one of the grell is still alive and in view of the tunnel.

If the two grell are dead, Vigor for 5 temporary hit points each to Shian and his psicrystal.

Otherwise.

Shian - [roll0] – [roll1]
Psicrystal - [roll2] – [roll3]

[Malimar]

DM

Doldor shifts closer to the fight and begins casting summon monster II!

Brutus moves up in front of Doldor!


Shian and his psicrystal delay until after Scarecrow.


Grell #1 doesn't want to be out where it can get hit again, so it lurks and readies an action.

Grell #2 switches targets, shooting at Scarecrow with its lightning lance! It hits Scarecrow, zapping him for 16 electricity damage! Then it scoots into the corner, out of sight.

Grell #3 decides to go all-out, striking at Scarecrow with all ten of its tentacles and its beak! And Scarecrow takes all 11 attacks on his shield and his armor plating, taking no damage.


Leontius moves up and strikes at the grell's balloon-like body! He hits it, punctures its tough hide, and slimy organs slide out. Some organs float up to the ceiling, the rest of the mass sinks to the floor. The creature is dead.


Scarecrow... has no remaining targets! In lieu of breathing fire at nothing, he delays to top of the initiative.


Shian and his psicrystal move up to the end of the tunnel. From here, I'm going to say he has line of effect to #2 and #7, which means they have line of effect to him, too. But everybody's got cover. The other four grell do not have line of effect to Shian.

#7's readied action goes off, it shoots a bolt of electricity at Shian, and hits the wall instead.

Then Shian manifests vigor on himself and his psicrystal.


Grell #s 4, 5, and 6 re-up their readied actions. These are not particularly stupid creatures (though they don't have superhuman intellect, either).



#######
#.....#
#+...d#
#.d...#
#...d.#
#d..d.#
#..d.d# ####.###
#d..d.# #452...#
###|######......#
#####.Db.LC*H...Ω..#
#############m....#######......#
¶¶¶¶¶############...........mm##### #617...#
*...............*.############# ########
###################

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
* = defeated foe / smashed door
Ω = statue
+ = pearl lying on the floor

C = Scarecrow
L = Leontius
H = Shian and his psicrystal
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule
d = crested felldrake
1-7 = grell (numbered to keep track of them better)

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow moves to Shian's location and breaths fire on the southern grells.

[roll0]

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor finishes his spell, and a hound made out of starlight and magic appears at the end of the hallway. It radiates purity and wholesomeness, and it immediately growls and charges the grells to the north of it. Hackles raised, the hound releases an extra burst of light right as it slams into its target.

Doldor and Brutus move further down the hallway into the thick of things. Doldor puts a hand on his belt and he raises the other. "If any of you are injured, just come here and I'll heal you!"

Doldor summons a Celestial Riding Dog (with +4 Str and Con) as far down the tunnel as he can, which should be 35 in front of him.

The riding dog charges and Smites the grell to the north of it.

Charge Smite attack: [roll0] EDIT: (+2 from charging, my mistake)
Damage: [roll1]

Doldor moves 20 feet down the tunnel, and Brutus follows behind. Doldor readies an action to use a Healing Belt charge on Shian or Leontius if they ask for it; 2d8 points of healing.

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius just stays behind Scarecrow and hits anything coming close


He returns to his stance
Attack
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (punishing stance)

AoO (same as above):
Attack roll: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (punishing stance)

[Rizban]

Shian

Targeting a grell in view, Shian and his Shi-crystal take aim and spit acid.

Target any grell in view/range that's still alive. If none are alive, 5ft into the room to get targets.

Shian - [roll0] – [roll1]
Psicrystal - [roll2] – [roll3]

[Malimar]

DM

Scarecrow moves up, and breathes fire in a cone! Two of the grells manage to bob to less fire-tastic areas of the fire, but one takes the full brunt! Grell #1, roasted, floats up to the ceiling, not even twitching.


Doldor summons a celestial riding dog in the room, which triggers three readied actions as three grell shoot it with their lightning lances!

(In the interest of full disclosure, the readied actions these grell are preparing are generally "if an enemy comes into view, shoot it with the lightning lance".) The radiant creature takes two direct shots (the third one misses), and resists some of the lightning, as Doldor intended! Before its electricity resistance 5, it takes 9 and 14 damage; after elec resistance, it takes 4 and 9 damage. Which ought to be exactly as much hp as it has, so the celestial riding dog vanishes in a puff of holiness, as suddenly as it came. is a bit less than its total hp, because of Augment Summoning.

The celestial riding dog charges (it doesn't have enough space to charge any but #2, so #2 is what it charges), hits the grell, which is indeed evil, so the shiny dog's bite blazes into the grell's flesh! The grell is looking badly injured now.

Then Doldor heads down the tunnel, ready to heal anybody who needs it!

Brutus moves to remain within 5' of Doldor.


Grell #2 full attacks Doldor's celestial riding dog with its tentacles and beak! It hits twice with its tentacles, doing 5 and 4 damage to the celestial riding dog, which is enough to take it out for real, unless I've wildly miscalculated. Now the celestial riding dog vanishes in a puff of holiness.


Leontius moves up to behind Scarecrow and readies an attack!


Grell #7 scoots out to the middle of the room so it isn't such a target for the cone that it now knows Scarecrow has, and shoots at Scarecrow! And misses even more horribly than #2 did!


Shian has a better shot at #7 now. He spits acid, he hits it! It squawks in pain and alarm!

Shian's psicrystal also hits grell #7, and the creature continues to squawk and jabber angrily!



#######
#.....#
#+...d#
#.d...#
#...d.#
#d..d.#
#..d.d# ####.###
#d..d.# #452...#
###|######......#
#####....bDL&...Ω..#
#############m....#######...7..#
¶¶¶¶¶############...........mm##### #6*....#
*...............*.############# ########
###################

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
* = defeated foe / smashed door
Ω = statue
+ = pearl lying on the floor

& = Scarecrow and Shian and Shian's psicrystal
L = Leontius (standing on a grell corpse)
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule
d = crested felldrake
2, 4-7 = grell (numbered to keep track of them better)

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Leontius, your chances against them are as good as mine! My armor does me no good here." Scarecrow says, hoping that Leontius and Shian can take care of the two separated Grell as he steps out into the room and sends a cone of fire at the northern batch of Grell. This fire is weaker, but it stays around the Grell!

5ft step east, (so none get the cover bonus). Entangling Exhalation time. [roll0] damage, DC 17 for half. [roll1] rounds of entangled. Hoping that the -4 they get to ranged attacks (-2 attack, -4 dex) from being entangled will be enough to limit the lance damage.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor and Brutus move into action together when the summon is destroyed, to give Scarecrow and Shian some relief. Scarecrow seems to be dealing with the grells (Grell? Grelli?) to the north, so the druid and hound turn to the south and strike at the lone aberration floating there.

I've got to start preparing Longstrider now that I have more spells to work with. 20ft move speed sucks.

Doldor will move to get within clobbering range of Grell #6, and Brutus will follow. The pair will then clobber.

Doldor Club Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Brutus Bite Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Rizban]

Shian

Shian focuses on trying to finish off Hostile Grell #7, pinging it once more with acid.

Shian - [roll0] – [roll1]
Psicrystal - [roll2] – [roll3]

Switch targets if it drops first, of course.

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius rushes to a suitable position to attack the Grell on the bottom left corner (G6) to guard Scarecrow's back as he attacks the Grells on the top.


He moves to a place where he can attack Grell number 6
Mountain Hammer Maneuver
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (punishing stance)

AoO (same as above):
Attack roll: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (punishing stance)

[Malimar]

DM

Scarecrow steps up and breathes entangling bands of fire! Grell #5 ducks out of the way of the bulk of the flames, but the other two take the full fire. Grell #2 collapses, twitching!


Grell #4 takes a moment to consider Scarecrow's thick armor, and decides to hit him with its lightning lance again. Pzzzt! Misses, hits the wall across the way with a bolt of lightning.

Grell #5 tries the same thing, and also misses!

Grell #6 tries a different tactic, reaching out with its tentacles! But Scarecrow takes them all on his shield and his thick armor plating. There are a couple of close calls, but not close enough for the grell! It squawks in irritation.


Doldor moves up to bludgeon the grell to the south! These creatures all have reach, so he provokes attacks of opportunity! But all the grell fail to penetrate his dragonhide armor and darkwood shield! And he bludgeons at the grell to the south, but it deflects his blow with a tentacle!

Brutus follows, biting at the creature! He bites the creature, getting his jaws around a tentacle (above the paralyzing-spines portion of the tentacle) and biting down!


Leontius steps up, swings his warpike, and hammers the grell to th south with it! He hits it, it goes down sort of up to the ceiling, because it is still buoyant, despite being dead!


Grell #7 takes a 5' float backwards. It has its pick of targets! Who is the most dangerous? Or who is the easiest to hit? Or who is the most dangerous and also easiest to hit? Whatever criterion or criteria it uses deep inside its brain-shaped body, it eventually decides on Leontius, shooting at him with its bolt of electricity! But it misses him so completely that it's hard to tell it was even aiming at him!


Shian shoots acid! Shian pegs grell #7 easily, and the creature collapses in a floating heap!

Shian's psicrystal switches targets! It can hit another grell if it 5' steps into Scarecrow's space, so, presuming it does that, it hits grell #5, because the grell is entangled with fire! This damages it, but also serves to annoy and anger the remaining grell.



#######
#.....#
#+...d#
#.d...#
#...d.#
#d..d.#
#..d.d# ####.###
#d..d.# #45*...#
###|######......#
#####.......HCL.Ω..#
#############m....#######Db....#
¶¶¶¶¶############...........mm##### #**..*.#
*...............*.############# ########
###################

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
| = open door
* = defeated foe / smashed door
Ω = statue
+ = pearl lying on the floor

C = Scarecrow and Shian's psicrystal
H = Shian
L = Leontius (standing on a grell corpse)
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule
d = crested felldrake
4-5 = grell

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

His flames entangling the two remaining Grell, Scarecrow adds more fire to the fuel!

[roll0] entangling fire damage, 2 rounds remaining.

[roll1] DC 17 half.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor and Brutus wait until after Scarecrow has breathed and Shian has spat, and then he and Brutus charge the remaining pair of Grell! Or at least, they approach them cautiously then attack them.

They will delay after Scarecrow and Shian, then move north and attack. Brutus will use Steel Wind if both Grell are still alive; if they aren't, just use the first set of rolls.

Doldor Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Brutus Attack 1: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

Brutus Attack 2: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5]

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius attacks any Grell that survives.



If one survives he simply attacks it but if both survive he uses Steel Wind
Attack
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (punishing stance)

Second Attack for Steel wind if both survive
Attack roll: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (punishing stance)

AoO:
Attack roll: [roll4]
Damage: [roll5] (punishing stance)

[Malimar]

DM

Scarecrow bathes the two remaining grell with fire! They both manage to make their reflex saves and thus take half damage, which still leaves them smoking and charred!


The two grell go all out, attacking Leontius and Scarecrow with their tentacles!

#5 hits Leontius 6 4 times (would have hit 6 times, but entanglement brought two of them down below his AC threshold), so Leontius takes a total of 15 damage! He feels a brief stiffness in his limbs, but shakes it off, unaffected!

#4 hits Scarecrow once, because it got the natural 20 it needed to do so! Scarecrow takes 3 damage! He is immune to paralysis, and thus is also not paralyzed.


Doldor and Brutus wait a bit!


Leontius uses Steel Wind, striking with vigor at both remaining grell! He hits both, taking them down! They fall unconscious, twitching!


The foes are defeated! Leontius gains 1400 XP; Scarecrow, Doldor, and Shian gain 1313 XP!

Three of the grell are unconscious and entangled on fire; one is unconscious and not stable; one is unconscious but stable.


Loot! Shian searches the corpses, Scarecrow detects magic!

On the grell, you find seven grell lightning lances, all of them with two to four charges remaining! You also find a coagulated tangerine potion, which Scarecrow can identify as a potion of bull's strength, and 1,246 gold coins.

Presuming you loot the rooms: in the courtroom with the felldrakes, you find a small heap of nonhumanoid bones, and can identify the pearl lying on the floor as a breath crisis pearl (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#pearlBreathCrisis).

In the room with the grell, you find a tiny fragment of cast-off crystal, which Scarecrow can identify as a +7 Shard of Forgery (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#shards).

The statue, which radiates evocation magic and detects as Evil, depicts an evil-looking leering dwarf, his finger outstretched to poke at somebody. Oh, and Shian also finds what he's pretty sure is a secret door to the east.



####### ####
#.....# #..
#....d# #.#
#.d...# #.#
#...d.# #.╪
#d..d.# #.#
#..d.d# ####.###
#d..d.# #***...#
###|######......#
#####.......HCL.Ω..$
#############m....#######Db....#
¶¶¶¶¶############...........mm##### #**..*.#
*...............*.############# ########
###################

. = floor
# = wall
¶ = wall under the effect of a hardening spell
╪ = closed door
$ = secret door
| = open door
* = defeated foe / smashed door
Ω = statue

C = Scarecrow and Shian's psicrystal
H = Shian
L = Leontius (standing on a grell corpse)
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule
d = crested felldrake

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor and Brutus proceed to put the still-living grell out of their misery. He does so solemnly, but without any regret; grell are hardly 'natural', nor could are they particularly helpful to anything but themselves. Once the grisly task is finished, he hefts a lightning lance, curious. "Are we able to use these? They don't seem to have any kind of switch or button, but the grell weren't saying any command words."

He glances back to the room with the felldrakes. "And the, er, the little baby dragons are friendly, right? Do they need help getting out of here? And does anyone need healing? Leontius, Shian?"

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"They are activated mentally, but only Grell are properly attuned." Scarecrow says. "It takes quite a bit of magical item knowledge to be able to wield one of those with any level of reliability, and I'm still rather far from it. Even my wand doesn't always work for me." He adds, waving the wand around. He looks surprised when it actually works, repairing some of the damage. He adjusts his belts and releases another charge of repairing, returning to full health. "Those lances make a good haul, as each of those is easily sold for nearly two thousand gold..."

"Yes, they are friendly, but they aren't babies. This is their average size..." Scarecrow says, returning to the room of the felldrakes, and switches to Draconic. "How did you come to be here, in a locked room in the depths of a dwarven dungeon of all places? Perhaps you would rather leave with us? We are planning to leave soon, and our destination is a temple of Numiel..."

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius lifts his shirt, revealing his scarred body and assesses the severity of his wound. He lets the chain-mail shirt fall, turns to Doldor and says "I could use some healing if you have some to spare."

[Malimar]

DM

The felldrakes bound about the room some more when Scarecrow returns, saying (in Draconic) <Some tricksy dudes locked us in here!> <Rude!> <So rude!> <To the surface!> <Are those four-leg hoofy-things for eating? They look like for eating!> <Let's go up!>

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"The mules aren't for eating, we will find something... Can you describe those that tricked you?" Scarecrow asks the Felldrakes and turns to the others. "They got tricked here, and now they are more than eager to leave. I think we should take them to Numiel's temple... I can still go on, but with the mules and Felldrakes, I am hesitant. That statue also has me worried, and with the amount of Grell that we faced here, It could be even more dangerous as we go deeper... Maybe one more encounter, but I'm not sure. What do you think?"

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus
He places his hand on his chin and after thinking for half a minute he says
"I think that we should return..."

Leontius/Erebus
His voice changes as emotion sips in "...and set up an ambush outside for the party and take the treasure they gathered. It will be for the grater good after all. We will need all the money we can get if we want to return the land to the way it was."

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"That's not going to happen." Scarecrow says nonchalantly. "The mules were starving, so much that they had eaten through some of the bags to get to the feed. How long would you wait for a hypothetical group of adventurers that are unlikely to have actually be in this dungeon? We cleared that room a day ago, the mules stumbled here upon themselves, probably looking desperately for food. Even if we were the type of group to do such a thing, it would be silly to set up an ambush..."

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

His voice returns to the usual mechanical tone and posture after hearing Scarecrow "It could just be that they are already dead somewhere in here. I don't think the mules would come in underground on their own. If I remember correctly it was Doldor's way of handling animals that managed to persuade the bird lady's mule to get down here. I'd think that someone got them down here. I don't know anything about animals but would they not try to find food in nature rather than coming down to the underground?"

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"It depends. Mules are rather domestic animals, and might handle poorly in the wild. They could have seen the entrance and hoped to find humans that would feed them... There are many variables in action, but if another group of adventurers were to come here, we would have heard something in the several days we were here. It's been several days for those mules, so either the adventurers are indeed dead, or have abandoned the mules for some reason. Regardless, we can't go looking for them."

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor gets out the group's Wand of Lesser Vigor, giving Leontius a firm poke with it. Then he goes to Shian, and gives the bird a poke as well. "That should do you both pretty well. Now, if we decide to leave now I still have enough magic left to feel safe traveling for eight hours or so. If we want to keep going onwards, I might want to take the time to re-prepare spells before we leave."

He glances at the tiny drakes, the mules, and the evil dwarf statue. "And I would like to get all these animals and dragonlings out of here. This isn't a place for the living. And that statue... I don't trust it. This unmapped section of the dungeon seems quite a bit rougher than the part around the main tombs, and while I'm sure there is much treasure to be had, it may be at the cost of one of our lives. I think we should either turn back now, or perhaps check inside that secret door and then turn back."

Used two charges, marked on my sheet. Leontius and Shian heal for 11 points.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"As I said, I rather leave now. If this is what we face when entering the unmapped section, we might not be prepared for what is to come if we continue. The road to Numiel's temple is long enough, and we have a lot more mouths to feed and care for than when we came..." Scarecrow says bluntly.

[Malimar]

DM

The felldrakes all chime in at once to describe their assailants, and it takes some doing getting them to speak one at a time so you can understand the description. But, in the end, they manage to describe what sounds like some sort of demon or devil, all red skin and horns and angryness. In fact, it sounds rather like the babau you defeated near the entrance to the catacombs the other day.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor frowns when the felldrakes remind him of the demon. "That thing almost killed the lot of us, now that I recall. We were a little weaker then, but not by much. What's more, it said that it had come from down lower in this dungeon. If there are more of those, even just two or three more..."

He glances to Brutus, and the large scar on the hound's shoulder. "Between that thought and the statue, I'm more than ready to leave. Some fresh air and sunshine would do us all well, I think."

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Nodding, and unless anyone objects, Scarecrow turns to leave. First, of course, he will cast Endure Exposure on each of the felldrakes and mules. Remembering that Doldor had the right spell and the wish to do so, Scarecrow leads the way to the northest room first, where an entrance was created. He will take the group through the throne room, followed by the room north of the stairs. At each door opening, he will be ready to breath fire in case enemies have returned. If they reach the room without encounters, he will give Doldor the time to close the cave, not wanting to have the mules and felldrakes squeeze through it.

On their way back, he will examine the snake swarms.

[roll0]

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

If the party does make it back to the room with the sloping thokka-tunnel unmolested, Doldor will first see if it is a reasonable means of egress for the mules and felldrakes. Just as easy to close it up from the outside, after all.

[Rizban]

Doldor

Then he goes to Shian, and gives the bird a poke as well.

Shian

When Doldor approaches with the wand, Shian flutters away from him and over to Shicrystal.

'I'm fine. Don't bother.'

A careful look at the bird reveals no wounds on him at all. Shian flies to Doldor's shoulder, where he makes himself comfortable. Shicrystal crawls over to Doldor and up his leg to the other shoulder, where it settles into place, holding on tight with spindly crystal legs.

As soon as Shian touches his psicrystal, the psicrystal activates the Lifebond Vestments to heal Shian for 10hp, burning through the 5 temporary hp it currently has. This leaves both at full health.

[Malimar]

DM

The party returns to the big room with the thoqqua tunnel unmolested!

On the way back, Scarecrow discovers that the snake swarms have moved on from their previous location, leaving behind only a small handful of vipers, no threat to anybody.


The felldrakes can fit through the thoqqua tunnel easily, but it'd be a squeeze for the mules (and, for that matter, for everybody else except Shian and his psicrystal) most of the party, but the mules probably won't fit at all.

The felldrakes are excited by the tunnel, yelping in Draconic, <Outside?> <That tunnel go outside?> <Up!> <Can smell outside!>

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

<Yes, but be patient.> Scarecrow instructs them and turns to Shian. "Can you scout ahead? Don't want any nasty surprises when we are vulnerable..."

If it's safe, then Scarecrow will suggest Leontious head out first, then Doldor leading the mules, or pushing them if needed, then the Felldrakes and Scarecrow at the rear.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor eyes the tunnel with a concerned look. "I'm not sure if the mules will go through that. Or if they can go through that. I may need to use Stone Shape to open this up more, rather than close it."

Does squeeze mean literal, or is the tunnel completely too small?

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius takes a moment of complete silence and to think and then says "If you have the power to open the way I think that we should use it but do you think you can close the way behind us? It will be easy for large beasts to nest here and if we return I would like to avoid needless confrontations with no reward"

[Malimar]

Does squeeze mean literal, or is the tunnel completely too small?

Turns out it was not literal, because I was mistaken about the size of a mule. Turns out the Small tunnel is too small for the Large mules to fit.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Having determined that the mules are too big, Scarecrow waits for Doldor to seal the cave. <We will have to take the stairs. Don't worry, we will be out soon.> He reassures the felldrakes. Once the sealing is done, he leads the group back to the entrance and out of it.

[Rizban]

Shian

'So, Scarecrow... What are you planning to do with these felldrakes? I noticed you decided to keep them with us rather than send them on their way through the exit they could easily use...'

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"I don't want to leave them alone, in the wild. They were already deceived by a demon, getting themselves trapped. Left alone, who knows what will happen to them? They could grow loyal to the wrong people, or get caught and sold off, end up fighting in the arena for gladiatorial entertainment... I want to take them to Numiel's temple. They will get treated well there, and could help guarding the place. Maybe help prevent further attacks on it..."

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

The druid nods, leaning down to pat a felldrake gently on the head. "They're good little creatures, I can see that. I agree with Scarecrow completely; they need guidance. We're not perfect, but I'd like to think we're better for them than the wilds will be, and Numiel's temple is the perfect place for them. Now then, this gap..."

Doldor closes his eyes for a moment, feeling the earth and stone with his dwarven senses. Then he mutters a few simple, deep syllables in Druidic, and brings his hands together slowly. There is a brief pulse of magic, and the walls of the crypt close together around the tunnel gap, sealing it off.

Doldor then proceeds with the others to the main exit, eager to leave.

Cast Stone Shape, sealing the tunnel.

[Malimar]

DM

The felldrakes cry out in alarm as Doldor seals the tunnel! <No wait, up!> <Outside!> <Oh no!> But Scarecrow reassures them that they'll take the stairs, and they calm a bit.

Once the procedure is done, close inspection will still reveal a sort of scar in the wall, the plug subtly different from the surrounding stone. But to a casual observer, it's as though there was never a tunnel here at all.

And then to the entrance! The mules seem to recognize this place, or else they can smell the fresh air, and hardly any prodding is required to get them to go up the stairs and out onto the slope, where they immediately begin munching away at the high grass and weeds.

The felldrakes, similarly, begin to jump and frolic once they reach the surface, <Yay, outside!> <Sky!> <Air!> <Yay!>.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow smiles internaly at the sight of the frolicking Felldrakes. He gave them and the others a bit of time to breath in the fresh air and stretch their muscles, before growing impatient. "It's a long way ahead, we should cover as much of it as we can."

It's a path that he once took himself. Through the serpent path and to Noodletown. It was in Noodletown that he awoke, where his own journey started. He hoped that there won't be issues in town with the Felldrakes, but that would be a worry for another day. He hoped that once they cross the river, they could cut straight up the hill, instead of taking a detour with the road. They'll have to find out... The journey wasn't short, and they had lots of mouths to feed. The mules might be fine with grazing as they go, but he didn't know how capable the felldrakes are. Well, they will see.

But they were in Numiel's Monastery before... It's a shame that Fast Travel hasn't been patched in yet.

And so, they march!

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

The druid gazes up into the sky as the party ascends the stairs, and he breathes the air with a happy sigh. "It's good to be up here again, as much as I love earth and stone. I was built to live underground, but my heart feels free under the sky."

He closes his eyes for a moment, spreading his arms under the sun. The he shakes, hard, a strange motion that seems to send ripples across his body. Then Doldor changes; his arms grow thinner, wider, feathered, his legs shift, his gear vanishes, and after a few moments a massive hawk stands in his place. The bird's eyes are sharp and it's beak is dangerous and boney. It turns its head to Shian, tilting it in amusement. This... is a strange way to be, little cousin.

Then he leaps off the ground, and with a few power wingstrokes he rises up into the air. I will not slow you down, now; and enemies will be hard pressed to sneak up on us. Never have my eyes been so keen. Let's be off. He wheels over the group, rising slowly higher until he is a hundred feet off of the ground.

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcREZ-NlODCpnxt4kh-AinaOdDXNTQz9pfw-KgmFW25a5Ta5tNKu

Wild Shape lasts 5 hours, which is about as long as we'd want to go before a rest anyways.

RaggedAngel-is-a-munchkin reason for transforming: Doldor has the lowest movement speed in the party, and would slow us down. He can also keep a much better eye out for ambushes.

RaggedAngel-is-a-roleplayer reason for transforming: Dude. He can fly now.

Relevant bird stats:
Str: 12
Dex: 22
Con: 15
AC: 19
Attacks: 2 Talons (1d4), 1 Bite (1d6)
Move Speed: 10ft ground, 80ft flying (Average)
Special Qualities: Low-Light Vision

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius shields his eyes from the sun as soon as he leaves the darkness, the light blinding him after the time they spent in the dark tomb. He then turns to look at the noisy drakes and asks "Is there a possibility for a reward once we bring them to the temple?"

During the trip he takes a few minutes to change his active maneuvers.
If they find a river and they rest nearby he takes a bath though he says that he will do so if they are not in visual range to his bathing location.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"I can't speak for the priests. It is possible, yes." Scarecrow says simply, looking up at Doldor, envious.

[Malimar]

DM

And lo, the convoy of the two birds, the bird-shaped crystal, the dragon-robot, the unusual man, the dog, the three mules, and the nine crested felldrakes makes their way slightly east (to Serpent Pass and the Home Road), and then north! And then eventually south and east again! Because you can cross the Don't Drink This River, but swimming it may be more exhausting and grosser than just marching the extra several miles of road to Noodleton.

If the party had some sort of boat, they could take various tributaries of the poison river right up Perch Hill -- but if "if"s were devils, the Blood War would be over.


It's a shame that Fast Travel hasn't been patched in yet.I lol'd.

The party does come within sight of a river, as the road comes alongside and follows the river for a ways -- but it's the Don't Drink This River. It's looking less nasty and greasy and slimy today than it usually does, so bathing in it might get you cleaner than you started, and might even be safe, so long as you don't, y'know, drink it. Hence the name. So that's a possibility.

The party makes good time, not slowed down by any stocky dwarves or anybody. The felldrakes range a bit afield, chasing down squirrels and scouting ahead and falling behind to explore but always catching up.

As the party proceeds northwards through the late morning, they come across a pack of four feral dogs fighting over a woodchuck carcass by the side of the road. The dogs growl and bark (Brutus barks back at them) until a couple of felldrakes approach them curiously, and then the dogs grab their woodchuck and book it into the woods.

Then, about three miles out of Noodleton (having already traveled about seven miles, so you've been traveling an hour or two (depending on whether you're walking or hustling)), the party overtakes a middle-aged farmer and his wife, riding north on an ox-drawn wagon loaded with crates of apples. The farmer eyes the motley party suspiciously. But it turns out he's in the "try to get the murderhobos on your side" school of thought, rather than the "ignore them and maybe they'll go away" camp, because he says, "Adventurers? You look like adventurers. Care to escort us the rest of the way to Noodleton? Some fresh apples in it for you!"

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor slowly circles down to ground level, stirring up a lot of dust as he lands. His dire hawk form is actually a little taller than his dwarven one, and he squawks at the commoners in a friendly manner. He then recalls that he cannot speak while wildshaped, and he turns to Shian. I think that we should; no skin off our backs to keep them safe, and we get a little something for it. They might put a good word in for us, help build our reputation.

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

As the antisocial and irrational member of the group he says nothing to the middle-aged couple but always keeps his eyes on them like a hawk in case they try anything. He tries to keep both in his sigh and if he can't he makes sure the one he cannot see is away from him and checks up on him every now and then but without a pattern, just randomly checking on him or her every few seconds.


Spot: [roll0]

[Malimar]

DM

Because of his suspicious nature, Leontius notices -- or thinks he notices -- a certain glassy-eyed quality to the farmer's wife's look, a sort of Stepford (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StepfordSmiler) artificiality to her expression. Suspicious!

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Leontius's scrutiny gives Doldor pause, and he takes a moment to inspect the couple with his sharp hawk-eyes.

Sense Motive: [roll0]
Spot: [roll1]

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius focuses on the unnatural smile of the woman and tries to communicate with the others via Shian's communications satellite "You might call me paranoid but I have a sneaking suspicion that they are not simple travelers. They might want to lead us to a trap or steal our treasure while we sleep. We should either interrogate them or refuse their offer."

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Well, Leontius is currently setting the slowest pace, at 30 feet, since Scarecrow can run indefinitely at a now improved pace of 80 feet per round, at least on normal terrain. Anyway, we will be hustling for an hour, covering 6 miles, and then walking the rest of it, meaning that this encounter is about an hour and twenty minutes into our travel.

We are reaching Noodletown in an hour, so you don't have to sleep with them. Scarecrow responds halfjokingly over the SCS (Shian Communication Satellite), but his eyes begin to glow as he Detects Magic the couple. <Do they smell odd to you?> Scarecrow asks the Felldrakes.

They should reply to the couple soon, or they'll grow suspicious at the squinting adventurers... Of course, they haven't spoken common yet, so the couple might think that the group doesn't speak it.

[Malimar]

DM

Doldor notices the same quality to the woman's expression as Leontius did. And he suspects the farmer of having an ulterior motive! In part because Brutus is growling quietly at the farmer. (The farmer remains blithe in the face of Brutus's hostility, "Good doggy.")

Scarecrow detects... a functioning faint divination spell at first, then a lingering aura of faint divination, then nothing.

The felldrakes have been circling the farmer's wagon suspiciously, and when Scarecrow asks, one of them declares, <SOMETHING SMELLS FUNNY.> The others seem to agree with this analysis.

The farmer adjusts his hood, reaches back to fetch an apple from the crates, and offers it to the party.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor attempts to frown, but birds don't really have the facial muscles to pull it off properly. Something's wrong here. Scarecrow, Leontius, can one of you question them a bit further? I'd rather not have to change back if I don't have to, I think I can only become an animal once every day.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow takes the apple, splitting it in two. One half he gives the felldrakes to sniff, the other he keeps, for now. He takes out a copper piece and hands it to the farmer. "We haven't agreed to anything, yet." He says, making it clear that taking the apple did not mean that they would escort them. "What are you transporting, besides apples?" He says.

I detected Divination, but it quickly stopped. Couldn't pinpoint the source, but either they are more than they seem, or someone else is behind the scenes. No magical manipulation, though... I'll say anything you want, but I'm not quite sure how to proceed...

(Basically, if Shian or Doldor want to ask/say anything, Scarecrow will voice it. Unless it's something silly, like asking Scarecrow to say that he likes pie. Scarecrow doesn't object to pie, but liking it is questionable, as he tastes nothing.)

[Malimar]

DM

The farmer looks a bit surprised that the construct is the one to take the apple, but he shrugs and takes the copper anyway.

The felldrake sniffs the apple half, says, <This doesn't smell funny>, and starts chewing on it.

The farmer is beginning to catch on the extent to which the party is suspicious of him. Still, he attempts to salvage the situation, "Just me, my wife, and a wagonload of apples."

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius' stance relaxes and he smiles under his mask and after he clears his throat he says "I don't think it would hurt us to take you to Noodletown. It's nearby if I remember correctly." He takes an apple from the carriage, trying to see if there is anything else under the pile of apples and raises his mask above his mouth to eat it.


Spot: [roll0]

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor does the bird equivalent of a shrug, and then he lifts off into the air again, rising above the ground swiftly. "If there is something wrong, we'll deal with it then. Noodleton isn't far away, so I'm not overly worried."

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow glances at the other half apple sadly. He wanted to give Doldor the seeds... Scarecrow bites into the apple. Not needing to eat should never prevent one from doing so. He offers the rest of the apple to one of the Felldrakes, before asking <can you pinpoint the exact location of the odd smell?>

Does the wife still look odd? Scarecrow asks. If she does, he continues aloud. "Your wife doesn't look well, is something wrong?"

[Malimar]

DM

Leontius doesn't see anything but apples in the cart. The apple he selects is fresh and juicy and delicious, no worms or brown spots or rot or anything.

Of course, it now occurs to Doldor that it's not quite exactly the right season for apples. It's about early-to-mid-summer, and apples are more of an autumn harvest. So that's suspicious. These apples seem legit, they seem fresh, they're not illusory or anything, they're just not exactly in season.

The felldrakes jump and leap and answer Scarecrow, <The dude!> <The dude smells funny!> <And so does the lady!> <But the dude smells funnier!>

Oh yeah, the divination spell aura was coming from the farmer, somehow forgot to mention that.

The wife does still have the subtly off look! When Scarecrow asks, the farmer looks over at her, and says, "Maybe she's coming down with a cold?"

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor wheels overhead, about sixty feet off of the ground. He thinks for a moment, then gives his advice. Just be honest with them. We've noticed that there's a divination aura on them, and perhaps ask how they have such a good haul of fresh apples at this time of year.

Also, don't eat any more apples until we've sorted this out.

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

For a few seconds as he chews on the apple he sends a voice mail through the telepathic link "Doldor, stay up there and keep a lookout in case it's a trap. The apples taste fine but you never know. I don't think that they will affect Scarecrow so they might have a backup plan to deal with him."

Leontius/Erebus

As soon as he swallows the piece that he was eating he smiles once again and says in an overexcited tone "You apples are delicious. Me and my friend will escort you to Noodletown. " He starts walking forward and lowers his guard and says "So, did someone report bandit attacks on the way to Noodletown or are you just being cautious?"

[Rizban]

Shian

Sorry for the late, and now temporally out of sync, response!
Scarecrow

"I don't want to leave them alone, in the wild. They were already deceived by a demon, getting themselves trapped. Left alone, who knows what will happen to them? They could grow loyal to the wrong people, or get caught and sold off, end up fighting in the arena for gladiatorial entertainment... I want to take them to Numiel's temple. They will get treated well there, and could help guarding the place. Maybe help prevent further attacks on it..."
'Ah, good. Good. I just wanted to make certain there wasn't some ulterior motive, such as trying to use them to claim the bounty. That would have been unacceptable. Now, had they already been dead when we came across them, that might have been a different matter, but I'm wholly against profiting by using living creatures as part of a transaction. That's simply wrong.'

Shian shudders briefly at thoughts of the evils of pet stores.

Swooping down to the cart, Shian peeks inside. If he doesn't see anything overtly suspicious, he'll sneak his way inside for a closer look.
Edit: Oh, and Shian uses detect evil on the whole area, focusing primarily on the farmer and his wife.

[Malimar]

DM

The farmer responds, "Oh, it's always dangerous traveling in these parts. You never know who or what might be wandering around or lying in wait. I can swing a sword, but I'm certainly not up to adventurer snuff."

Shian finds crate upon crate of apples. He also finds that both the farmer and his wife detect as evil.

[Rizban]

Shian

'Just a heads up, but they're both evil with a big "E", or so says the magic evil detector. Can any of you check for illusions or the like? I'm seriously considering just attacking them and letting the gods handle sorting things out.

Oh, and it doesn't appear that there's anything in the back of the cart but the apples.'

Shian spits acid at the apples in a slightly misguided attempt to see what's beneath them. His psicrystal, presumably still on Doldor's shoulder having transferred to Scarecrow's shoulder when Doldor wildshaped, readies an action to attack the farmer's wife if battle commences.

Shian - [roll0] – [roll1]
Readied: Psicrystal - [roll2] – [roll3]

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow concentrated on the information at hand. He didn't like it... The man has cast divination, but quickly dismissed it when Scarecrow detected it. But he did not seem to cast anything. Unless it's a ruse, and it was his wife that had done it... Regardless, unless he was much more powerful than letting on, then he was not human. Creatures with innate magical abilities could cast them by pure will and concentration... He could have cast Detect Thoughts, but neither of them felt an intrusion... Unless he succeeded... It could be Tongues, so he would understand what Scarecrow told the Felldrakes... But the spell can't be dismissed. It could be a scrying spell, or magic detection, though the latter wasn't quite relevant. Then there was what appeared to be some sort of non-magical dominating, fascination or charm effect. It could be that the wife detected as evil because of the effect... Or some sort parasite... And then, did he disguise himself with mundane means, have a non-magical special disguise ability, or cover up the magic somehow?

He wondered if they were dealing with an Incubus... It didn't fit quite perfectly, not without detecting as magic, but if he found a way to hide those auras...

Scarecrow shared his thoughts with the others, hoping that together they might recall some creature with such abilities.

[roll0]

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Once Shian says that they are evil Erebus smiles like a madman under his mask and he lets his Dwarven warpike touch the ground as and grabs it with both hands and then turns with all his strength and weight behind his swing and attacks the husband.


"Mountain Hammer" maneuver.
Attack
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (Normal Attack + Punishing Stance + Mountain Hammer)

AoO
Attack
Attack roll: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (Normal Attack + Punishing Stance)

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

The sudden attack caught Scarecrow by surprise, but he could hardly do anything to stop Leontius even if he had known. Scarecrow suspected that it might not be Leontius in control, but, well, they knew he had issues. <Leontius, is that still you?!> Scarecrow asks as he readies his flames, in case the farmer survives, and is revealed to be hostile.

[roll0]

[Malimar]

DM

Shian starts spraying acid on the apples, and doesn't get much other than mushified melty apples.

Scarecrow can think of a number of possibilities fitting this description, including some manner of transformed dragon. The divination aura could have been a Stilled Silent spell, indicating a powerful spellcaster, or it could have been a spell-like ability, indicating... who knows what kind of creature. Certainly this "farmer" isn't what he appears to be, but Scarecrow isn't clear on what he actually is.


Erebus swings his mighty warpike, slamming the farmer in the chest with the business end. The farmer is definitely not just a normal farmer, because that blow, which would have more than felled any normal man, definitely didn't kill him.

The farmer looks at his wife, making a concentrating face like he's attempting to communicate telepathically with her. But she's already collapsed, melting with acid delivered by Shian's psicrystal.

So the farmer furrows his brow in consternation, then nimbly rolls off the wagon (successfully tumbling away from Leontius/Erebus), and vanishes in a puff of smoke that Scarecrow and Doldor identify as a spell-like dimension door. Which means he can't have gone too far away, as dimension door only has a range measured in hundreds of feet.

(I don't know if trying to escape from his assailants counts as "hostile". Scarecrow identifies the SLA quickly enough that his readied action can trigger before the dimension door goes off if he does judge this hostile.)

Scarecrow judges this a hostile action, and breathes fire upon the farmer, his wife, and the wagon! The wagon catches fire, the already-unconscious wife twitches and dies, but the farmer makes his reflex save. He does not, however, make his concentration check, so the dimension door fizzles out and the farmer curses.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow curses. He didn't want to catch the wife in the attack, only prevent the farmer's escape. What was done, was done, and the farmer was clearly hiding something. "Tell us the truth! Who are you? What are your intentions?!" Scarecrow demands, ready to fire once more.

Ready to fire if he does anything but speak. Well, dropping from the burning cart is also allowed... Anything that is spell or attack related.

[roll0]

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Both Doldor and Brutus prepare to charge the farmer should he attempt any hostile action. Brutus moves to better surround the man.

[Rizban]

Shian

Quickly escaping from the wagon, Shian seems more than a bit upset.

'What are you doing?! I was in there!!'

He circles above the battle, refraining from attacking for the moment. Instead, he makes a large circle in the air, observing the surrounding areas, looking for reinforcements, ambushes, and/or witnesses.

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Erebus laughs maniacally and tries to move to a position where he can use a 5 foot step to escape his melee range if he gets too close and then he attacks the farmer again. As he swings he shouts "Don't get too blood hungry Scarecrow!"

Leontius/Erebus
He responds to Scarecrow "No but do not worry. He will not attack you." as his body swings his dwarven warpike


Attack
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (punishing stance)
He makes a swift action to regain his maneuver

AoO (same as above):
Attack roll: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (punishing stance)


I almost never play murder Hobos but the first time the gm uses that word to describe adventurers is the time that I do....

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor glares at Leontius, not that hawks can do anything other than glare. "Stop being so aggressive! Let him speak!"

[Malimar]

DM

The "farmer", inching away from the burning wagon, begins: "Alright, I'll level with you, I'm actually--" And then there is a mighty SQLRCH as Leontius's warpike impales him, and the farmer collapses in an unconscious heap.

[Rizban]

Shian

Fluttering down, Shian buffets Leontius' face briefly with his wings before alighting on the farmer, healing him for exactly 2 hp and taking 1 damage himself in the process. If he's still negative, he should regain consciousness but remain unable to move without taking damage and passing out again.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor flutters down to the ground again, this time directly next to Leontius. He flares his wings in warning, protecting the fake farmer from further flaying.

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

He lowers his warpike, takes a breath and says "Sorry, I did not think he would just give up. Also, did anyone notice how easily he abandoned his wife though?".

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow approaches the unconscious man, dragging him carefully away from the burning wagon. What type of wagon is it? Was the wagon pulled by horses or mules that are currently terrified by this turn of events, or was the farmer dragging it?

Then Scarecrow waits for the man to wake up. He will be on guard, ready to strike, but he hopes that the already displayed threat will be enough for the man to not attempt anything. "Apologies, our friend is a bit too eager. You were saying?" He simply asks. There wasn't much he could do about Leontius' eagerness... The birds have already shown him enough disapproval, and he saw no benefit to piling it up further.

[Malimar]

DM

So maybe Leontius didn't stab the farmer, and the farmer collapsed from the heat. Or maybe Leontius did stab the farmer, and maybe it was or maybe it wasn't 100% deliberate. Everything happened so fast!

Regardless, the farmer ends up unconscious. Briefly. Scarecrow drags him away from the fire, and Shian's 2 points of healing brings him back to consciousness. But the guy's wounds already seem to start knitting themselves closed of their own accord!

The man slowly gets to his feet, brushing off his bloody and dusty clothes and eyeing Leontius. When Scarecrow prompts him, he says, "As I was saying, we're members of a friendly cult, we make our home just down the road. The apples are a ruse, we were on our way to recruit more cultists in Noodleton. Have you heard the good news about Kwn? Kwn is love, Kwn is life, Kwn is Kwn! I'm sure this unfortunately violent business could be put behind us if you were to submit to the will of Kwn!"

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"I'm satisfied with my current religious disposition, thank you." Scarecrow says dryly. "But tell us more about Kwn." Scarecrow asks, stepping between the cultist-farmer and Leontius. Still, he is far from letting his guard down with this person, and ready to strike at a moment's notice.

[Rizban]

Shian

Shian thinks he has knowledge of Kwn, which he gladly shares with the party telepathically, whether or not his recollections are accurate.

Conferring telepathically with his psicrystal, he should be able to get a minor boost on the check, right?

Psicrystal Assist - [roll0] (DC10)
Shian's Attempt - [roll1]

[Malimar]

DM

Neither Shian nor his psicrystal are familiar with this Kwn! Which is weird, because they're familiar with all the major religions and some minor ones (most of the minor religions focus on heretical aspects of the primary 9 deities, with a handful centering on powerful demons, angels, and other outsiders). It's an unusual name; one would think it would ring a bell if he'd heard of it.

The farmer looks confused by Scarecrow's question. "Kwn... is Kwn."

[Rizban]

Shian

Poking into the "farmer's" mind, Shian prods him a bit, attempting to convey a sense of looming largeness.

'More would be known. Describe this cult that it may be found worthy... or lacking.'

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow is annoyed by the cultist's answer, but lets him answer Shian. If the answer is lacking, Scarecrow will prod for more. "Then tell us about your cult. What do you do, besides recruite more members? How do you worship Kwn?"

[Malimar]

DM

Describing Kwn appears to be beyond this guy's capabilities, but he comes up with some more words to describe the cult itself when prompted. "Well, there's a lot of scientific experiments. I'm not in on the science end of things, I'm just in recruitment, so I don't know much about the science, but it's important to Kwn, so it must be very important indeed. I could take you back to Absterbossk: he's in charge of our cell, I'm sure he could tell you more."

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"We are currently on an assignment of our own, so we can't really take a detour at the moment. But if you could describe where your cell is located, and how to get there, as accurately as possible, we are probably going to check it out when he have the opportunity. I'd like to find out more about it." Scarecrow says honestly. He was confused about the ability of a recruiter that had no knowledge regarding their religion or activities, and beyond pinging as evil and having some magical power, they had little to go on. "So, how do you get people to join the cult?"

[Malimar]

DM

The "farmer" considers Scarecrow for several long seconds, then shrugs. "Near the headwaters of the Don't Drink This River, inside the River Cave. On the east bank." As for how he gets people to join the cult, he says simply, "Charm person."

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor has heard about as much as he cares to. "We're wasting time with this cultist. Leave him be or knock him out, whichever you please, but I think we should keep moving."

[Rizban]

Shian

'Leave him for now, or arrange a rendezvous for later. He seems unbothered by the death of his wife, which is a bit odd. Still, it would be good to have a contact to get us in the door when we inevitably come back to investigate this Kwn cult at a later date.'

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Well, your cover story is destroyed, and the guards will be weary and on the lookout for suspicious people such nas yourself. I rather you don't get yourself arrested, so we have someone we know introduce us when we come back. How about you turn back? In several days we'll return and check it out." having a contact would be nice, but Scarecrow intended to warn the guards in case they come to recruit people in the city anyway. "Oh, and what's your name?"

With that, and the birds being at the end of their patience, Scarecrow bids the cultist farewell and they continue their journey.

[Malimar]

DM

The "farmer" looks sadly at his merrily blazing wagon. (The burning apples smell delicious, like apple sauce.) "And I suppose I'll have to make a new 'wife', too. Alas, no lasting harm done." Still, he seems relieved that the party has decided not to kill him. As for his name: "Tom." With that, he sets off southwards on the road. Difficult to tell through his now-ragged and bloody clothing, but his wounds appear almost completely closed now.

Everybody gains 563XP!


And so, unless Leontius hasn't gotten in enough violence against Tom the friendly-yet-evil cultist yet, the party continues on their way to Noodleton!

They reach the town in good time. The guards on the wall do a double-take at the dragon-robot, the oversized hawk, the friendly sparrow, the mysterious masked man, and the flock of small dragons.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

But they found neither the spellcasting Brutus nor the mules worthy of more than a casual glance? That's specieist.

Deciding not to call the guards out on that, Scarecrow hails them. "Greetings, we are only passing through on our way to Numiel's monastery. We are adventurers." Scarecrow says, hoping that it would explain any oddities with their appearance. Adventurers were supposed to look weird, right? "We wish to report of cultist activities in the area. We plan to investigate it, but cultists may come here and attempt to use magical influence to recruit members to their sect. Be wary, especially if more than one person comes, while the other looks somewhat off, maybe oddly silent. They might use a cover, such as being a farmer that sells apples with his wife, even though it's not really the season... Have you heard of Kwn? That's their target of worship. Perhaps seeing how any newcomers respond to the name could help you catch the cultists as they come."

[Malimar]

DM

Mules and dogs -- even riding dogs in fancy armor with floating shields, apparently -- are normal enough sights in these parts that they don't merit a double-take. The guards nod when Scarecrow introduces the party as adventurers. Of course. Murderhobos. That explains everything.

Cultists! One of the guards pulls out a clipboard and starts taking notes, while the other says, "Ah, maybe that would explain all the mysterious disappearances lately..."

The one with the clipboard: "'Kwn', got it, no idea how you're supposed to spell it, but got it..."

"We'll be on alert. I'm sure the Viscount could find it in the town budget to reward you if you were to find a way to end the disappearances."

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius remains silent throughout the journey, holding his head and shutting his eyes every now and then as if it hurts and avoids talking to the guards.

Another lvl up! Thank you random cultist. I hope we see you and your friends soon for more experience

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Nodding to the guards, Scarecrow leads the party into the town of many noodles. Like, a ton of noodles. That sounds like a lot. Finding a tavern for the others to rest, ordering some berries and sweet water for Shian, he had no idea what shapeshifting sparrows eat, and other generic tavern food for the others, Scarecrow inquires regarding the fastest route to Numiel's Monastery. If they can't reach it within the day (and without it turning into a forced march), he will pay for a large room with two beds, as he didn't think he or Shian needed one, and room at the stables for the mules and Felldrakes, including food for both sets of creatures (creatures being the best I could handle in finding a collective term. Scarecrow will ask the Felldrakes what they want to eat).

He also checks the bounty board, and the renaming post makes him think. "Do you think we should have a party name, too?" He asks later.

[Rizban]

Shian

'A name? That hadn't occurred to me before. How about... Flights of Fancy?

Speaking of flight, I need to find a magesmith capable of reworking my flying shield into something functional for one of my size.'

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Flights of Fancy? Only two of the six of us are able to fly at the moment... How about BLDSS? (Pronounced Bloods? Brutus-Leontius-Doldor-Shian-Scarecrow) Maybe SDSL? By the order of recruitment... (Sounds like Sad Cell in my head)

Regarding your shield, I think it should wait until we are back at Endeesy. We aren't staying here for long, and we don't know how long the reforging will take. I want my own shield to be reworked too...

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Once the group decides to take a break in Noodleton rather than just continue down the road, Doldor returns to his original form. He walks oddly for the next few minutes, as if unused to the motion. He also seems even quieter than usual, and he spends a lot of time looking at the sky.

Once the group has found a place to eat, he orders something hot and hearty and sets to eating. When the topic of group names comes up, he finally breaks his contemplative silence. "I don't know if we should go in for naming ourselves. The greatest groups were named by others, due to their deeds and their legends. But then again, it would be good to have something to call ourselves. I don't know when it happened, exactly, but you're not just allies to me."

He smiles at Shian and Scarecrow. "You're friends. And I mean that, you've both earned it." He looks to Leontius, and his expression becomes a bit conflicted. "I... haven't know you as long, lad. But you've got a lot of potential, you're focused, you're sharp. But you've also got some things you need to work through; things I know that you need help working through. We're here for you, and once your head has quieted down I think we're going to have smooth sailing."

He takes another bite of his ambiguous tasty tavern food, and drinks from his ambiguous tavern drink. "But names. They've got meaning, and power, in many different ways. We want something simple, unique, easy to remember, and that sets the right tone. No sense in calling ourselves something frightening or some complicated acronym."

Another bite, another swig. A pause to think. "What do we all have in common? Scarecrow is something between a seaforged and a dragon. Shian is a shapeshifting telepathic sparrow who can spit acid and wears glowing armor. I'm a throwback dwarf with a connection to nature not seen in my people in centuries. And Leontius is a mystery even to us; a mystery with a lot of scars and occasional bloodthirst."

"We could be... the Outsiders."

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow nods quietly when Doldor calls him a friend, agreeing with the notion, but when he suggests the name, Scarecrow can't help but laugh. "I like that one!"

[Rizban]

Shian

'Outsiders? Like that strange red thing that almost did us in?'

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

More in the sense of people that don't really fit, than those from other planes. Scarecrow explains.

[Rizban]

Shian

'It seems that would also imply we were unwelcome anywhere we went. Perhaps, with that in mind, we should just use The Interlopers... or choose something more friendly sounding?'

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius just keeps looking at nothing in particular and nods when others speak to him. He just eats his food quietly.

[Malimar]

DM

Lunchtime! It's easy enough to find a tavern with a stable and everything, though everybody involved looks a bit askance at the prospect of housing a mob of rambunctious little dragons. Luckily, they probably won't have to house them for long.

The felldrakes say they'll eat just about anything (chiming in with a chorus of nine different favorite foods, from strawberries to sheep to apple pie to pheasant), but would, overall, prefer meat.

As to the fastest route to the Monastery of Numiel at Perch Hill: the barkeep is all, "Aye, you're gonna want to head across the bridge, then down the road south to Furroway. Turn off the road after Furroway. It's a bit rougher off the road, but the road'll take you the looong way 'round. Just head southeast uphill from Furroway. Should reach the monastery before nightfall, assumin' you don't get yourself lost. If you find yourself going downhill, you've took a wrong turn."

[Rizban]

Shian

After a moment's thought, Shian continues.

'Why not use something related to our goal? Dry Delvers? Nature's Nurturers? Planar Perfecters? Bringers of Balance? The Balancing Act?'

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Considering for a moment, Scarecrow shakes his head. Perhaps we should first achieve something noteworthy, before we take such a name.

With the barkeep's directions, Scarecrow decides that continuing is worth it. Rested and resupplied, he urges the others that sleeping here is rather pointless. They could spend the night at the monastery and be back in Endeesy in a few days. Even though Doldor has spent his wild shape, he could easily ride a mule so that we aren't any slower, and his survival skills should allow us to make good time in the wild.

Anyone objects to not spending the night in Noodleton?

Scarecrow will take care of the Felldrake food, the mules will be fed out of the party funds, and the others should cover their own meals, with however much they stock up for further journey. Everybody ok with that?

Scarecrow will pay for good meals for the Felldrakes, so 9*3sp (2.7gp). We should stockpile on feed for several days, for when the mules can't graze, so 9 feed total, or 3 now and 6 extra, for 0.45gp. The rest should pay for the current meal and however rations they need... Mathing it out makes it feel very petty suddenly. We are way beyond the wealth level that should require this to be considered. Maybe set a flat rate and assume we always have enough for food and lodging? I mean, medium food and good meal is 1gp per person, and half if we don't rest in a tavern, for a 5sp ration.

You have the adventuring guild discounts for room and food, so I'm not sure how much you care about those details...

[Malimar]

DM


Scarecrow will take care of the Felldrake food, the mules will be fed out of the party funds, and the others should cover their own meals, with however much they stock up for further journey. Everybody ok with that?

Scarecrow will pay for good meals for the Felldrakes, so 9*3sp (2.7gp). We should stockpile on feed for several days, for when the mules can't graze, so 9 feed total, or 3 now and 6 extra, for 0.45gp. The rest should pay for the current meal and however rations they need... Mathing it out makes it feel very petty suddenly. We are way beyond the wealth level that should require this to be considered. Maybe set a flat rate and assume we always have enough for food and lodging? I mean, medium food and good meal is 1gp per person, and half if we don't rest in a tavern, for a 5sp ration.

You have the adventuring guild discounts for room and food, so I'm not sure how much you care about those details...

I don't get too fussed about those details much, actually. That discount is more of a fluff thing than something I expect to actually matter. If you're inclined to do the math, you can, but if you're not, you can just do whatever, assume you're just spending a few gold on necessities every day or what-have-you, sure.

I'm a little more inclined to care about carrying capacity, but still not likely to enforce that particularly sternly, either.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

With nobody objecting, Scarecrow leads the group, following the directions the barkeep gave him, to the monastery.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

The monastery isn't far away, so Doldor agrees that it's prudent to continue on rather than resting. A large part of his decision is due to the little felldrakes, who would be almost impossible to contain or control for an entire night. He takes the time to buy some foodstuffs for himself and Brutus, and then clambers up onto a mule so as to not slow the party down. "Tomorrow," he mutters, "I'll prepare Longstrider. Hate riding."

Along the path he'll stop every now and then when he sees signs of good berry bushes or nuts or other forage, which he'll share with Leontius and Brutus and any felldrake that wants it.

Gonna buy 14 trail rations, enough for me and Brutus and Leontius to last for quite a while when coupled with Survival.

Survival (DC 15, Predict the weather for a day, +1 day for every 5 over 15): [roll0]

Survival (DC 10, Gather food, +1 person for every 2 above 10): [roll1]

[Malimar]

DM

Doldor predicts that it will continue to be a hot (currently 84 degrees Fahrenheit), precipitation-free day. Past that, he's not sure.


For the first part of the trip, the road from Noodleton to Furroway, it's still not exactly "the wild" (though there are now stretches of young forest in between the farms, this far from Endeesy), and you can, if you so choose, "borrow" fruit from the orchards and vegetables from the fields without much in the way of speed penalty.


As they travel the road, the party sees a small unkindness of four giant ravens the size of horses, pecking at immature fruits in a nearby orchard. If the party approaches, the ravens back away, squawking and cawing grumpily, "My fruit!" "Ours!" "Our fruit!"

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow gives them a quick Detect Magic, but unless the others identify it as evil or something that needs to be dealt with, he will ignore the giant ravens and continue walking.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor will wave at the ravens in a friendly manner. "Hello, there. We don't want to take your fruit. Have a good day, and may your skies be clear."

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius gives Doldor the money for half the rations.

Once Leontius sees the ravens he walks in front of the group and raises his weapon to defend himself and the group if it is needed and says "Let's just back away slowly." and changes to his stonefoot stance (http://dndtools.pw/spells/tome-of-battle-the-book-of-nine-swords--88/stonefoot-stance--3729/)


If they attack Leontius tries to trip one of them.

AoO (same as above):
Trip attack roll: [roll0]
Strength check: [roll1]
Bonus attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Malimar]

DM

The tilt their heads and caw, and one of them replies to Doldor, "And also your skies!"

They eye Leontius with suspicion and caution, but do not attack.


Moving on, the party soon reaches Furroway, a small, insignificant town, notable only for the fact that you have to turn off the road soon after leaving it.


And so the journey becomes an uphill climb through young forest!

It's hot going despite the shade the scattered trees provide, and there's not a whole lot in the way of paths, though the undergrowth isn't super-thick.

Eagles circle in the sky.

Doldor recognizes a patch of Elf's Ears, a semi-common plant with several medicinal and ritual uses endemic to Gus, so named because of the elf-ear-like shape of its leaves.


In the end, the journey is surprisingly peaceful. The party easily finds their way up Perch Hill to the monastery, a collection of low wooden buildings surrounded by a highish stone wall. No guards appear to be on duty at the entrance, but two mongrelfolk in simple cenobite robes are working in the garden around the main central building. One of them stands up when he sees the party and calls out, "Hail, travelers."

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor will collect half of the patch of Elves' Ears, leaving the rest to grow back or for other travelers. Otherwise he simply enjoys the sky, trees, and the feeling of being in nature. It's been a rare enough feeling the past few thousand years, but he has hope that things will soon change.

When the group arrives at the temple, he settles to the back of the party, happy to let Scarecrow do the talking.

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow approaches the mongerfolk, trying to recall them from his previous visit, and nods in acknowledgement. He introduces himself and the others if needed, before proceeding. "We have a few matters we wished to discuss... I have a personal matter of faith I wished to discuss with Abbot Waxter, and would like my companion here to be attended by a healer." Scarecrow explains. "We have also this charming group of Felldrakes that we hoped would be able to find a loving family here." He adds. "If it is too late in the day, a place to rest for the night, so we could handle our business in the morning, would be nice as well. Well, it would be nice regardless, as we don't wish to travel during the night..."

He would also ask Doldor, through Shian and without Leontius, to find an opportunity away from Leotnius to hand over the book of evil.

[Malimar]

DM

The cenobite nods, appearing unfazed by the party's motley appearance, and says, "I'll bring you right to the abbot, then." The other cenobite takes the party's mules and leads them to a small stable on the east side of the compound.

So into the monastery they go! A long, wide corridor with scattered doors leads to the monastery's chapel, a small, bright, airy room with lots of windows and a small altar. The abbot, who turns out to be a tallish middle-aged human man with brown eyes and gray hair, stands from behind the altar and greets the party, "Why, hello again, and hello to newcomers! I am Abbot Waxter."

The cenobite repeats the gist of Scarecrow's requests, and the abbot looks into the hallway at the felldrakes. "Ah, Crested Felldrakes, lovely creatures! Numiel's creatures are of course more than welcome to make a home here, where they will be safe from the depredations of the world." He gestures, and the cenobite who led you in gathers up the felldrakes and leads them outside to begin settling them in.

"Now, what seems to be the trouble with your friend? We'll try to get him sorted out, then we'll feed you all and get you settled in to the guest house for the night, yes? Then this gentleman and I can have a conversation."

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

"I might be suffering from what a book I found called 'Amnesia' and also there is someone else in my head who can control my actions. I can keep it from harming anyone I don't want to but it is a problem. Also I have some major headaches every now and then. Mostly after battles. That's everything." He says in his usual voice as he looks around the temple.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

The dwarf nods sagely. "Aye, he doesn't seem to remember anything past a year or so. And sometimes his personality takes a very sharp dive into violence or anger, but always when confronted with a foe or obstacle. Two personalities, I'd say."

He pauses a moment, then looks around. "You don't happen to have any folk of a druidic bent around here, do you? I've recently developed the ability to change into animals without casting a spell, and I'm looking to talk to someone more knowledgable about the experience."

[Malimar]

DM

Abbot Waxter scratches his chin and says, "Ahh. I know of just the spell that could clear that right up. Unfortunately, heal is rather a powerful spell, certainly beyond my capabilities, probably beyond even the Archbishop's. Still, there are some things we could try." The abbot gestures intricately, chants a little chant, waves his little golden butterfly holy symbol, and casts detect evil. Then he says "Huh. That's funny. Definitely something funky going on. I don't think it's possession-related, but I'll try this anyway..." And he casts protection from evil on Leontius.

The abbot looks in Leontius's eyes, waves his hand in front of Leontius's face, and goes "Huh." again. Leontius doesn't feel all that different.

"Well, I don't think it's magical possession. Or at least I don't think it's entirely that. I'd suggest retiring to a life of quiet contemplation, as adventuring is likely to exacerbate your symptoms, but telling an adventurer to stop adventuring is like telling the tides to stop their turning. I can recommend some meditation and introspection exercises that might help, though."


Then he turns to Doldor. "Druids, hm? That's more Sequoia's thing. Or Hafgufa's." He sounds a little awkward when he mentions Sequoia, because the doctrinal situation between Numiel and Sequoia is awkward. "But from what I understand of druidry, that's something of a rare talent; you must be a powerful druid."

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor smiles, but shakes his head. "I'm not powerful, no. Nature's powerful, though, and I suppose she's looking out for me. Now then, if there aren't any druidic folk around I think I'll make myself useful in your gardens, if that's fine with you. I may be able to help your crops along."

[Rizban]

Shian

The little sparrow continues along with the party in silence except for the occasional singing. He cares little for the ways of humanoids and is content to simply flit about as the others do their things.

[Sliver]

vScarecrow

Scarecrow considered the Abbot's words. Druids are also able to cast Heal, but it comes even harder to them than to Clerics. It would be unlikely that they would find a druid with such capacity before they find an able cleric, and Doldor wouldn't be able to cast such a spell for a long time, if ever. "You wouldn't happen to have a scroll with the spell, or an item capable of casting it?" Scarecrow asks, though not quite hopeful. "Do you know of someone who researched ailments of the mind, that could perhaps assist us with mundane methods?"

Scarecrow waits for the others to leave. "There is also a book in our possession, that is probably the one your post at the guild referred to. Doldor carries it, but I didn't want it to be handed over in Leontius' presence, as his other personality came up last time and he demanded to read it. We refused, but I didn't want to complicate things further by risking it now. Perhaps you should have someone retrieve it while Doldor is separated in the garden?" Scarecrow suggests, before moving on to his own matters.

And finally, he does. "Abbot Waxter, when I first came in here, I was rather conflicted. I have convinced myself that I was a true dragon, but... Recent events have stacked enough evidence against it to shatter such illusions. Now I know, that I was not born, but created. I don't know why, though... It feels like I don't have a purpose in this world, that I am just wandering through it... But it is changing, and Numiel has offered me a chance. We found ourselves fighting a demon, and barely managed to drive it away. That night, Numiel, or one of his agents, spoke to me. He told me that the demon was a servant of the Burning Hate, called Rectanglebug, and... He had given me a choice. And I want to accept it. I want to be of use to Numiel, and to better this world. I want to be reborn, but the ritual requires something that I am not certain how to obtain. So I came here, hoping that you might have, or know where I could obtain, the scales of a metallic dragon that are required of me."

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius nods and leaves. He tries to find a place to sit and then enters a zombie-like state as all of his muscles relax and he closes his eyes to relax and meditate. He barely reacts to anyone passing by his location, just opening his eyes and tracking their movements until they are gone unless they speak to him.

[Malimar]

DM

There's a nice duck pond in the compound, with several convenient sitting-places around it. Ducks, though not officially sacred to Numiel, are apparently good for quiet contemplation. They qveck curiously but pay Leontius little mind.


The local squirrels, sparrows, and finches chitter and chirp at Shian. They don't appear to want to be friends, exactly, but they'll certainly tolerate his presence.


The cenobites are happy to have Doldor's help, though they don't say much. There are herb gardens and flower gardens and a greenhouse up against the outer wall, the tending of any of which is good for quiet contemplation.


The abbot shakes his head sadly to Scarecrow, "Alas, such a scroll... our libraries are not extensive here. The Archbishop could have such a scroll, which I can write to him for, but I don't anticipate much luck. Hmm... the mind and its secrets aren't exactly Numiel's domain, but I can't exactly recommend you go in search of a priest of Mirk. Well, I can, but I have to get your promise that you will seek such a person out with, ah, with extreme prejudice, if you know what I mean."

Once the others are gone and Scarecrow tells him about the book, Waxter nods about it, "Ah, the Evil Encyclopedia of Evil? There are other evil books that we're happy to deal with, but of course that's the one that seems to keep cropping up no matter how many copies we destroy. We had to start offering a reward for them, though we sadly can't afford to pay as much as those horrible cultists of Quasxthe can." And Waxter summons a cenobite and instructs him what to do.


And so it is that Doldor, as he is working in the gardens or the greenhouse out of sight of Leontius, is approached by a cenobite, who presents him with a small sack of platinum coins in exchange for the volume of the Evil Encyclopedia of Evil.

Oh, my records show Party B has two volumes of the EEoE. So, in exchange for turning over both, Doldor is given 50 platinum


Meanwhile, in the chapel, Scarecrow and Waxter continue to talk. "Ah, you wish to become dragonborn. This is a rare offer from Numiel! Scales of metallic dragons... Hm. There are a few young dragons who dwell around the mountain, but I don't know how you might best track them down to ask them for their scales. Oh! There is someone: we have heard rumours of a golden dragon dwelling somewhere deep inside the Cave of Burning. If you find him and he judges you worthy of his patronage, he might share some of his scales for your ritual. And I would consider it a personal favor if you were to extend to him the friendship of the Church of Numiel, if you find him. I have... oh, I know." Waxter takes his golden holy symbol from around his neck and hands it to Scarecrow, "Give him this, as a token of our regard. It's not much compared to a dragon's hoard, but it glisters, and that's what matters."

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

"Please, do write him. A slim chance is better than none. It seems like it would not be an easy task, to be reborn." Scarecrow comments as he takes the golden symbol, holding it gently. "Thank you. Has there been more information regarding the culprits in who murdered Prior Trakis?" Scarecrow asks.

"Have you heard of Kwn? On our way to Noodletown we have encountered a man who seems to be part of a cult dedicated to this Kwn. They seem to be responsible to disappearances around Noodleton and we intend to investigate the cult soon, but I was hoping that you might offer some insight."

Finishing his conversation, he bids the Abbot good night, leaving to meditate the night away.

In the morning, Scarecrow meets with the others.

"We should return to Endeesy now, sell our loot and distribute our gains, then equip ourselves and head out to investigate this Kwn cult. Afterwards, I wish to go to the Cave of Burning. The Abbot told me that there could be a golden dragon there, and I wish to converse with him. Or her. I believe it will help me find myself... You don't have to accompany me in that quest, but I would appreciate your company greatly." Scarecrow says honestly.

He will inquire regarding the fastest route back to Endeesy before they head out. Going to Riverford might be the fastest, especially if they head off-road Suzanne's Inn and straight to the bridge, but he wanted to be sure.

He will also meet with the Felldrakes before leaving, petting and playing with them a bit before bidding farewell.

On the road, Scarecrow is mostly quiet, "we will find a way, Leontius" he promises, partially to himself.

[Malimar]

DM

Abbot Waxter nods, "We're running low on a number of other scrolls, so I need to request more from the Archbishopric anyway. I'll ask if they have heal available."

As for Prior Trakis: "We suspect the elf Aramil has fled offworld, to another plane or elsewhere entirely. As for the others, sadly no new leads."

"Kwn? I can't say as I have. Must be very new or very secretive. Or both."

The abbot bids Scarecrow good night. A cenobite leads the party to the guest house, a small but comfortable building on the east side of the compound.


MEANWHILE, THE NEXT MORNING

The felldrakes frolic happily with Scarecrow! They seem happy to have a new, moderately comfortable, home.


A map (http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/highseas/images/e/e5/Gusmap.gif/revision/latest?cb=20131007180432) is pulled out and the possible routes are examined!

Scarecrow is informed that the fastest way back to Endeesy would normally be the Ironrock-Suzanne's Inn-Doublebridge-Eastside road. But the ruins of Doublebridge are quarantined, and you'd need to find some way across the Bitey River, and avoid or destroy the undead abominations that dwell in Doublebridge now (the people of the monastery encourage this destroyment, though there are so many undead it would take quite a while to deal with them all in combat).

Barring that, they suggest either a.) the Ironrock-Suzanne's Inn-Fourside-X-Riverford-Eastside road, or b.) Ironrock-Suzanne's Inn, then cutting across the wilderness to the road northeast of Riverford. (B) would cut about five miles off the trip, but having to navigate through the wilderness might not be worth it -- the roads are generally safer.

Then there's always the option to retrace their steps, cutting through the wilderness to Furroway, take the road to Noodleton, and from there hop a boat to Endeesy. There's always ship travel all along the bigger coastal towns. This would be fast and safe, but it would cost a small amount of money. (And this way Scarecrow could carry to Noodleton a letter from the Abbot, to be delivered to the Archbishop by the next ship bound for Shell.)

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow is curious at the mention of ships. So they were fast enough that even sailing around a quarter of Gus is faster than on foot? Still, until he masters his new technique, he rather avoid being close to deep waters. Scarecrow opts for B, as he feels confident enough that they could handle anything the wild has to throw at them.

[Rizban]

Shian

He thinks all this road business is silly. Clearly, it would be much shorter to just go in a straight line. Shian, however, refrains from expressing this for the moment.

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

Doldor will wait to prepare his spells until after the group has decided on the best path to follow. He suggests that they take the most direct, wilderness route; he's much more comfortable in the woods than bandits would be, and he's confident in the party's ability to deal with most any animal or wandering beast.

Doldor will either ask or use Knowledge (Nature) 17 to know the kind of terrain the wilderness along option B is. He's got some great spell options if it's a heavily wooded forest, but if it's a light-undergrowth forest it won't be worth the trouble.

I'm specifically thinking about Easy Trail, from the SpC.

[Malimar]

DM

Doldor knows there's not much heavily-wooded forest on this continent (most of the world's dense woodlands are on Miranda (where the elves actively nurture plant growth) and on Here There Be Monsters (for mysterious reasons))

The undergrowth on the proposed path is dense enough that easy trail would definitely cut travel time. Is it worth a spell slot of the second circle, to approximately double travel time for a five-to-ten-mile stretch of the trip? I dunno, that's up to Doldor. Increasing speed will reduce the probability of encountering horrible monsters, and will increase the chance of getting back to Endeesy before nightfall (with easy trail, the journey back to Endeesy would be about a 6-hour trip at a hustle.)


And so, once Doldor prepares his spells, the party sets out once again for Endeesy!

The road from the monastery down to Ironrock is peaceful and quiet, albeit a little warm (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Ironrock is a sleepy little mining village, its economy centered around extracting iron from the poor-quality ore found here. (All the high-quality ores having long since been extracted by the merfolk for the 500 years of the Inundation and by the dwarves who lived here for the 500 years before that. Even the successful Tiv-Beckett Cold Iron Mine has to work pretty hard at extracting cold iron from the ground, most of the best veins were exploited centuries ago.)

And then it's on to Suzanne's Inn! But! On the road to Suzanne's Inn, something happens!

Nobody notices the Thing, so a glob of acidic glop comes flying out of the high grass and strikes Leontius for 15 damage!

After a moment of frantic looking, the party sees the source of the glop: a large, hairless wolf, with pale, slimy skin covered with bizarre, abstract tattoos. It has no head; instead, a long, serpentine neck extends from the middle of its back, terminating in a grotesquely oversized maw filled with multiple rows of teeth. Though it has no eyes, the mouth unerringly tracks the party, making ready to spit another jet of acidic bile!

http://i.imgur.com/XfSFYBy.png

Initiative order is: Leontius, Doldor & Brutus, Shian, the monster, Scarecrow.



,,,,,♣,,,,,,o,,,♣,,,
,,♣,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,o,,,,♣,,,♣a,,
,,,,,..mmbmmC.,,,,o,
.....mmmmHmmL.......
.....mm,,♣,,D.......
..,,,,,,,,,,,,o,,,,,
,,,,♣,,,o,,,,,,,♣,,,
,,,,,,,,,,♣,,,,,,,,,
,,o,,♣,,,,,,,,♣,,,,,

. = road
, = high grass (difficult terrain)
♣ = tree/bush
o = boulder

H = Shian
C = Scarecrow
L = Leontius
D = Doldor
b = Brutus
m = mule
a = aberrant monster

[Artorias]

Leontius/Erebus

Leontius changes to his punishing stance and attacks the monster that attacked him after walking 20 feet straight ahead


Attack
Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] (punishing stance)

AoO (same as above):
Attack roll: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3] (punishing stance)

[RaggedAngel]

Doldor

At the beginning of the trek Doldor casts a simple druidic spell to liven his step. Despite his short legs he has no problem keeping up with his companions on the journey, and once the group reaches the woods, he has another surprise for them. Doldor casts again, sending a very gentle wave of magic into the world around him. As the party moves forwards into the woods the woods gracefully moves out of the way, roots retreating and bushes scooting out of the way. "Not all magic," he remarks, "is for killing. The best magics aren't, in my opinion."

Once the monstrous hound attacks, however, all thoughts of not-killing leave Doldor's mind. He sends Brutus darting into the fray, the hound's tough hide and armor hopefully enough to keep him safe from the creature. Once Brutus is in place to attack Doldor casts a short, harsh spell. Brutus's muscles bulge with power, and the dogs mouth foams with rage as he snaps at the creature.

I realized as I was updating Doldor's spells that I hadn't been taking the Animated Shield into account while calculating Brutus's AC. The damned dog's AC is 27. That's unreal.

Doldor casts Enrage Animal, then moves 30 feet forward to get into better position.

Brutus moves 50 feet to be adjacent to the monster, where he attacks. If he provokes, he provokes. His AC is 27; Doldor casts Enrage Animal after Brutus closes the distance. Brutus will use his Strength domain ability, because I don't think he could resist doing otherwise in his Rage state.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
If he hits, Trip attempt: [roll2]

[Sliver]

Scarecrow

Scarecrow moves into 30 feet range before blasting the strange beast with COLD!

[roll0]