Rage of the Smoking mirror

[Auranghzeb]

Karimandiaz:

Your disguise is perfect, nobody recognizes you as you move through the narrow passages of the market district, walking assuredly towards what once was your home: the palace of the merchant king. Your fingers grasp the pommel of your deadly Khopesh cleverly disguised in a bundle of wood. He is dead, long ago, but you had to come back. Unbeknownst to you, the bastard knew where your mother and sister were, an old slave bought the same they you were told you so a few weeks ago. Now you are here, the plan is simple, slip undetected into the mansion and recover the merchant’s records, anything that might give you a hint, a clue. However small.
You are facing the walls, protected by arcane symbols, no easy to cross. Then it all starts. The ground starts shaking, for a second or two it’s only a slight movement, then people start screaming all around you, the movement intensifies, people all around start to lose their balance, leaning on the walls, not you, used to the charges of warriors in the arena. Then it gets even stronger, an old woman is sent tumbling down the canal, she is drowning, and then the earth just moves like a serpent and the walls in front of you crackle as a roaring thunder. Behind you a minaret crumbles in a heap of dust and rubble over a dozen men. It is chaos, the entire city. The magical walls in front of you break in half and one half just slips into the water were the old women felt, the solid rock sliding as a piece of pie on a silver tray. You are quick enough to jump aside and avoid being dragged with it. The earthquake lasts four long minutes of anger and chaos.
As it dies, the sound of it is replaced by the cries of desperation. You see a man pulling another’s arm from a pile of rocks. You think of helping, but the walls in front of you are gone, a clear path and the perfect opportunity… you want to dash ahead but feel observed, you look up. Up there, at least a hundred feet above ground the sky is broken, a rift is open and something, someone is watching you from the crack in reality.

As you watch, your body tickles, you feel a pull upwards. Then you are gone.



Lillin:

You slide through the alley like a shadow, hurried steps follow you, you could obliterate those guards with a single flick of your hand, a spell and the tentacles would painfully destroy them. Why wouldn’t you? But if you did so, the arcane order spies would know that you are again in the Prime. They would know that that intromission in the duke’s palace was not an ordinary theft, they’ll look around the objects stolen and realize the jewels were not the real objective. Too mundane for you. They’ll eventually become interested in the duke’s map collection and they’ll soon detect the illusion. No. Better to lose this guards with mundane means, anyway you are quite skilled at that.

You just need to reach the safe area, the room you prepared to avoid being scried upon. Then you’ll plane shift and you’ll be gone. Foolish noble the duke, he’s not even aware of what you stole. A simple ancient map bought expensively from a bunch of thugs. It took you some time to track them. They left your old pal Xander in a pretty bad condition those bastards.

You see the wall and move right through it. Wait. The guards pass by. Idiots. Inside this fake room you can cast spells. You prepare yourself to plane shift, the spell is cast. Something’s odd. You see your destination across the planes but it passes you as you feel a pull, a terrible pull. And then you fall unconscious.



Dran:

In miles and miles you can behold the beautiful whiteness of the snow and the huish blue of ice. Humans freeze below you, others learn how to cope, you entertain yourself with the show of this men who have never experience this temperature. Their baffled expression fill you with something similar to joy.

But ahead, in the horizon, you see columns of smoke rising to the north and the unmistakable red shine of fire. It is impossible. You fly in that direction and soon see animals running south and the smell of burnt wood and flesh becomes stronger. The wind carries ashes and embers and you see a whole forest set alight. Blazing fire burning everything, threatening everything you have achieved.

You attempt to cast a spell, a powerful dweomer of blizzards and hail, but the ice and the water fizzle. This fire is unnatural, and at least as powerful as the Frostfell. The embers and sparks seem alive, jumping almost knowingly from tree to tree. The heat is intense and the mixed air currents drag you around like a small tornado. From behind a thick column of smoke you “hear” a voice. Is it perhaps a wizard’s doing?

You get into the column of smoke and when you get to the other side…


Kali:

The heavy rain has made the ground impassable, your boots get stuck in the mud, and then there’s your size. But Moms got it worst, her bones are not made for this. You decide to put her back into the sack. As if she cared. She follows your orders, she follows your wishes. Life would have been so easy…

Despite the discomfort a pleasant thought crosses your mind: the burrows, all this water that’s been falling for the past two days, perhaps all and every one of those who despised you are now trapped under the mud. How fitting?

You find a good place to spend the night. But the winds are getting stronger and stronger, bending the branches of trees and howling through the rocks. Thunder follows lightning by milliseconds. And the lightings crack the rocks around you. It is amusing, the sheer harmony of chaos, you feel like dancing with the thunderous music.

But there, right inside the storm clouds there’s someone, or something watching you. You try to peek through the rain and the blinding flashes of lightning, you don’t even see the one that hits you…
Puff.



ALL:

You have no idea how much time you have been out of yourself. Your head is in pain. Your sight is blurry. When you manage to open your eyes you find yourself in darkness, and yet you can see. The “room” is filled with the smell of incense the walls seem smooth and there are no corners. But if you attempt to touch the walls they simply seem to be further away. There is no roof, instead you can see a starry sky. There is a brazier in the center of the room:

https://cherokeegothic.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/tlaloc-4.jpg

And a faint line of smoke rises from it...

You are not alone.

There are other people, you hear them breathe. You even hear the moanings of someone close to death. Then you see them:

Three other people are standing around the brazier. And five more lay about. One of them is missing her head, another, this a metallic man is cleft
in two and his head hangs from a thread of something between flesh and metal.

There is a drow, crying, he is looking at a hole where his chest used to be and charred skin.


Then a voice that seems to come from within the brazier and from your own mind at the same time speaks to you:


I see some didn’t make it… Four will have to do…

[Chimaera]

"Too quick, too easy", she was thinking, the gems and the map pocketed in her backpack, "Now just leave this place and...", but there was no conclusion to her line of thought as the world died around her.

Lillin wake up and hold her head for a moment and when she hear the voice she is quick to jump back her feet and look around. With suspicious around the survivors and the dead, she make a quick flick of wrist to produce a concealed and very sharp shiv.

"Who are you and where the hell are we in?", she says outloud screening the room and people for magic, as her eyes turn white (not that anyone can see through her googles).

On the people, brazier and room

Taking a look at the drow with a hole in his chest she almsot instantly look at her own chest, touching her body with her right hand, as if looking for a wound or missing limb. What just happened? Did the Arcane Order was aware of her assault to the duke's treasury? And what is this place?

[BelGareth]

Kerry hurried through the side street, he had made sure his disguise was perfect, even hired someone to help him, a master of his craft, and it was worth every penny.

It had to be, he had to get in and get the information, even if he didn't want to know it, no one else had the right, no one else should know.

He moved past another begger, they were plentiful this side of the city, especially in the side streets, where it was more shadow than sunlight, less eyes to see the decrepdud underbelly of success, the cancerous tumor that infected the undercarriage of those who sat on top, the tip of the iceberg, ready to break free, if only they had enough momentum.

That was another story though, this one, this story tonight was his alone, he was going to go back to that place, and he'd kill anyone who tried to stop him. He checked his sword in the bundle on his shoulder, it was secure, and he moved on, finding the wall in between two other buildings. Sure as ****, it radiated magic. This was the hard part.

As the first tremor rocked through the city, he frowned, he kept his footing, but his mind whirled on what was going on, had another Tradelord found him out, sent a mage after him? No, the tremors were getting worse, and he was not the only one getting hit. No Merchant king in his right mind would cause so much damage to their own property. As the houses around him fell, sliding into the abyss, his heart raced, and, finally, as the magic came down from the wall, he saw his chance, he readied himself to leap, but then...eyes, from above?



He came-to in the room, and instantly took in his surroundings, the five wounded lay about, but mysteriously they were not dead. Even with grave wounds, he almost went to feel his own chest at the scene of the drow with the gaping wound, the construct, hanging by a literal thread, half alive, half construct, a fitting end to such a creature. He chuckled at the irony of the scene, and then he heard the words.

He saw the other three that were unhurt, they must be what the voice spoke of...who, what...he shook his head, trying to force the fogginess to recede.

[Tjallen]

Striding confidently into the the smoke Dran offers a way out for the interloper: "Come out and you will be allowed to retreat with your life."

As he returns to consciousness, Dran springs to his feat, quickly calling on a spirit of ice to shield him.
Quietly regarding the others, upon hearing the question as to their whereabouts he quickly looks up to the sky to get an idea of their position. Being met with a foreign night sky he offers his opinion: "We're far from the North lands, I don't recognize any of the constellations."

[Auranghzeb]

Lillin: Your eyes lit as you scan the room for magic, the first few second you concentrate on the people scattered around the room, those healthy and those hurt. They all carry magical items of all sort. And there’s a strong trace of illusion school emanating from them.

Spellcraft check DC 30. It is some sort of advanced version of planar ally but cast with shadow magic… you too have it. It is as if you had been the subject of a summon planar ally spell.

Then you set your eyes in the walls of the room, strong, very strong illusion magic from the plane of shadows. Somehow it is as if the room only existed in the will and mind of a powerful magic being.

The aura emanating from the brazier almost knocks you back, forcing you to concentrate, you feel the blood pulsating in your head. It is perhaps the strongest magical aura you have ever witnessed. The school? Illusion again.


Dran:

You try to summon a spirit of Ice, and it appears, looks at you in pain and burst in shards of quick melting ice. The voice offers you an immediate answer.

That won’t work here. As you may know, those summoned rarely retain their own summoning abilities.

Your eyes move to the starry sky not a single star is where it was supposed to be.


Karimandiaz:

The “construct” must have been a warrior of some sort. The drow expires with a last gasp and clutches the pommel of a fine crafted scimitar. You can recognize a good weapon with a glimpse.

The others seem fine, they even move around asking questions and offering suggestions.


ALL:


The brazier speaks again.

As of where are you, it is fruitless to tell you the exact location you wouldn’t even know. Let’s call it my cell. As of why are you here, well, that’s even simpler: you are here because I wanted it.

You’ll forgive that I sound arrogant, it’s been quite a long time since last I enjoyed visitors and my room is not really fit to entertain anyone. I don’t eat, and I don’t drink, and keeping the fiction of breathing air for mortals like you is as far as I’m going to make you feel comfortable.


I am Ehecatl. I am the Night and the Breeze. And I have summoned you to offer you a job.


I need you to kill a God.

[Chimaera]

Auto-sucess! +33 bonus on it

Lillin analyze the magic auras and frown. Maybe a Shades spell ir something like that would work like that. And even that ome wouldnt work the way it did, so whoever cast it is indeed really powerful.

She put her dagger in her belt and sit in the floor. Summoning is also barred, much like they were summons themselves, but if they were called... Hmmmm... Something is amiss, but she keep her concerns for herself.

"To kill a god? That seems a very... hard task. What you have to offer for it? And what specific deity are we talking about and what you have to offer to help us in that task, as I'm pretty sure deities cannot die without some sort of... Trick?"

[Auranghzeb]

Lillin. Is it? I take you are the smart one. Indeed, killing a god is not an easy task, and if my powers were what they used to be I might have called Elminster or someone more worthy. But as it is, within this prision, I can only call on lesser creature like you. It is a gamble. But one I must take.

See, I am a God too. I used to be worship, but my people had forgoten me.

The voice sounds increasingly angry. The walls of the room tremble as an organism. Almost as if you were inside a body shaken with anger.

I, Ehecatl, the vital Breath! The Night!

The voice calms down.

I have a brother. Born of the same substance as I did. Smoking Mirror is his name. Death, War and Wrath are his domains. Eons ago he betrayed me and stole one of my aspects. He taught our people that he had made them. He taught them rituals and superstitions, and banished me into this prision. His powers are immense, but he lacks the breath of life and ever five hundred and twenty two years he must undergo the circle of death and birth.

My people are convinced that if they don't follow that ritual, the world they live in will die. My brother convinces them with fear and wrath. The earthquakes you experienced, the wild fires, the hurricains and storms are all the product of his final breath. So powerful it traverses planes of existance.

Now imagine how they feel in the land he walks in! My people, my fearful people! Slaves to that perverse god!

The ritual has begun.

Four sacrifices have taken place. Each represents an aspect of the circle of Death and Birth, during that time my brother walks the earth as a mortal beign, powerful, but mortal.


Kill him. And I'll give you a reward fitting a god!

[Tjallen]

Thinking the words over, Dran voices a slight concern with the plan: "Will you be offering any assistance, you see the dangers are very real when dealing with godlings."

[Chimaera]

"How long is this mortality window of his? And where he lives and rule, as I've never heard about such god", Lillin says before looking at those gathered and alive, "I'm Lillin Knives, the archmage of blades. Who are you and what can you do to help?", she asks them.

"I'm a conjurer as well as a spellthief, who favor teleportation, divinations and blasting spells. I can weave my magic to affect several allies or foes and can strike an enemy's heart at very long range".

[Frendle]

Kali holds her head, "Who snuck up on us mother?" more importantly how? She views the scene around her, listens to the voice and the response of the others.


"Summoned? Have we become so mighty? One less dream to dream I suppose. Have we also been bound?" Kali sends a small test blast in the direction she thinks would do the most good. Not expecting much to happen, surely any being capable of performing this magic would have thought of most contingencies.

It was the thought that counts.....

[Auranghzeb]

Those who lay about dead were the assistance I was going to give you. In a sense you could consider yourselves fortunate that the spell I used to call you worked out better that with these poor souls. You can take their equipment, as they will surely won’t need it.


My brother rules over a tiny planet called Cipatli, it is the moon of a bigger planet in the edge of the Dragon constellation. Its place is central for what some of you call “The wave”, in other words, it is a crossroad of magic and planar energies.

The ritual takes five days, it can only be done during the lapse of time in which the sun is completely blocked by the nearby planet. A day and a half has already gone by. That leaves you with over three days. After that, my brother will be simply too powerful to fight against him.

I have been waiting, biding my time, for my powers can only work as long as he is walking the land of mortals. I have watched over the nine of you, learning about you… but now I can only send you four.

My brother is a powerful mage, but the opportunity is there. The four demi-goddess, my brother’s wives and once my children, have taken the four hearts of the sacrificed to their consecrated temples. And my brother’s mortal host has been taken with the most powerful of them to the land of the dead.

You must first destroy the hearts they hold and then find your way into the land of the departed and make sure my brother does not live again.

I will send you to the stone of sacrifices, as it is now the only spot that I can scry upon. If you accept, that is. If you don’t. Well, I hope you can breathe in the vacuum of space.
But, do not get me wrong. I am a good negotiator and I know you are all ambitious and have goals and dreams, some want power, others knowledge and yet some want to recover a family member. I know all of this and when I’m restored I will grant it to you.

[Chimaera]

"Well, it's not like we have much option, but the promise of power interest me", she says as she eyes the dead ones, "Alright. You can count me in".

With her eyes still glowing behind her googles, she move to the dead ones and begin stripping their magic items. If they're going after a god, anything they might have will be helpful in their quest ahead.

[Frendle]

Kali nods her head at the tall human’s words, “Yes, we seem to have little negotiating room, our lives verses our sommoner’s future seems a poor bargain, but it’s the way things happen. Mother always said my future was in my own hands, stupid women.” Kali gives a poke with her elbow to the side of her backpack.

Seeing the human head toward the corpse of their less fortunate, almost, companions, she reaches out her hand and touches each, infusing their bodies with a pale green glow. Each stands up in turn,
“There, that should make your search easier my dear.”

She eyes the others who are standing of their own accord. It occurs to her that her precious existence is in part in the hands of this group of heroes. The notion of not picking her own companions forms a pit in her stomach.

Each bares the marks of experience, in gear at least if her eyes don’t deceive her. “Well, then who do we have here, and what can each contribute. If our, benefactor chose the whole of his summoning on varied talents, let us hope that we left are capable of contributing in our lessened condition.” She looks pointedly at the hulking brute in heavy armor. “Hard to miss what your skills are, at least on the surface, I am Kali, as you have seen I manipulate power as I see fit. I have also spent time with the scounts of my burrow and can hold my own in combat, and you are?”

[Auranghzeb]

Kali: you make the bodies stand still, the head of the Warforged gives in and fall, rolling around the brazier.

Besides the Warforged,there is a woman, a Drow, a Githzerai and a fat winged dragon like humanoid you had never seen.



-Drow:

Piwafwi: Moderate aura of abjuration and Illusion. Hide bonus +10, Fire resistance 10, 1/day user gains concealment as long as he moves at least 20 ft, the effect lasts 1 hour.

Scimitar: +1 Cold Iron Scimitar of Ice Burst (+1d6 cold damage, 2d6 cold damage on crit) gives the wearer cold resistance 5.


Potions: potion of rage, potion of heroism, potion of cure moderate wounds.


-Warforged: Belt of the monk, Periapt of Wisdom +4.

+3 bracers of armor of death ward.

20 +1 adamantine shurikens of wounding.


-Woman, probably half elf, but can’t tell without her head.

-+2 Darkwood Quarter Staff of vigor (lesser) 20 charges.

-+2 Silvered Light Mace of Undead Bane.

-Divine Scrolls:

- Circle of Protection from Evil
-Divine Might
-Divine Power

-Githzerai:

+2 Body Feeder Longspear

+4 Gloves of dexterity
+1 Crossbow with 10 +1 Mindcrusher bolts


-Baaz Draconian:

+4 Amulet of health.

-4Lvl Pearl of Power.

-Metamagic Rod of Enlarge

[BelGareth]

Kerry watches in mute silence, he listened to the words of this powerful godling, and assumed the summons before it even spoke the words. What good was it to fight, as the little gnome did, no, perhaps that was merely a test, she seemed smarter than that, though, to be honest, she was talking to someone not present.

Not a first.

He almost bared his teeth in disgust as she so candidly raised those around them in death to unlife, the little care she showed, the lack of respect for the dead, it seethed through him like a dam let loose, who strode on this realm without cause to think their actions had consequences, who thought so little of things that they cared not for who, or what they did upon others?

He shook his head mentally, he was still watching, silent, still.

There was no way out of this, and as much as he hated it, he could not breath vacuum. Some of the weapons would come in handy, who knew, maybe they had some useful enchantments.

He nods to the one who started to pull off equipment, such quick thinking would go a long way. "I am Karimandiaz, a warrior of little renown." he then looks at Kali and barely holds back a scowl "I see, your wanton display shows your lack of respect for the dead, and the magic you wield, hold your tongue when you talk to me, lest I wrench it out myself. Know this, the only think holding me back is this quest we are both bound to." he says, with a steely cold edge to his voice.

The then turns to the center of the room.

"I accept your terms Ehecatl, to kill your brother the Smoking Mirror. Are we to keep you daughters alive, or is their life also forfeit?" he spoke out loud, towards the brazier for lack of a better focal point.

[Auranghzeb]

Those incestous snakes? You might as well kill them, as they won’t give you the hearts easily.

As for my worshipers. My people. Spare as many as you can. But I fear they are slaves to the will of my brother.

You should not waste your time. Every second it passes, the planet changes. Wild magic spreading from the sacrifice stone, awakening things from the past.

[Tjallen]

"I am Dran of the Frostfell, I deal in frost magic and summons. Hopefully the restriction on my summons can be dealt with lest my usefulness will drastically drop."
Looking at the warrior threatening his newfound companion he lifts an eyebrow: "I'd advice against making this harder than it has to be by getting both you and the defiler killed before the godling lies dead at our feet. After that you can do as you wish."

[BelGareth]

Kerry turns to regard the new speaker. But of course, another spellcaster. Who doesn't listen either.

"Did you not hear me either?" he spits "I will abstain until we are done, but until then I am willing to put it aside, or do I need to break it down even further for you, maybe light up the sky with fireballs in the words you would understand? Another magician who overuses their magical ability to do something their tongue can do." he shakes his head.

[Chimaera]

"Not a big fan of mages, are you?", Lillin says while she look the many magical trinkets, "If none of you mind, I'll be taking the magical pearl and the scrolls: arcane or divine makes no diference for me".

Her gaze fix on the metamagic rod longer than the other items, "And if it's okay, the rod too"

[BelGareth]

Kerry nods his assent, sorting through some of the weapons him self.

[Tjallen]

At the vitriol of Karimandiaz the druid replies fondly: "Ah, the limitless anger of mortals, I had forgotten how you futilely rage against even those sympathetic to your cause.
Continuing in a different train of thought he addresses the spellthief "Allow me the pearl and I can lend the power to restore true life back to the recently deceased to you, Miss Knives. If you possess the ability to employ power of this magnitude that is."

As he speaks Dran continues his attempts at summoning elementals into being, only stopping briefly to adjust his stance and gestures.

[BelGareth]

"I'm not a fan of mages who abuse their powers." He simply says.

"Any vitriol I have is reserved for those, if you play out as anything else, you will have my apologies."

[Frendle]

“Very rude and undignified for such an apparently refined gentleman.” Kali gives a slight bow, mocking or not is in the eye of the beholder.

She walks over to the pile and picks out the Piwafwi and the bracers, “These seem to be all that is here which will work for me. Oh and these two potions.” She selects the Heroism and cure moderate wounds potions. “What’s that Mother? You’d like the staff? Well that seems fair…”

Kali picks up the staff and slings it across her shoulders. She looks at Karimandiaz, “Perhaps when this is over and you still wish to follow through on your... uncivil notion, I’ll borrow this from Mother.” Kali walks away from the pile turning her back on the warrior, “Just to make things fair for you.”

[Frendle]

Kali puts the items away, then turns around and speaks to the disembodied voice. “Well, if you cannot give more material help than this, can you give us some information?”

Kali scratches her head, then continues. “Of the four of your children, upon which should we commit infanticide first? Which is the weakest, and what do you know of those weaknesses and strengths?” She turns her head as if listening to another voice, “What’s that mother? Ah, well, you are good for something after all…”

Kali again asks the air around her, “Mother wonders what you can tell us about your brother as well. Mother’s concern for me is eternal….”

[Auranghzeb]

Ehecatl speaks:

I see I chose well. There will be many spoils for you among the temples of my daughters.

Visit them as you please, but you won’t be able to go to the one in the north until you recover the other three hearts.

I guess you are ready. Brace yourselves.

The room fills with smoke and the starry sky above starts spinning, faster and faster. Until it becomes a blur.


You open your eyes and find yourselves standing on a circular stone platform full of carvings, the platform is on top of a hill, perhaps 200 meters above a flat surface with four large avenues connected to the stone circle you are standing by a stone staircase. At the end of each avenue there’s a tall building.


http://media.istockphoto.com/illustrations/aztec-sun-stone-or-calendar-circa-1800s-illustration-id112042628



The sky is almost dark, an eclipse in its final phases. In the eerie light of the semi hidden sun you see four bodies on each cardinal point.

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQpx6e5ngJsEU1WRGMZPvEOqg7tU3M7f sKCfi1fX-2qgLfyR6TA





The body in the north is an old woman draped in a wool dress


The body in the west seems a young man.


The body in the south is a naked young woman.


The body in the east is the tiny body of a baby.


Their are laying on their backs, a few feet away from you, their chests are open, their hearts missing.


Three towering statues representing warriors surround the stone circle. One on the norwest, one on the north east and a larger one on the south.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tBjnPeL38vI/maxresdefault.jpg

The statues open their eyes, and slowly start to move towards you.


Roll initiatives and knowledge arcana.

[Frendle]

Kali glances at the big man with the exotic looking weapon, “Let’s see what you can do, my comrade.” With that the small, frail Whisper of a Gnome takes off toward the Statue to the Northeast at astonishing speed.

When she gets nearly up to the thing, a long sickly green glow extends from her hands and takes on the image of an odd shaped Hammer fully 10 feet in length. She yells and the color of her weapon changes adding in a bright Orange hue.

Aiming expertly for a gap between the torso and lower part of the Statue she levels a blow which she hopes will distract the thing long enough for her to move away to make room for….. whatever Kari has in mind.



Free action - Make dismissive comment to Kari (J/K)

Move - Move 45' (10' from the Statue)
Swift - Activate Maneuver Douse the Flames (If Statue is hit, it looses the ability to make AoO's for 1 round)
Standard - Eldritch Glaive modified with the Vitriolic Blast Shape (Conjuration, Not subject to SR)

[roll0] To Hit [roll1] Eldritch Blast Damage [roll2] Skirmish Damage (Swift Hunter Favored Enemy = Constructs)

[BelGareth]

Kari watches as the little gnome burst forward and slashes at the golem with some kind of eldritch blade, he nods to her in kind, and comes out springing at the construct, bringing his khopesh up in a two handed strike that came from below his hip and into the monsters center.


Shocktrooper heedless charge knockdown attack
If it has reach, it will provoke (unless Kali was able to hit with douse the flames)

Charge (+2 to hit, -2 to AC)
Heedless charge, make charge and pump PA penalty into AC instead of to-hit (-20 to to AC, +40 to damage)
Knockdown, if you hit, free bull rush with bonus equal to PA penalty taken

[roll0]
[roll1] Adamantium
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
[roll2]

Kari (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1354172)
Status: -22 AC

[Tjallen]

Looking rather annoyed with the whole going on Dran calmly looks at the approaching golems.
"Anyone care to share some information on these behemoths?"


Dran will delay either till someone gives him something useful, or till the golems get to within 25 ft, if that happens he will take off into the air.

[Auranghzeb]

Kali and Kari, you might be full of contempt for each other, but you surely pack a punch together as first the lighting quick gnome slides through the carved stonde and produces a glaive made of eldritch energy and acid that sinks deep into the golems body and leaves the creature open to Karimandiaz mighty charge.

Kali has to duck aside as the karsite warrior leaps into a devastating attack, a quick powerful slashing movement that carries all the momentum of the charge and almost cleaves the golem in two followed by an expert push that sends the construct crashing down the hill.

But the other two take notice. The one in the closest corner moves towards you raising its weapon and charging. As t approaches you feel a wave of exhaustion infecting you!

The larger one steps into the stone circle, it walks over the woman's body and it is incredible that he doesn't step on it. An swipes at Lillin with a mighty blow!

Lillin, Dran, your body feels slow and clumsy as the golem comes close.

Golem 1 is destroyed. Golem charges Karimandiaz [roll0] damage [roll1] slow effect for Kari and Kali Will DC 17.

Lillin: the golem attacks you with it's longspear [roll2], damage [roll3], slow effect for dran and lillin will DC 30


golem 2 is next to karimandiaz, has reach 10ft

Golem 3 is south of lillin has reach 15ft

[BelGareth]

Kari grunts from the impact, his skin seemingly tougher than the golems punch takes slightly less damage. He steels himself against the slowness that creeps over him.


Take 12 damage after DR (magic)

[roll0]

yay. Nat 1. and im slowed.

[Frendle]

Seeing Kari finish up the Statue, Kali whistles, “Impressive.” Then chuckles as the big warrior seems to stumble a bit and then begins to move as if weights had been attached to each of his limbs.

“Maybe not quite so impressi….. what? How?” A split moment later Kali also feels a lethargy wash over her.

She whispers behind her, “No mother, it’s not because I was rude.”

[Chimaera]

Lillin was paying more attention to the dead women than the gigantic statues that came rushing their way so that when she realize they were golems her shpulder was already pierced by a stone spear and her muscles became stiff.

"Oh crap!", she swears and look as everyone else seems to be sluggish as well, "I'll need a hand here, guys", she says as she cast a spell to make them faster. At least fast enough to counter the numbing effect on them.

Lasts for 22 rounds.

Feling herself nimble again, she focus on her feet as many yellow runes appear around them and she is whisked away, reappearing a few feet away from the statue, "Be right back", she says and fly away from the golems, "And beware: those are golems! Pretty much immune to.magical attacks".

Swift to use anklets to get 25ft away from it and then fly 70ft horizontally away from the golems and if possible away from the platform

Ouch. That spear hurt! Another of those attacks and she would be a goner.

[Tjallen]

Ignoring the weights that settled on the others, Dran unfurls translucent wings and springs into the air before calling out: "Come to me, Child of Winter, destroy my enemies of stone!"

Weaving threads of frost he makes a figure that rapidly expands into a gigantic scorpion, standing more than 50 feet tall, surrounded by an icy glimmer the scorpion strikes out at the spear wielding golem.

Dran flies 60 ft in the air and convert a frostfell into SNA IX as a standard action (Thank you Beast Spirit) to summon a colossal scorpion, then sending the beast spirit to the summon for a solid +12 strength.
Scorpion then attacks the biggest golem.

Claw: [roll0] for [roll1], if it hits [roll2] grapple

Claw: [roll3] for [roll4], if it hits [roll5] grapple

Sting: [roll6] for [roll7] + poison that I assume it's immune to.

[Auranghzeb]

Lillin, your left shouder feels numb by that hit, luckily it isnt a sharp point or you would be impaled from side to side. Still, it has probably broken something.

Yo are quick to react though, and use your magic to counter the slumbering effect of these stone giants.



Dran:

So none gives you any insight, well, nothing than a giant ice vermin can't deal with.

The beast towers over the gigantic golem, and grapples it with both pincers, the tail doesn't seem to harm it much, but the golem seems to be struggling with the scorpion's embrace.


I'll place the scorpion behing the huge golem, its body on the southern stairs if you don't mind, otherwise there will be a problem with spacing.

And have the summon make a will save DC 20, you can make a spellcraft check DC 30

[BelGareth]

Kari nods to Kali with a grimace and then suddenly feels as if he weighs almost double, as if gravity itself was out to get him, plotting behind the horizon on how to defeat him. It all suddenly vanished however, and for a split second, before the spell washed over him, he hesitated to let it do so, but he knew otherwise, he was here to assist them, and protect them, they held far more than he, and so he let the spell neutralize whatever the golem had done to them.

He frowned and took a step, sending a steady handed slice across the golem before him, another step and another slice, another, another, and another. Each strike, rattling and slicing through the hard golems substance, sending it reeling from its purchase on the ground.


PA -5, +10, each succesful hit free Bullrush attempt via Knockdown feat with bonus equal to PA
free action to use boots of speed
Full attack (slow canceled from haste, haste from boots)

[roll0]
[roll1] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
[roll2] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

[roll3]
[roll4] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
[roll5] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

[roll6]
[roll7] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
[roll8]

[roll9]
[roll10] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
[roll11]

[roll12]
[roll13] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
[roll14]

Kari (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1354172)
HP's: 195/207
Status: Haste (1 round from boots, 9/10)

[Frendle]

Kali watches Kari begin his attack and admires his handiwork, “Well, well.”


Kali will delay her turn until she sees the effect of Kari's attack.

[Auranghzeb]

Karimandiaz:

Your first two attacks chop the stone as an axe makinf firewood out of birch wood, chunks of stone fly away, but as you push into the beast space there's not enough strenght in your swings and the blade bounces harmlessly.

The Golem is really badly, one of its arms and a good chunk of its body are now on the ground, but there's no stopping and no pain for this guardian as it slams at you with the remaining arm Walk me throug the bull rush technique you use please. First slam [roll0], damage [roll1]

Second slam [roll2], damage [roll3]


The huge golem tries to break free from the scorpion's pincers, but can't do it. Too strong.

[Frendle]

“Well, looks like you need another bite at that apple big guy, I think if you step just so with your lead foot and change the angle of your elbow 10 degrees you should be able to immediately strike again. Give it a try, that’s a good boy.” Kali smiles sweetly at Kari as she explains proper tactics to him.

Then, after setting Kari straight, Kali turns her attention to the grappled behemoth, “My my, you are a big one, but looks like you found an even bigger playmate. What a sweet embrace.”

Kali slides toward the monstrosity, moving fluidly, she maintains a discrete distance, yet still within the beasts reach. If it could, in fact, reach.



Swift Action: Use White raven Tactics to move Kari’s initiative rank to one below hers. This will allow him another turn this round.

5+5 foot step: Take two 5 foot steps, one to move to within 10’ of the grappled Golem, then another to continue in a parallel course, maintaining that 10’range.

Full Attack with Eldritch glaive modified by Vitriolic Blast eldritch essence.

First Touch Attack [roll0] Damage [roll1]

Second Touch Attack [roll2] Damage [roll3]

Third Touch Attack [roll4] Damage [roll5]

[Chimaera]

Still flying, Lillin come closer to the grappled golem and strike back.

She whisper a simple divination, allowing her to see every flaw in the golem's creation before striking it with dagger and arcane orb.

Swift: casting Golem Strike to Sneak Attack the grappled golem.
Move: flying to 30ft close to it.
Free Action: Cloud of Knives attack.
Standart: Lesser Orb of Acid

Dagger: [roll0] dmg [roll1] plus SA [roll2] plus Steal Spell (foregoing 1d6);
Lesser Orb of Acid: [roll3] dmg [roll4] acid plus [roll5] plus Steal Spell (foregoing 1d6)

[Tjallen]

Dran hovers in the air, looking around for any other threats approaching, as the scorpion continues crushing the life out of the golem.

Dran's Perception check [roll0]

Scorpion attacks with -4 cause of grapple
[roll1] for [roll2] Grapple check for CONSTRUCT damage, I think? [roll3] for [roll4]
[roll5] for [roll6] Grapple check for CONSTRUCT damage, I think? [roll7] for [roll8]
[roll9] for [roll10]

[Auranghzeb]

Dran, while the Golem is effectively kept in check by your scorpion, the truh is that the pincers do little damage. But Lillin's attack is quite effective, hitting at the joints of the construct ripping apart an arm. It doesn't stop.


From your position high above you now see the whole place. The stone circle is atop a hill but the whole place itself seems to be atop a mountain, or the crater of a volcano. The four temples are at the edge of the mountain, you also see many more golems, or at least statues that look exactly as the golems you are battling. they line paralel to the avenues that go from the temples to the mound where the cirle is. They don't move, they don't seem "alive" but they are close to a hundred, about twenty on each avenue. Some are fallen, broken in two as by the strenght of an earthquake.

The place looks abandoned, but there's something in the skirts of the hill where you are battling, right at the first steps of the stairs you see all kind of things: fruits and grains, butchered animals, large vases.


These are tributes, part of the ritual probably, but who put them here? and how long ago?


A light rain starts to fall

[Tjallen]

Kari hits the golem hard. A lot of times. Twice.


Attack 1 - [roll0]
Damage - [roll1] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
BullRush - [roll2] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

Attack 2 - [roll3]
Damage - [roll4] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
BullRush - [roll5] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

Attack 3 - [roll6]
Damage - [roll7] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
BullRush - [roll8] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

Attack 4 - - [roll9]
Damage - [roll10] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
BullRush - [roll11] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

Attack 5 - [roll12]
Damage - [roll13] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
BullRush - [roll14] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

Attack 1 - [roll15]
Damage - [roll16] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
BullRush - [roll17] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

Attack 2 - [roll18]
Damage - [roll19] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
BullRush - [roll20] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

Attack 3 - [roll21]
Damage - [roll22] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
BullRush - [roll23] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

Attack 4 - - [roll24]
Damage - [roll25] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
BullRush - [roll26] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

Attack 5 - [roll27]
Damage - [roll28] Adamantium/Magic
If hit, free bull rush (strength check)
BullRush - [roll29] (if fail, nothing happens because of knockback feat)

[Auranghzeb]

Karimandiaz:
you adeply dodge the blows of the golem, easy for you, too predictable based only in sheer strenght and no skill. Then you push forward, slashing and stabing the living statue, the adamantine of your blade slices the stone as tender flesh, you push and move the golem backwards hitting it long after it "dies" and with a final push you sent the stone tumbling down the hill on the other side of the platform.

As you gahter your breath you see the lines of statues standing on the avenues. But these don't seem to move.

A lone silent lighting is seen in the horizon to the east.


The huge golem tries to burst free from the scorpion, fruitlessy...

[Chimaera]

Looking at the last golem failing to escape the gargantuan beast conjured by the Dran, Lillin point her finger once more, directing another dager and orb at it.

"Break", she says to make her divination last.

Swift to cast again Golemstrike, Free to hurl dagger and Standart to cast another Orb, but this time a freezing one.

Dagger SA [roll0] dmg [roll1] plus SA [roll2]
Lesser Orb of Cold (burning True Strike and spending a charge of the runestaff) [roll3] dmg [roll4] cold damage plus SA [roll5]

[Frendle]

Kali smiles to herself, “Well, the warrior seems competent. I can at least trust to his skill, if not his odd worldview. Yes mother, it is so odd, shut up you old bag of bones.”

Kali lets out an audible laugh, then turns to the remaining golem, “Well, time for you to crumble to dust.” She slides gracefully again, further than most could manage with such a quick motion.



At start of round: 2d6 per hit from previous round acid damage from vitriolic blast. (I think all three hit, if not I numbered them.)

[roll0] First [roll1] Second [roll2] Third

Actions:

Swift: 5+5 step, Slide to the left two 5 foot steps keeping the same relative distance with the golem.

Full Attack Eldritch blast/Skirmish w/eldritch essence Vitriolic Blast

[roll3] First Attack [roll4] Damage

[roll5] Second Attack [roll6] Damage

[roll7] Third Attack [roll8] Damage

[Auranghzeb]

Since i haven't provide a good clear map I'll rule as if Kali was close enough for the maneuver


Lillin takes aim she unleashes her powers on the helpless golem the dagger hits true but despite the precision it doesn't harm the golem as much.

The orb of cold is more terrible, slipping into a crack in the stone and bursting it from inside, just like miners do.

Kali, the construct still moves, or tries to, there is no stopping but utter destruction, these guardians are here to kill or be killed.

Yu take a swift step and produce that wicked glaive of yours and slide it right into the gap the cold orb has open, if this was a giant you would have stabbed the kidney. It isn't, but the stone collapses in a heap of broken stone.



900 for all except Karimandiaz who gets 1169



The silence is broken by a distant thunder, a storm there in the east.

[BelGareth]

As the magic of his boots fade, and he watches his companions tear apart the larger golem, he cannot help but let a grin out, even if it was short lived, and small.

He looked around as he flourished his curved sword back into a casual grip, carefully sheathing it as he eyed the columns of golems.

"Who bought all the offerings?" he says, more out loud than towards anyone or anything "While that many golems doesn't scare me, it will take a damned long time, and there is 4 entry ways, we'll get overrun pretty quickly if we stay put." he quickly recalls they can all fly and shrugs that comment off "What can you lot learn from this platform? Is there magic here you need to investigate, or do we move on?"

His head quickly snaps towards the east.

"I don't think that storm is happenstance," he says narrowing his eyes to peer at it.


Going to use green from here on out, highlighting is too annoying to do .

[Tjallen]

Dran lands, his wings disappearing beneath his cloak: "This place saps the energy of those from the outside. If you wish I can lay waste to most of this place."

Switching to Teal as it should be less eye-scarring.

[Auranghzeb]

The bodies look calm, almost smiling.

Even from atop the hill you can see the tributes are very different in nature on each side. To the east, where the body of the newborn lies the tribute seems to be mostly grain and plants, piles of them, and some agricultural tools.

To the south, where the young girl is there are fruits, starting to rot, and many weaved baskets.

To the west, where the body of the man is, there are animal skins and sacrifed animals, and a pile of broken spears. There are some weaved baskests too.

To the north, there are skulls, a pile of perhaps a hundred and about 20 darkwood chests.

You notice the bodies are not human, the look more like elven, with dark brown skin, the young female is shorter than the average elf, and the young warrior is about 5'8 tall. Oddly, the old woman looks aged as humans would. They are a different race to what you have seen.


The statues below don't move.

The temple to the east is a tall lean pyramid, there are three small buildings atop of the pyramid.

The temple to the south seems to be bare at the top, but there's a stream of water flowing from the top.

The temple to the west is not a pryamid, but rather stairs built on the side of the mountain, there's a stone and wooden shackle at the top and a huge tree behind it.

The temple to the north is a flat three levels pyramid, there seem to be and entrance right in the middle and there are two squared buildings right in front of it.

[BelGareth]

Kari scowls slightly, damn wizards and their elevated sense of self worth, always jumping to ridiculous conclusions, because they can.

He shakes his head, "I don't think we should destroy anything we don't fully understand, not yet at least." he looks to the temples "I say we choose one and go look about, unless someone has some divinations up their sleeve, we need more information before we can stop the Smoking Mirror."

[Frendle]

Kali brandishes her glaive in a flourish, seemingly catching her breath. Looking somewhat rejuvenated she then makes some arcane gestures. Green light surrounds her body and seems to disappear into her eyes as water goes down a drain.

She looks at the Dagger Wielding Mage, "Do you want to borrow some of this? I am willing to share. At least for the period of our enforced cooperation."

“I agree with our learned man at arms, we should act quickly, but without haste.” Kali looks about the Sacrifice Stone peering into it for signs of magic, “I think it is obvious we should start with the temple to the East. It is the Cycle of Birth to Death which the Shadow is following. The dead baby marks the spot our real quest begins.”

Kali stops and looking at Kari, she reaches into her haversack and retrieves a wand. "Looks like you are slightly injured. Might as well get you in tip top form. You'll need every edge you can get."


Kali rises up in the air, “If everyone is done here?”



Kali recovers her Maneuvers, and refreshes her Fell Flight and See the Unseen then offers to let Lillan "steal" them. She will refresh again if she does.

Assuming Kari does not cut her head off as she points the wand at him giving him a lesser vigor for 15 rounds.

She does a quick 2 round scan around the circle with detect magic, then she's ready to go, unless she finds something interesting.

[BelGareth]

Mand nods to Kali, acquiescing to the offer of healing. He had forgotten he was even hit, so caught up in the combat, that his wounds, minor and superficial as they were, had gone unremembered.

The wizards logic was sound, he had not seen the pattern, but then again, his mind was not full of barely unburdened magic ready to spill over, so he nodded to the baby "Sounds reasonable to me."

He took to the air, fiery wings appearing from his back as he did so, barely hovering above the surface of the stone beneath them.


I will now be calling him Mand, to avoid confusion.

[Auranghzeb]

Kali, you think you found the pattern. East is birth, south is youth, blosoming like a flower and the fruit, west is adulthood, stern warriors and the fruits of hunting, north is the hour of the day when the sun hides.

It will seem only natural. Does this help you understand the nature of your enemy?


You walk around the sonte circle, eyes lit with magic. Theres a strong aura, wild magic pulsing from the center of the stone. A sphere. Now, outside the rigours of combat, Dran, Lillin and Kali notice the energy puses out, moving almost an inch outwards every minute. The sphere envelops the position were the golems used to be.

Something is awakening the ancient stone.



Far in the east the dark clouds have turn into a heavy rain.

[Chimaera]

Lillin look to the gnome warlock and accept the offer, borrowing her invocations and casting it.

Getting both Fell Flight and See the Unseen and casting it right away.

Greg: what's the duration of each?

"I'm hurt as well, of you can give me some healing", Lillin says feeling the pain under broken bones by the golem's attack.

She needs 49 healing

"Let's get moving I guess. Any direction is good for me".

[Frendle]

Kali rolls her eyes are the Dagger Mage and reaches inside her haversack, "I assume you know how to use one of these?"

She flips her a wand just like her own.

[Tjallen]

At the mention of needing divinations Dran offers his expertise: "I do have access to divinations, however it takes up a large amount of my very limited resources and leaves me unable to move for the duration. However it gives access to both powerful healing abilities and a handful of divination spells: vision, foresight, find the path and greater scrying seems to be the most useful of them. I assume the godling will be blocking them however.

[Auranghzeb]

Dran, you recolect Ehecatl words about his brother being able to block his scrying attempts.

The stones around you tell a story, every one is marked with glyphs and symbols, if only any of you could descipher them.

The storm to the east seems to calm down, the light rain over you makes the stone slippery. The sun is beign blocked slowly by the passing planet. You have bee here only a couple of minutes, you still have two days and a half before the eclipse is total. The light is eerie and unnatural and yet with the sun almost hidden, the temperature is hot and the air is hard to breathe, too humid.

Karimandiaz, you are accustomed to the desert heat, but the tropical himidity is making you soak inside your armor.

Dran, you hate this warmth.

It s difficult to imagine that the temples hold anything inside, they arent really big.

The stone walls of the temple's seems, but the dim light does not make the bright colors shine.

[Chimaera]

Lillin thanks Kali (or is it Kari? Hell, cant tell whichnone is which). She tap herself with it and wait for it to work as they speak and plan what to do.

Usimg it three times.
Fail on a 1 only: [roll0]

"I know there is a spell that could help decipher those glyphs, but I didnt prepare it for today", she says .

Looking at Kari, she point to his weapon, "I do have magic to make your weapons stronger", she look to everyone and add, "Everyone's weapons in fact".

Caster level 22th, for +5 to everyone's weapons

Knowing she was hurt due distraction, she decode to improve her awareness.

Burning a spellthief slot for free Extend Combat Awareness.
Also casting Heroics for Improved Initiative.

+6 to Initiative from Combat Readiness (lasts 44min) and +4 from Improved Initiative (last 220mins).

"Now I'm ready", she says, waiting for the rest to decide which path to take.

[BelGareth]

Kari grins as Lillin tries to cast a dweomer on his weapon.

"I don't think you are able to do what you think, my weapon was crafted by the very best slave-crafters the city of brass has to offer, their enchantments can cut a mans head clean off, and the magical enhancements laid upon it know no equal." he brandishes the Khopesh "Take a look if you do not believe me." he says, grinning with all seriousness.


It's a +5 Vorpal adamantium Khopesh. :P


He nods to the others and takes off towards the temple.

[Tjallen]

"As expected, no time for gathering any knowledge. Well, lead the way then. The sooner we are out of this blasted heat the better." Calling up an elemental to shield him, Dran starts following the warrior moving too fast for anything but magic to be involved..

[Auranghzeb]

You decide to go East, following Kali’s deduction. Birth must it be.

You walks and fly down the stone stairs, wary of the stone statues, twenty of them that guard the avenue. But they don’t seem alive. At the bottom of the stairs you get to see the tributes more closely, it is mostly food,. Grains, Maize, cocoa nuts, baskets full of all kind of goods.

There’s a basket soaked in blood, it is filled to the brim with tongues.

The path to the temple is clear. The lean pyramid leads to three small buildings. These are three open rooms that hold three paintings.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Xochipilli_5.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_rrPQ9ZaT4Gw/R-xPW8PZShI/AAAAAAAAABI/Ea8ZSZcTxQs/s320/xochiquetzal.jpg


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Xochipilli_3.jpg


over and around each image there are numerous inscriptions on a strange language.


Then, behind the pyramid you see the valley. A path descends the pyramid on the other side and into a gorgeous valley with a huge lake, floating in the lake there are hundreds of rectangular boats, and in the center of the lake emerges a lone hill which is connected to the land by a long bridge, a few kilometers long, but it is difficult to say from this distance.


spot and intelligence or descipher script if you want

[Tjallen]

Frowning at the offerings Dran looks out over the valley, disgust visible in his voice: "This place reeks of decadence and weakness. Such wasteful offerings."

Perception: [roll0] watching for hidden places and threats.

Knowledge (Nature): [roll1] To figure out if the valley is natural or man-made, as well as what natural threats can live here.

[Auranghzeb]

Dran, this damp and humid place, with lush sacrifices of tropical fruits and blood is too decadent for your austere cold habits. Impure, as the soil that rots.

The place is empty, there's none around. You do see foot steps in the path that winds down on the other side of the pyramid and realize that indeed all these time you have been inside the crater of a volcano. The light hurts your eyes, it is dim and eerie and not bright but it stings, however the sun is now in the west casting the long shadow of the volcano on the valley.

There, in the distance you see little figures moving, some atope the rectangular surfaces floating in the lake, but many more walking on the long bridge. Your eyes are sharp.

Your knowledge istn't. This land is far too alien for you. Who knows what beasts may lurk in here.

[Chimaera]

Int check [roll0]
Perception [roll1]

Lillin just shrugs and ignore Kari's weapon, since he wont need it. Moving toward the temple, she's glad to be flying as to avoid stepping into the rotting offerings. This place reeks, must like Dran said.

Her attention shifts towards the paintings and many symbols and writings in the wall, so she take a step closer and begin to find any logic or a pattern.

[Frendle]

Kali flies up to the pictures and looks them over from top to bottom. “What do you think Mother? What am I thinking, what would you know about any of this?”



[roll0] Perception

[roll1] decipher script

[Auranghzeb]

Lillin, you spend a couple of minutes looking at the pictures from diverse angles. The woman is the same, that seems obvious. She is nursing the boy, and growing plants. It seems to be a sequence, but the exat meaning scapes the quick analysis. If you had more time. Or the right spell to read the inscriptions.

Or if you had thought that this particular DM likes bards and descipher script and stuf :-)

From the sequence, the one in which the woman stabs the boy is probably the first, that much you can tell. And the boy seems dead.

Kari, mother won't help you, there's simply no language you know that resembles this. You move around the pyramid and see the valley.

[Tjallen]

Dran points at the figures:
"Weaklings, fit only for slaughter. I hope you have defenses against mobs of weaklings, because we might need them."

[Frendle]

Kali turns her head around to the side, listening to some unheard voice behind her, "What? What's that old woman? I have a spell for reading this? Ah yes, so I do. Maybe I'll let you out today for some fresh air and sunlight."

Kali begins an incantation and reviews the writings once again.



Kali casts Comprehend languages and attempts to read the writings again.

(Bards? We don't need no stinking Bards.)

[Auranghzeb]

Kari: Mother’s here to assure you, to remind you of certain things. Motherly advice, always there for you.

You cast the spell and caress the inscriptions, their literal meaning coming to your head you read it out loud as in a trance.


“In the year 522 sugar cane, the sun will finish its cycle. Mother Serpentflower will turn the breath of death in sustenance for the living. This will happen in the house of the wind. Where the aspect of the god is white.

In the year 522 sugar cane, the heart of an infant will be taken to Serpentflower and the tongues of 522 slaves will be offered along the harvest of a year so everything can be sown again.

In the year 522 sugar cane, the god in its White aspect will be born again in the house of the wind, nurtured by Serpentflower and guarded by 4 true men.

By the principle of transformation, the flesh of the ancient will turn into fertile soil. And everything will grow again.”

[Tjallen]

"So they rely on this Serpent Flower for food? They have allowed so much weakness to fester that they use blood offerings? Pathetic." Dran spits on the ground, in pure disgust.

[BelGareth]

Kari was confused, he hated riddles almost as much as he hated unscrupulous mages.

"Well, we should find this Serpentflower guarded by 4 true men before the god is reborn again....perhaps the house of the wind is that temple?"

[Frendle]

Kali shakes her head, "I disagree, oh great one, we need to go to Serpentflower, which is the sacrifice of the infant. I see nothing in this cryptic message that makes me want to alter that."

Kali smiles broadly and seems to become more cheerful, annoyingly so, "Perhaps we should ask the child herself. I might be able to ask it some questions. I am able to converse with the dead after a fashion after all."

She looks the warrior, "Of course I would not wish to offend anyone, at any rate I think we should proceed. I'll scout t bit ahead as we get down to the temple, peek around corners as it were since it seems divinations will not work here." She looks at the Mages questioningly, "Yes?"

[BelGareth]

Kari shrugs. He was not in his element, and held no ego over it.

He pointed with his sword, as if to say go ahead

[Chimaera]

"Yes, let's keep on moving and finish this quick", Lillin says as she follow behind, "But if you can speak with the dead, why not try the adult or the old woman for knowledge instead?"

She hardly believe an infant would know much and probably they wouldnt even understand what the corpses would speak, as their tongue might be just as alien as their rites and culture.

[Frendle]

Kali nods and heads toward the Temple ahead of the group after using a couple more wands on herself.

When she gets about 100’ in front of the she waves them to follow her.

Once she finds some likely cover, she disappears from sight, and continues toward the temple. Watching and listening for any signs of trouble.



Kali auto succeeds to cast Invisibility and Shield on herself.

Kali will hide as soon as she gets to appropriate cover. [roll0] add +20 for invisibility while moving up to 45' per action if it applies.
Darkstalker feat allows me to use stealth against extraordinary senses (Tremorsense, blindsight etc) The NPC's can use perception as normal to detect me.




As an SOP, Kali will use her flight capability to skulk along. She will use cover as if she was walking, but just not touching the ground unless she has to.

[Tjallen]

Upon watching the warlock quickly change her mind about talking with the dead, Dran shakes his head and in a voice that would be kindly if not for the utter lack of warmth present in his eyes he says: "Not much patience in that young woman, we better follow before she gets herself hurt."
Dran continues calling in large elementals as he moves to follow, staying back a couple hundred feet.

[Auranghzeb]

Perhaps this information is superficial, perhaps it will lead to answers. Regardless you start your descent into the valley and towards the Hill in the center of the lake. It takes you a few minutes flying t reach the fringe of the lake. There you see the scene more clearly:

There are a few hundred men and women, they look like elves but with tanned skin and less frail bodies, they are working on the floating rectangular platforms, sowing and taking care of a multitude of crops, they wear simple plain clothes and both male and female have long hair. They don’t seem to notice your approach. They move like ants, working, harvesting, collecting tomatoes and peppers, putting them into weaved baskets that are carried by other.

There’s a column moving into and out of the hill through the long wooden bridge, there doesn't seem to be anyone else but the farmers. They move as one and their movements are unsettling.

Then, as you approach even more, you see that their meticulous movements have a reason: the eyelids of every single one of them have been sewn together.

All these men and women are blind!

The Hill seems like a sugar bread (Chimaera knows Pao de Sucre) it is completely barren except for a single entrance at the end of the bridge and several water streams that flow from it into the lake.

Perception checks please.

[Auranghzeb]

There are different things that call your attention when you get within 200 ft of the hill, even with the dim light of the eclipse.


Lillin: The water is shallow, it is not really a lake but more like an artificial marsh or wetland to plant and grow food, around the lake there are many places to set an ambush. You also feel a strong smell, like manure and decay that comes from the water.


Kali: There’s something putrid in the smell, not unlike that of dead animals. With your gnome low light vision you also notice the color of the water that springs from the hill, and you notice the hill is not as regular as it seemed at first sight, some very cleverly disguised watching points can be discovered along the hill. Whether there’s someone there, who knows, have they seen you? No magic emanates from the vicinity but there’s the permanent feeling the wave is broken in this place.

Dran: Besides what the others see and feel, you also notice that there are no birds around, nothing, not one, which is definitely strange for a marsh like this. Your keen senses also perceive that something serpentine moves in the water… darker figures in the shallow dark water… snake like… many.

[Tjallen]

"Careful of the water, Serpentflower has serpent minions, who would have thought? Prepare for Yuan-ti, Hydras, Naga or some other affront to nature."
Baring his teeth in anticipation of the coming fight Dran continues: "Anyone know anything about whatever we will be fighting, call it out as soon as possible so we can deal with it, I know you are most likely not used to fight alongside others so keep it in mind younglings."

[Chimaera]

"Snakes? I see no snakes", Lillin says, but get ready to any incoming fight, "But sure: if anything comes I'll be ready and will tell which end of your club you can use to fight it".

She waits for someone to lead the party, but grip her dagger and stay ready for battle.

[Tjallen]

Shaking his head at Lilln as he continuously cycles elementals into existance: "They're hiding in the water, probably nothing as tame as mere snakes, they might also come out of the hills as there are openings there as well. As for the information I assume would would rather I do something useful than waste my time trying to freeze something resistant to that kind of tactic, no?"

[Auranghzeb]

Dran: while you explain the nuances and tactics to lillin you notice that someone is moving in the shadows of the hidden watch points right at the middle of the hill, they move swiftly from one to another, as if preparing. They look humanoid and carry longbows, they dissapear behind the hidden watchpoints.

Then you spot a dark caly figure sliding down very quickly from one side of the hill into the water. The figures carrying the food stop as one for a second, they smell the air, and continue their work.


(Knowledge Dungeoneering and Knowledge nature please) and Initiatives.

Are you summoning elementals?

Situation: The marsh is 250ft from your positio(as I told you, I assume you were flying), the hill is about 1000' away, Dran sees what he sees because of his supreme spot check, the light is dim, as in the last hours of the day, still, you can see some details because the sun i behind you. The Hill is about 300 mtrs high and perhaps 500m in diameter. the bridge is right in fron of you and there are about 50 to 60 rectangular surfaces.

[Chimaera]

Not seeing her enemies, Lillin decides to become unseen as well.

Spending a 3rd level slot of spellthief i cast it

"I'll be just behind you guys", she tell them as she keeo flying with them, remaining 10ft away from Kari.

[BelGareth]

Kari floats, on silent wings beating the air. A frown upon his otherwise beautiful face.

"I'm not sure whats going on here, I can't see anyone, or anything to attack, and well, I'm kind of a blunt instrument, point me and tell who the bad guys are." he says, almost pleading with the others to provide some kind of info.

[Tjallen]

Dran answers the warrior: "Potential ambush, hidden in tunnels and the water"

[Auranghzeb]

A large figure can be seen moving between the disguised watchpoints, it has a snake lower body and the torso of a humanoid, it carries a long flat object, it shouts to the sides and then moves its fingers in a pattern.

Spellcraft check: DC 35 because of the distance: casting a divine spell

The creature stares at you, curious and threatening at the same time.


If someone else is doing anything, it is difficult to know... the rocks and the water can't be pierced by your eyes... or can they?

At both sides of the bridge some dark figures move underwater in an encircling motion towards the edge of the marsh

[Chimaera]

"I believe we have a divine caster there: the yuanti-like one", she says and look to the others, "Do you mind I take us close and personal?"

If the other two agree, she'll Dimension Door then besides the yuanti caster (at least it looks like one).

[Tjallen]

Watching the others teleport towards the Yuan-ti, Dran orders his current elemental to fly to assist while he conjures a swirling miasma of snow around himself.

Dran flies to Q21, 80ft up and casts Obscuring Snow.
The large Air Elemental flies to R21, 4 rounds left.

[BelGareth]

Nodding his assent to Lillin he allows her to port him closer.

He points his weapon towards the creature, unsure of its intent. "Who are you?" he demands

[Auranghzeb]

Lets spin this into action because we risk falling into oblivion

Lillin: you dissappear, vanish in mid air, not a good sign of friendly aproximation.

Dran: you move upward and sorround yourself with cold vapors, turning into a menacing stormy cloud followed by an elemental the size of a golem.

Kali: Every nerve of your body wants to slice that snake in two. Whether or not that is serpentflower is uncertain, but it is buffing itself.


Karimandiaz: Your jottunbrund frame cut against the dim light of the eclipse shouts menancigly while you wait for Lillin to take you close.


Then, from the dark waters two white faces with limp hair emerge followed by long dark scaled bodies. (marked h in the map) and opening their mouths they seem to spit...

the spit travels quickly and true one towards dran's cloud an the other towards Karimandiaz, and explodes in a burst of Acid...

Reflex DC 17 Dran: [roll0] The rest [roll1]

[Auranghzeb]

The acid explodes all around burning Drans cloud almost completely.

@Karimandiaz, just when you had lowered your natural ability the acid explodes around. But the damage is not that considerable.

The others are in better shape. Dran looks completely unshaken.

@Lillin: You manage to fend of all the damage with a mix of luck and arcane ability.

@Kari... the explosion was to slow for you.

The white faces of the two dark nagas look in disbelief. The tall serpent creature shouts with rage!

Lillin: your turn.

[Chimaera]

"Alright, time to pay back", Lillin says and touch Kari and Kali, "Get ready for some turbulence...", she says as she unmakes reality and take them besides the serpentine priest.

"Pleased to meet you", she says as they arrive.

Taking Kari and Kali

[Auranghzeb]

Lillin, you had enough, even if you are unscattered after the explosion this is enough. In a moment's notice you blink out of existence taking Kali and Kari with you. The teleport feels strange, it tickles and for a split of a second, you somehow feel inside a breathing living being.
But it works normally other than that and the three of you are left standing right in front of the abomination, it looks at you with a mix of surprise and anger. Surprise on your side. But from the concealed watching points several figures emerge, sprinting as they were ready for this moment but with mixed faces of surprise. These are eerily similar to elves, with darker skin. They were padded armors made of cotton and leather and have bracelets of rough copper and bronze, they all rise their bows, long thick straight bows and fire a volley at you and the others.


12 archers so 4 shots against each of you (If kali and lillin are insible then all attacks are aimed at Karimandiaz): First Lillin... [roll0], [roll1], [roll2], [roll3]


Then Kari [roll4], [roll5], [roll6], [roll7]

Then kali [roll8], [roll9], [roll10], [roll11]

[Auranghzeb]

Lillin three of the arrows are accurate and hit you, the damage is not that large as the tips of the arrows are made of sylex and not of iron or steel. But immediately something flows in your blood...

1:[roll0], [roll1], [roll2]

Fortitude save DC 20 for each succes saves it. Damage if not save [roll3]con damage and [roll4] wis damage
[roll5] and [roll6]

[roll7]and[roll8]


Karimandiaz the sylex tips break in your armor, not one of them touches your skin.

Kali: Two of the arrows reach you, the shaft is as tall as you and the barely graze you, but is enough to harm you. and theres something else, it is painful.

1:[roll9], [roll10]

Fortitude save DC 20 for each succes saves it. Damage if not save [roll11]con damage and [roll12] wis damage
[roll13] and [roll14]

[Frendle]

Kali watches the archers line up their shots, “Hmmm, well, now to see if that Crystal was worth the gold.” As two arrows which would otherwise have struck her in vulnerable spots bounce harmlessly away she laughs, “Looks like it was.”

Then turning to the Cleric, assuming it is a cleric, who cares really, she calls forth her eldritch weapon and, sliding 10’ toward a flanking position on the snake thing she strikes at her thrice, “I caught some of the acid your friends threw at us, I should return it to you. Mother always says to pay my debts promptly, right Mother?”




5'+5' step to try and get a flanking position, probably can't this round yet, but she's moving toward it at any rate.

AC 32 against melee attacks (+2 from skirmish)
AC 37 against ranged attacks (+2 from skirmish)


Full Attack - Eldritch Glaive with Vitriolic Blast blast essence applied.

First Attack - [roll0] Touch attack Damage [roll1] Acid

Second Attack - [roll2] Touch attack Damage [roll3] Acid

Third Attack - [roll4] Touch attack Damage [roll5] Acid

[Auranghzeb]

You want to honor mother, and take back some of the damage you were dealt. You attack with your Glaive made of eldritch energy and acid and the blade sinks in the Abomination skin twice, the third time the creature moves incredibly quickly, each of your hits is harmless, absorbed by an abjuration protecting the creature.

[BelGareth]

Kari frowns at strange ability the naga showed to ignore Kali's attacks, he stepped forward to try his own.


5 ft step to AI24
free action to activate boots of speed for haste

EDIT: I forgot the +2 bonus from flanking (if that applies)
full attack action with -5 PA
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2] Magic draining attack: Will save DC 21 (item is suppressed for 1 round if failed)

[roll3] Nat 1
[roll4]
[roll5] Magic draining attack: Will save DC 21

[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8] Magic draining attack: Will save DC 21

[roll9]
[roll10]
[roll11] Magic draining attack: Will save DC 21

[roll12]
[roll13]
[roll14] Magic draining attack: Will save DC 21

1=Armor, 2=weapon, 3=shield

AC: 39
HP's: 192/207
Effects: DR 5/Magic, SR 27, Haste,

[Auranghzeb]

The abomination screams in anger as your blade cuts its skin three times, the first hit draws temporary life before cutting deep into the scaly flesh. The second draws green blood from the creature's side, the third strikes with the flat side of the blade but breaks something inside the creatures lower body.

It strikes back at you, furiously chopping at you with that strange flat barbed wooden club, it also swings it a couple times against Kali and then attempts to bite Karimandiaz in the face with one lighting fast snap of its neck....


1st attack at Karimandiaz [roll0] damage [roll1]+possibly [roll2] , Second attack to Kali [roll3] , [roll4] and [roll5]

third attack Kari [roll6], [roll7] and [roll8]

Fourth attack Kali [roll9], [roll10] and [roll11]

Fifth attack Kari [roll12], [roll13] and [roll14]

Face bite Kari [roll15], [roll16]+Poison[roll17]Constitution damage Fortitude DC 24

[Auranghzeb]

Except you got that pesky haste bonus...

I think I need to go cheesier on the next encounters.

It's dran's turn and then the Nagas

[Tjallen]

Dran flies closer and casts a spell, causing his allies to take on an oily sheen for a split second before fading, leaving only a slight acidic taste and a feeling of protection.
The air elemental flies over to the naga and slams into it.

Fly closer, cast resist energy, mass [Acid].
Air elemental attacks naga [roll0] for [roll1]

[Auranghzeb]

Kari: The club hits you twice, but since your attack had stolen part of the object's magical power, the large wooden weapon bounces harmlessly in your shield. You feel a crunch. This abomination packs a punch. Then as you push the shield the beast snaps its ugly poisonous teeth at your face and only the power of your boots helps you avoid the lovely kiss of death.


Kali: You get smacked twice with brutal force. It almost makes you dizzy and grounds you, but the magic keeps you afloat, had your feet been on the ground the sheer strenght of the attack would have made you an inch shorter.


Dran: You grant your allies the same protection the Abomination has and send your elemental raging into one of the nagas, the still water of the marsh splashes around with whirlwind but the naga is unharmed.


the naga the elemental attacked retreats into the water avoiding any retaliation. You can no longer see it.

The other naga moves a bit closer and casts something... something that causes the Abomination and four of the archers to jump into action once again.

The abomination tries to bite Karimandiaz in the neck

Two of the archers fire at dran and two at kali


1st Naga withdraws into the water 2nd Naga moves 20 ' and casts Snake Swiftness Mass,

Abomination Bite [roll0]

Archers attack dran [roll1] 2nd [roll2]

Archers attack Kali [roll3], [roll4]

[Auranghzeb]

Dran you have come too close to the enemy, they raise their bows and shoot at you accurately.

You feel the scratch of those light primitive arrows, and something inside you burns...

[roll0]+[roll1]Con damage and [roll2] Wis damage
[roll3]+[roll4] con and[roll5]wis damage

Fort Negates DC20

[Chimaera]

After delivering the warriors to the main action, Lillin fly 20ft away from the priest and assault him with three rays of fire, scorching his body and stealing his spells and sending a knife to the archer who managed to (by sheer luck or unluck) hit her.

If he can see me, then forget the SA and Steal Spell.
Casting Scorching Ray at him for:

1st ray [roll0] dmg [roll1] fire plus [roll2] SA plus:
forgoing 1d6 to steal Fire resistance 10 (if he doesnt have Fire Resistance, pick another he have)
forgoing 1d6 to steal spell effect: Divine Power (if he doesnt have, which I know he have, its picked a ranfdom spell affecting him);
forgoing 1d6 to steal spell: naming Heal (if he doesnt have Heal, pick one randomly);

2nd ray [roll3] dmg [roll4] fire plus [roll5] SA plus:
forgoing 1d6 to steal spell effect: Divine Power (if first attack failed) or a random one if already stolen;
forgoing 1d6 to steal spell: naming Heal again (if he doesnt have, pick one randomly);

3rd ray [roll6] dmg [roll7] fire plus [roll8] SA plus:
forgoing 1d6 to steal spell: naming Greater Dispel Magic (if he doesnt have, pick one at random)

The 2nd and 3rd ray consider the first one suceed in stealing Divine Power (raising Lillin's attack by +10). If the first failed, then reduce the attack roll of the 2nd and (possibly) the 3rd attack by 10.

Dagger against archer: [roll9] dmg [roll10] plus [roll11] SA

[Auranghzeb]

Lilin floats invisible and launches a surprise attack, scorching the Abomination all over. The smell of burnt snake meat fills the air, and flesh is exposed painfully, the creature stares agonising, but not death yet., its burning flesh hurt for a few seconds and then the shock fills its body... and it collapses, dead in the mud.

Then llilin flings a dagger to one of the archers, hitting him straight in the shooting shoulder, the archer lets a scream of pain, but remains alive, he and the other archers are ready to shoot they rise their bows and unleash a barrage of fire over Kali, Kari and Dran.

Only the invisible Lillin is untargeted.


4 Archers attack Karimandiaz: 1st [roll0], [roll1], [roll2]
2nd [roll3], [roll4], [roll5]
3rd [roll6], [roll7], [roll8]
4th [roll9], [roll10], [roll11]


1st [roll12], [roll13], [roll14]
2nd [roll15], [roll16], [roll17]
3rd [roll18], [roll19], [roll20]
4th [roll21], [roll22], [roll23]

Kali:
1st [roll24], [roll25], [roll26]
2nd [roll27], [roll28], [roll29]
3rd [roll30], [roll31], [roll32]
4th [roll33], [roll34], [roll35]

[Auranghzeb]

Kali, as soon as the Abomination is down, a score of poisoned arrows fly towards you. You manage to avoid every single one of them, a couple fly past and hit one of the workers at the bridge, sending him towards the water.

Karimandiaz: Twelve arrows fly your way, you laugh at the archers with their rudimentary weapons as ten of them bounce harmlessly in your armor and shield. But your smile stops cold... the thin shaft of an arrow can be seen sprouting from your shield arm, near the elbow, the tip sunk deep into your muscle overcoming your natural resistance to damage, pulsing poison into your arteries. A second one scratches your right leg, just over the steel boots.

1st [roll0] plus [roll1] con damage and [roll2] Wis damage
2nd [roll3] plus [roll4] con damage and [roll5] Wis damage
DC 20 Negates (roll in case there are 1's)


Dran You present an attractive target for the archers as 4 arrows hit you and scratch you in different parts, arms and legs, the injuries are not that dangerous, but there's poison in the tip of those arrows.

1st [roll6] plus [roll7] con damage and [roll8] Wis damage
2nd [roll9] plus [roll10] con damage and [roll11] Wis damage
3rd [roll12] plus [roll13] con damage and [roll14] Wis damage
4th [roll15] plus [roll16] con damage and [roll17] Wis damage
DC 20 Negates (roll in case there are 1's)
DC 20 Negates (roll in case there are 1's)

[Tjallen]

Raising a hand and pointing towards a cluster of openings with archers in them Dran mutters a spell and a roar can be heard as a wave of mud and water sweeps in and covers the area, leaving a ten feet layer of mud covering everything in it's wake.
"Give up now and the rest of you will be let go, we hardly care about you weaklings at this point."
Having said his peace he flies up into the air, no real desire to be shot anymore.

The air elemental, having lost it's target flies towards the other naga still visible and slams into it.

Mudslide (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/spells/stormwrack--87/mudslide--3335/) to burrow 3 of the openings in mud.DC 25 reflex save to avoid taking [roll0] and being buried. Those who save take [roll1] and are not buried. It leaves 10 ft of mud behind so the tunnels should be well and truly closed.
Dran then flies 80 ft straight up.

Air elemental smash [roll2] for [roll3]

[Auranghzeb]

Dran you point at the boulders (not tunnels only boulders-wall, I could have made them tunnels... it would have been a hell of a dungeon, but the entrances are elsewhere) and you turn them into mud which collapses heavily on the archers, they scream dragged down by the weight and sinking slightly, too slow in their reaction. Spraining ankles and knees under the mud.


Dran: you call forth the powers of earth and water , instantly creating a mudslide that immediately and irremisibly buries six of the archers, crushing them and trapping them against the rocks they were using as cover, their muffled screams fill your vengeful ears with joy and memories of the peasants who lost their crops blackened by the frostfell. It is as it should be. But this is a hill, and quite a steep one and the mud slides down strepitously, rolling downhill and catching two more archers 1d20+12 dragging down the abomination's body and possibly Karimandiaz (ref save to fly). The mud falls over the workers at the bridge, buring half a dozen of them and partially blocking the entrance.

You yell at them and their comrades, but they ignore your language.




The elemental flashes through the surfface of the water towars the other naga, it throws four unfortunate workers into the water.

The workers stop, they sense something is wrong. they "look" at the hill, sewn eyelids. They are quiet except for those suffering under the mud, drowning in, slowly, dying and they yell.

Karimandiaz, you hear the muffled screams, the unnatural scream of someone who lacks a tongue as these slaves are crushed under Dran's conjuration, merciless and without flinching. You are surronded by evil...

You still owe me a fortitude save Dran (fingers crossed for a nat 1)

[BelGareth]

After being peppered with shots, several that actually hit, and penetrated his skin, a shocked and surprised Kari surged forward to the closest one, attempting to chop it in two.


Charge AI26
Power attack for -10

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2] Nat 1
If hit, bow will be nullified for 1 round vs will DC 21

Bullrush is free from hitting a creature with PA from the knockback feat. Failed (no negative effects for failing)

Kari (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1354172)
AC: 36
HP's: 170/207
Effects: DR 5/Magic, SR 27, charged, PA -10

[Frendle]

Kali smiles as the creature falls at her feet, “Ahh, new meat for the battle!” then as the mudslide takes the body away the smiles fades. She glances at Dran, but then shrugs her shoulders. “Time to focus on these blasted archers.”

She flies off to a better vantage point and aims her blast at one of the bowmen.



Fly to AI24 5' off ground.

Attack archer at AK24 with Eldritch Blast (Skirmish)

[roll0] Touch Attack [roll1] Unmodified Eldritch Blast



Status

AC: 31 melee AC 36 Ranged
HP's: 176/218
Effects: DR 1/CI, Freedom of Movement, See Invis

[Auranghzeb]

Karimandiaz: your your quick reactions help yo take off as the mud slides downhill bringing destruction below. You rise and then swoop over to one group of archers, slashing one of them deep in the shoulder and pushing him upwards with you with unbelivable force.

Kali: A deep smile crosses you face as those lifes are snuffed by the mud. Bodies are dragged into the dark waters. You attack an archer, almost bringing him to death with a piercing blast of eldritch energy. But the sweet silence of death is not the archer's reward. only deep pain and a severed arm.



Dran: the naga under attack withdraws into the water and dissappears from sight...


Lillin

Archers 3 1/2 left.

Kali

Kari


Abomination

Dran

Nagas?

[Chimaera]

Lillin watch as Dran manage to bury many of their enemies in a motherload of mud. Such destructive power would come in handy once this was done.

Looking at the archers, she send on e of her many daggers towards his throat and before resuming her invisibility.

I believe you mistook: Lillin wasnt invisibile anymore.
She'll throw a dagger at one of the archers, if possible a weakened one and then turn the Greater Command into Inviisibility.

dmg [roll] 1d6+5

Once invisible again she fly 20 ft up and look around for more possible threats. With the cleric dead, she pretty much lost her interest in this fight, that dagger throw just to show her allies that "she's helping".

With no magic users to steal from, Lillin is more inclined in letting the others finish off.
But Chimaera is motivated, just Lillin is not

[Auranghzeb]

Inside the mud:

Their lungs are under pressure, they cannot see, they cannot breathe under the mud and water. Surely some bones are broken and they try to claw desperately their way out of the deadly trap, hearts beating fast, breaking, every small effort takes them closer to death.

One hand manages to get out.

But for you outside, there's only silence.

***

Lillin stabs one of the wounded archers, only three remain, they are angered, they are stubborn warriors. They lift their bows one more time and shoot, aiming at Lillin Karimandiaz (lillin is invisible), Dran and Kali.




Lillin Karimandiaz: [roll0], [roll1], [roll2]

Kali: [roll3], [roll4], [roll5]

Dran:[roll6], [roll7], [roll8]


As all the nine arrows miss their targets, desperation flashes in the archers's eyes.


The nagas are gone...




Dran

Kari

Kali

Lillin

Archers?

[Chimaera]

Lillin look at the very affraid archers and decide to finish them off.
Pointing her index finger to one of them, she blast it with a ray of ice and a dagger, aimed to his heart.

Dagger [roll0] dmg [roll1] plus SA [roll2]
Ray of Frost [roll3] cold dmg [roll4] plus SA [roll5]

"Let's fnish them off quick and get moving", she says to the others with her, "I'm sure they're now aware of our presence thanks to Dran's spell".

She look at the druid and give him a nod, "Nice spell you had, by the way. Maybe you can lend me one such spell sometime".

[Tjallen]

Dran simply summons another large air elemental and sends it towards the archers.

At the compliment Dran simply smiles at Lillin: "Lend you say? I must admit the idea could be useful, however wouldn't it be more prudent for you to expend your own repertoire before digging into mine?

[Auranghzeb]

Lillin and Dran focus their attacks on the same archer, hitting him with elemental force and frozen knives.

The archer's neck is snapped in two by the elemental's slam.

Only one left. Standing next to Karimandiaz.

[BelGareth]

Kari nods and swings into a full attack routine to the enemy next to him, slicing and slashing with his Khopesh.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2]
[roll3]

[roll4]
[roll5]

[roll6]
[roll7]

AC: 39
HP's: 192/207
Effects: DR 5/Magic, SR 27

[Auranghzeb]

The last archer standing is reduced to pulp by Karimandiaz, who cntinues to smash the poor bloody body long afer the archer is death, splatering himself with the humanoid's blood.

Now you are standing, or hoovering around the hill, the workers below make a strange sound, not quite understanding what's going on, if you had to describe it, it will be something between panic and excitement. there are a few scores of them, some near you, other working in the floating squares, other on long narrow boats that transport the food from the squares to the bridge.

The entrance into the hill is partially blocked by the mud, which still drips from the hill as hot lava. Those workers near the entrance do not move.

The nagas are gone. Or so it seems... the artificial lake is large enough to provide them with good hiding places, and in the water you see thousands of small and medium vipers. Some feasting on the unfortunate peasants who have fallen into th water.

Al your characters are rather evil by the way... don't give me that N or CN sh-it because you know you are evil


What to do know??

[Tjallen]

Not wanting to lose their ill gotten gains Dran summons a large earth elemental and instructs it to retrieve the items and any corpses.

"I am collecting the bodies, one of you had questions to ask of them, no?"


Non-evil? Get that weak sauce out of here. We almost tried diplomacy.

[Chimaera]

Lillin float in the air watching the elemental begin digging the dead out.

"Well, that was something", she says looking to the water edge, "Sadly the nagas fled: they seemed to have some interesting tricks to borrow", she says and begin toying with her dagger, "So... Where didi you all came from?", she ask them and fly closer to Dran, "You also seem to have some nice tricks too, huh?"

"As for speaking with the dead... I dont know THAT trick", she says before adding with a malicious grin in her face, "Yet".

She lazyly fly to get a better angle of the entrance, "Maybe the elemental can work on the entrance after its done digging up the dead ones".

[Tjallen]

"I guess we haven't had much time to talk about the past. The elementals will take some time to clear it out."

Spending a few moments to summons another elemental to take over the search Dran starts telling his tale, only taking breaks to summon up new elementals: "Before we were dragged here I was on the verge of completing a ritual to fully allow the Frostfell to take over my home plane. I have spent centuries opening and strengthening rifts between that prime and the Frostfell. I am hopeful that when I open the last portal, I will be able to ascend to godhood, of some sort anyways. This whole mortality thing is really grating on me, and this place shows that you can have your own little part of the multiverse just fine. With the heads understanding of godhood I am sure it will be successful. I wouldn't mind granting each of you a spot in my employ when we are done here, after all, strong allies are always useful."

[Chimaera]

"Very interesting", Lillin say before explaining, "Godhood, I mean. It never crossed my mind".

"I'm a hunted archmage since my former tutors found out my methods and they believe they're.. unortodox. Had to stab my own father to steal a Plane Shift spell to escape. So I've been running around the planes, running some paid missions, asassinating a djnni noble here, steal a dragon's lair in Acheron, that sort of things".

"Managed to get a handful of tomes and scrolls before finding myself in this place", she says and look at the horizon, "Godhood might be nice. Will think about that now".

[Tjallen]

Laughing at the youngsters antics Dran simply smiles: "I guess it's fitting that you would steal someone else's goals as well. I do hope if you ever ascend that you will be a trustworthy ally."

[Auranghzeb]

Elsewhere, unbeknownst to you:


-Sister, our father is trying it again.

-And again he shall fail

-Every time his vermin are weaker and weaker

-I’ll feed the worms with their flesh

-A shame they didn’t chose my way first, the wine is good.

-There’s a warrior you would have liked.

***


While you talk the sky gets darker and darker. The elementals bring back the bodies of the archers and the Abomination, the workers claw their way desperately trying to open the entrance and trying to rescue their fallen comrades, they are pathetic, but they are getting angrier and angrier.

Many more of them come to the bridge, they communicate by clicking what remains of their tongues, not unlike lizards.


Karimandiaz: The striking similitude to those lowly slaves you lived with. Those who don’t understand that only those who don’t know how to die, live to be slaves.


Kari: Joy. Is that what you feel? These blindworms desperation carries a smell you are familiar with.

Lillin and Dran: Godhood! Tall words for those who can still be killed.



Perception checks please.

[Chimaera]

"Weather is getting worse. Let's move in and finish our business here: three days, four sisters and a godling to slay", she says putting the loot inside a haversack, "Time is of essence here".

To Dran she answer by giving him a wide grin only.

[roll0]

[Tjallen]

Feeling annoyed at the heat Dran decides to call upon the frostfell as he speaks of home, as he calls upon his home everything within 20 ft of him instantly starts freezing over as the temperature drops significantly.

Planar bubble, manifesting a 20ft radius section of the frostfell - it deals 1d6 cold damage every round to those unprotected, empowers cold spells and impedes fire spells.
Perception check [roll0]

[Auranghzeb]

Lillin: The air freezes around Dran, making you shiver. You don't see anything else but what is apparent, even with your divinations.


Dran: You conjure cold from another plane, and it works, as this spell is particularly powerfull, but there's also the trace of shadow magic. A tearing of the Wave, a small tear, but nonetheless a tear. Conjuring in this place feels dangerous.

Besides, you feel observed. How? By whom? That you cannot say, but observed.

[BelGareth]

Kari floats as he looks down at all the murder, and destruction, he could only offer a small plea for his own soul, they were on a mission, and he had to complete it, no matter the costs.

"If anyone could provide me with some healing, I would appreciate it, I took a few hits in that."

[Frendle]

Kali looks around her with satisfaction tinged with a bit of sadness. No more to fight, but at least there are some toys to play with. She brings out her wand and applies its magic to herself and the Warrior.

When the elementals bring back the Naga’s body her smile returns. “Now this is something I can work with, but in a bit, not now.”

Listening to the conversation between the two mages she chuckles, “Godhood? That is a lofty goal. Though I am sure it is not beyond your exalted abilities. I do not think there is much of value for me in this pile of loot, but there is no point in wasting the archer’s bows.”

As a feeling of being watched sends a chill up her spine, she looks about to see what there is to see.

Kali takes one of the bows and a few (10) arrows and shoves them in her backpack.
When the healing is underway she turns her attention to the Naga. “Let us see what we can do with this.” She walks over to the Body and touches it, “Arise former foe and do us some service before your final destruction.”

The body slowly rises up and, with unfocused eyes, it stares off into the distance as though waiting for something to do.
“We should send this, our new companion, into the entrance to see what is what, yes?”



Kali applies lesser vigor to Kari and herself. 6 total charges.

Feeling watched, she attempts perception. [roll0]

Then, once the group is set to go inside, she uses the invocation The Dead Walk and creates a zombie of the Naga.
Since she did not use any Onyx in the process, the effect will last 11 minutes.

[Auranghzeb]

Kari, you try to reassure yourself, but do not take action to help out a single slave from drowning or getting killed by snakes. You freeze. And listen to the arrogant talk of the other three, they want to be gods, Dran just mentioned enslaving a whole plane of existance. Lillin stabbing her own father... and then the wicked one took the body of the abomination and turned it into an unliving thing. Re assure yourself all you want. This is wrong.
And, what are you serving? A mission? A good one? Aren't you simply a slave to the will of Ehecatl? Ah, Karimandiaz. Born a Slave, always a slave.

To your mind once again the words you once heard from Lucia, that maiden slave that was executed after trying to kill the merchand lord when she refused to serve his wicked pleasures: only those who do not know how to die live to serve.


Kali: the abomination rises as an undead. it's corpse corrupted by the dark eldritch energy granted to you. You order it to enter the dungeon. It moves it's large coiled body and tries to squeeze in, but the entrance is blocked and such a large creature can't go through.

[Tjallen]

Dran nods at Kali: "I'll use elementals to scout as well. Please lead the way miss."

[Auranghzeb]

Long minutes pass, they feel like weeks. Finally Lillin and Dran decide to move ahead. The Earth elementals have cleared the entrance. An eerily the workers continue they work as soon as their path is clear. The entrance is a bit wider than 10’ and barely 7’ tall. It leads to a dark passway of finely carved stone. It feels claustrophobic. Particularly to Karimandiaz and his huge frame.
The workers move here as blindworms, they carry the weaved baskets into rooms on the sides of the hallway.

[Chimaera]

Lillin walk behind the others and when faced with darkness, she intones magic words and have her necklace to shine as the sun, although she remains invisible and floating just a few feet above the floor.

"Do you think one of the sisters might be inside here?", she ask as she looks around for magic and for invisible threats, "And what is wrong with these guys?", she point to one of them, although the others may nt be able to see her.

Using my Hand of Glory's Daylight on my hand of glory;
Using my Hand of Glory's See Invisibility;
Using my Spellthief Class Feature to Detect Magic;

"Do you think we can make on eof them talk if we unsew their mouths?"

[Auranghzeb]

Your arcane vision reveals only mundane objects, the hallway is long, perhaps 100' long but you can't be sure with these shadows. There's no magic presence around, only those unsettling workers moving along, they move like bats, they don't touch each other, th walls or even you. Whatever distress they suffered during the battle seems now gone.

Who know what do they thing under those eyelids.

[Tjallen]

Paying attention to anything that is out of place Dran walks along, summoning in air elementals to shield him.


Summoning in large Orglash Air elementals

Dran also have 120ft blindsight.

[BelGareth]

Kari looks on in horror as one of his companions raises the dead, recoiling, but knowing he cannot do much about it, he moves to go into the mountain, at least he could protect some of these he was with...even if they did such things as that...

[Frendle]

Kali listens to the Spellthief and then at the workers, “That is not a bad idea. Perhaps we can persuade one of them to talk.” Kali waves her hand and appears to be in two places at once, standing where she was and also near one of the workers.

She studies from briefly then waves her hand again, casting an invocation which covers the poor unfortunate with green glowing sparkles.



Kali uses the invocation Flee the Scene moving closer to the nearest worker.

She then uses spellcraft to see if there are any spells cast on the worker. [roll0] Spellcheck

Regardless of what she finds, she casts Voracious dispelling on the worker. [roll1] Dispel magic check

The worker will take one HP damage per level of spell/s removed.