Shattered Star II: Curse of the Lady's Light (IC)

[lostsole31]

The group begins a new day of exploration of the Lady's Light, opening the double-doors to the south.

The air in this large octagonal chamber is dreadfully hot—the very air shimmers with heat and almost drips with humidity, leaving every surface within shiny with condensation. The walls, floor, and thirty-foot-high domed ceiling are of polished white marble. Ten feet into the room, the floor rises up in a three-foot-high step, then again at twenty feet in. At the center of the room, a strange gray flame dances in a central firepit. Two smaller octagonal chambers lie to the south and west, while to the east a ten-foot-square section of wall is a dull gray, contrasting with the white of the walls surrounding it. A single torch in a sconce protrudes from the middle of this gray square on the wall.

[PSinger]

Lilim waits for the order to enter.

Spoiler: OOC?

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You have "OOC" listed on the Title line of this "IC" thread.

[meemaas]

Sinxia waits for the martial types to enter before she does.

[lostsole31]

"Because of the preponderance of supernatural and odd humidity here," says The Scribe, "Fallon, I want you to fly in - no pressure contact on the floor - and look around for traps. Meanwhile, use your magical divination to determine what we are looking at, if you can."

Fallon goes in and then does a very careful search of the place ... which means the rest of the group hangs out here for several minutes.

She finally reports, "There's an expended torch in the sconce on the wall that radiates faint transmutation magic. Faint, not lingering, so even though it appears to be expended, it actually seems to be something. However, I have no idea what that something is. Other than that, it seems really bland. I can't really get a read on that gray flame in the center of the room."

The Scribe looks to the rest of the group. "Any input? Anyone want to hazard any guesses?"

[PSinger]

Lilim shrugs. "If Fallon couldn't figure it out, I don't have a chance. If she says it's safe...."

[meemaas]

"Lets just head in. Standing around guessing isn't going to solve anything anymore" Sinxia stays as she starts in, staying on her guard in case something does happen.

[PSinger]

Lilim will head in as well.

[lostsole31]

So, the rest of the party goes in as well.

The Scribe sets to looking at wall carvings.

What does everyone else do?

Spoiler: Room Overview

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[silphael]

Axe ready just in case, Erima enters too.

[lostsole31]

Does Erima do anything while in this room? The Scribe is going to take some time to geek out over drawings.

[PSinger]

Lilim will check out the dais ... first around it, then on it.

[meemaas]

Sinxia will keep on watch for anything moving while the more intelligent of their number investigate the room.

[lostsole31]

Erima maintains a guard position at the set of double doors to the north you came in. Fallon and Rezah are in the alcove to the west. The Scribe and Teofilo are studying the walls to the SE. Sinxia is at the SW corner of the lower platform, and Lilim had made a circuit around the outside of the smaller platform and steps on top to the east. No sooner does she do this, four spherical creatures made mostly of mouth burst forth from the gray flame with definite hostile intent!

One immediately bites at Lilim. One zooms west down that alcove towards Fallon and Rezah and gets stabbed by her for 7 before it bites Fallon ineffectually. A third pops out to attack Lilim (likewise not really hurting her despite success). Still a fourth zooms out to charge The Scribe, only for him to turn to face it at the last second and block it with the haft of his weapon. All of them are Tiny, and 10' off the ground.

Begin Round One ...

R1T24: Sinxia, an ever-gnashing maw, filled with row after row of mismatched teeth, dominates this frightful creature's orb-like body.

Spoiler: Sinxia

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These are cacodaemons, the lowest form of daemon that populate the plane of Abaddon. As such, they are outsiders - extraplanar creatures that have learned to fight and survive mental horrors, combat with others of their kind, and using their small size to escape many dangers. That size is a detriment to them, however, as relatively speaking to other outsiders, they are not that hardy.

As daemons, even these least forms have quanitifiable abilities. They are neutral evil creatures that eat souls and thrive on ruin. They are usually immune to acid, death effects, disease, and poison. Most also have some resistance to cold, electricity, and fire. Many daemons can summon others of their kind. Most daemons only develop verbal skill in reading and writing Abyssal, Draconic, and Infernal, as most of them possess the innate telepathy so common to the fiends of the lower planes.

Cacodemons have an ability to ingest the spirit of any recently slain creature, and from that create a soul gem that is useful for healing itself. It is this useful ability that keeps many of these hateful beasts alive in the lower planes for they are kept as pets by more powerful daemons who use this ability to create what amounts to a currency among the Lower Planes.

Spoiler: Everyone: Picture o' the Beasties

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Sinxia, you only see three from your current vantage point. The one that attacked Scribe had to charge to get to him in a surprise round and still attack. What do you do?

Spoiler: Battle Map

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[lostsole31]

R1T24: "Cacodaemons!" shouts Sinxia. "Lowest of the daemons of Abaddon, NOT demons from the Abyss. Immune to acid, resists else except sonic. Don't know about weapon resistance. Also useless? Death spells, disease, and poison."

Recognizing the size and speed of these things, Sinxia asks Sarenrae for justice that these most base corporations of pure evil be destroyed. She then capitalizes on the fact that C4 is a little off-balance (hopefully) after the charge and shoots that one with a normal arrow to probe resistance, hitting it for 5 mod and a second arrow for 4 mod. "Mild resistance to magical weapons, normal metal!"

Spoiler

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Judgment for a +2 bonus to attack rolls. Sheet updated.

R1T23: The Scribe wheels around quickly to face the flying mouth. He sidesteps to the southwest and spins his ranseur in a dizzying way until he finally thrusts for 20 mod. This thing is barely flying, badly wounded now. "Resists cold iron, too! Holy weapons if you have them. Someone try mithral or silver if you have the opportunity."

R1T22: C1 bites at Lilim, missing.

R1T20: Lilim steps the the SW. Just before she defensively casts her spells, she calls out: "Erima! Incoming!"

A blast of water shoots forth from her palm to throw C1 back 4 squares worth of power into C3 as C3 is likewise thrown back three squares. C1 is on the ground, C3 is now a little further north (and still flying). C1 took 5 mod from the impact.

Spoiler

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Botting for PSinger since he is busy...

R1T15: Lilim can see Fallon tumbling around and drawing her rapier. She flanks her opponent with Rezah while drawing her rapier and stabs her opponent for 24. From the down the hall we hear Fallon shout, "We have a winner with mithral, so go with that or silver!"

R1T14: To which she adds to that, "Yup. This one is dead!"

R1T11: Teofilo flies up to a height of 10' and casts a spell that whomps C4 for 11 NL, knocking it out as it drops to the ground.

R1T10: C3 disappears from sight.

R1T9: Rezah double moves into the room and onto the middle dais.

R1T5: Erima, 15' from you is one of these "cackle-demons," prone on the ground (C1). The platform doesn't inflict a movement penalty, but it does do just enough to keep you from doing a charge. What do you do?

Spoiler: Battle Map

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Sinxia on deck (note that C4 is on the deck, unmoving), The Scribe in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Spoiler

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Photobucket seems to be giving your images problems, so vague as necessary.

Sinxia activates her Haversack, pulling a single Silver Arrow out of it and aims carefully at one of the still active Cacodaemons and fires her single shot, a gust of wind propelling it into the target in an attempt to knock it to the ground.

Spoiler

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Move action: Draw a single Silver Arrow from Haversack
Standard action: Sudden Gust Maneuver on the nearest visible still standing Cacodaemon. Cannot see a map so use your best judgement.

Attack roll (1d20+12)[14]
Damage (1d8+10)[18] + (2d6)[5] bonus damage from Sudden Gust.
If successful, Trip Maneuver using Sleight of hand (1d20+13)[20] (I do not believe the Judgement bonus applies to this, being that it is a skill check instead of a combat maneuver, but if it does, add an extra 2 to the total)

[lostsole31]

R1T5: Erima steps right up to face the closest cacodemon squarely, and brings her axe into it full bore for 19 mod (max), cutting deep into it as it gives a hideous shriek.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T24: Sinxia activates her Haversack, pulling a single Silver Arrow out of it and aims carefully at the cacodaemon Erima just whomped. She fires her single shot, a gust of wind propelling it into the target in an attempt to knock it to the ground. Unfortunately, the prone nature of the thing gave it a more slender profile and Sinxia misses.

R2T23: The Scribe coup de graces C4. He then moves closer to Lilim, but also by the prone C1.

R2T22: C1 now disappears.

R2T20: Lilim, what do you do?

[PSinger]

Lilim figures that while the one near her is unknown, the one that just went invisible hasn't had time to move. She steps over directly to it and curb stomps the square.

Spoiler

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I figure it took an SA to go invisible, and a MA to no longer be prone. Maybe it did a 5-foot step, or maybe it is dumb, so ...

Curb Stomp (1d20+15)[23] (not counting penalties for attacking invisible opp), damage (1d8+9)[16], miss chance (1d100)[49]

[lostsole31]

R2T20: Lilim figures that while the one near her is unknown, the one that just went invisible hasn't had time to move. She steps around the gray flame to the left and up to where she last saw it. She curb stomps where she believes it to be, but doesn't hit anything.

R2T15: Asking folks to point out where it last was, Fallon double moves into and around the room to possibly flank with Lilim.

R2T11-10: Teofilo flies up to a height of 10' off the ground, and readies a spell.Appearing just above Teofilo is a cacodaemon (unwounded) that bit against his armor. Teofilo turns to face it and his readied spell goes off - an intense beam of empyreal light that hits the daemon squarely for 13 untyped.

R2T9: Rezah moves over by Erima and stabs with the mithral rapier where Lilim had attacked, but not apparently hitting anything.

R2T5: Erima, what do you do?

Spoiler: Battle Map

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Direct link

Sinxia on deck, the Scribe in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Sinxia draws another Silver arrow from her Haversack, and launches it square into the Cacaodemon that attacked Teofilo, hoping to end it easily.

Spoiler

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Move action: Draw another arrow from Haversack
Standard action: Attack!!!!

Attack roll (1d20+12)[18]
Damage (1d8+10)[18]

[lostsole31]

R2T5: Erima swings her axe at the ground ... and hits it.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T24: Sinxia draws another Silver arrow from her Haversack, and launches it square into the Cacaodemon that attacked Teofilo, hoping to end it easily. It hits well and hard, but doesn't quite kill the daemon.

R3T23: The Scribe drops his ranseur and tries to grab where he thinks the invisible monster may be. Sure enough, he seems to wrap his arms around .. something.

R3T22: The daemon comes into view as it is in The Scribe's grasp, trying to bite at him.

R3T20: Lilim, what do you do? You are currently flanking with Fallon.

Fallon on deck, Teofilo in the hole ...

[PSinger]

Lilim tears into the cacodaemon held by The Scribe.

Spoiler

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Please roll a full attack for me. On phone.

[lostsole31]

R3T20: Lilim tears into the cacodaemon held by The Scribe. Her two unarmed strikes do 14 mod total, but Lilim bites her own tongue for 1 bleed. Still, despite the embarrassing ending, the thing is beaten into unconsciousness and bleeding itself, and The Scribe drops the thing on the ground.

R3T15: Fallon speeds forth up and into the air towards the last. At just 5' below its height she practically spears through it with her rapier, and lets the thing fall off and drop to the ground, dead.

Rezah coup de graces the one at The Scribe's feet for good measure.

Combat Ends ...

Now what?

[PSinger]

Lilim, standing at the gray flame, shrugs, "Any ideas?"

[meemaas]

While the rest of the group is debating what to do, Sinxia is already digging through her Haversack and Quiver, swapping out some of her regular arrows for specialty ones. All the while cursing her unprepared nature.

Spoiler

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Rearranging my Quiver. Would like 10 each of Cold Iron and Silver arrows, 10 Blunt, and the rest regular.

[lostsole31]

With a search of the room, Fallon determines that the lit torch on the wall radiates faint transmutation magic, but it is not known what it's purpose might be. The torch is not lit, but the end is charred as if it had been lit in the past.

Spoiler: Lilim

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Trying to work things out internally, and since the gray flame does seem to possess some heat - it's not just a cold continual flame - the most natural means of lighting that torch would be with the gray flame, unless the tenders of this underground fane once had a different means.

[PSinger]

If nobody stops Lilim, she will take the torch out of its sconce. She'll then go to the gray flame and try to light the torch. Does anything happen?

[lostsole31]

The torch alights! It is not a "sickly" gray flame insomuch as the flame itself is weak. The flame has as much visible verve to it as any flame normally would. It's just that all sense of color has been drained from it, only casting a monochromatic, gray scale of light rather than reds, oranges, yellows, whites, and/ or blue. Nothing else happens, though.

The Scribe comments, "Daemons are from Abaddon, a place of pure evil, and the origin of hopelessness and despair. Strange that such a demon-friendly place (this temple) has this one room more focused on the evil with with the lust and chaos removed. Still, the gray makes sense for all that - for if it is tied to Abaddon then it is all color and anything which promotes a positive feeling has been removed. Put the torch back in the sconce now that it's lit. The torch casts little light given the gray flame in the center of the room, so I think there is something functional about a lit torch rather than the light it sheds."

[PSinger]

Lilim puts the grayflame torch into the sconce.

[lostsole31]

There is a massive block of stone on the eastern wall that pivots so as to reveal a 10' wide set of stairs descending 45' before coming to a landing or a room below (hard to tell).

The Scribe, who is all business regarding the mission, is of a mind to go down right away. However, it is known that there is - with the doors to the west - more to this level.

How do each of the PCs vote as The Scribe listens for input?

[meemaas]

Sinxia will suggest we stay on this level and make sure we explore it all. We wouldn't want something to surprise us while we're further down.