Wrath of the Righteous - Worldwound Incursion [IC]

[Frosty]

Luna aren't scared by these obvious looters. "We're here on important business. This entire city is about to go to the Abyss in a handbasket, and we may be the best hope of saving this place. Help us and we'll protect you. Or just leave and maybe get eaten by demons...I care not which happens. But don't you DARE threaten us..."

She alks up next to Shauna. Of course, her bottomless state of dress may take some of the teeth out of her statement.

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna frowns. "We don't need any of your coins, strangers. Begone, and take your ill-gotten gains with you."

[Kish]

Hesper opts to keep her mouth closed for now. Her bow is drawn, but not actively aimed at the strangers, yet.

[Kallimakus]

The men leer at Luna, barely listening to her words. Shauna manages to get their attention. They share a look, and a few quiet words.
"Right, right. We'll go, we'll go" the money-counter says, pouring his coins back to the sack. "We'll find another place, guys. One with a safer basement"

They file out to leave. One passes close to Luna. "Come find us if you want a good time, honey" he whispers, though not very quietly.

The stairs down are at the back of the room.

[Frosty]

Luna moves cautiously to the stairs and look down. "If looters are here, I doubt there are any cultists left. Still, there could be traps somewhere."

[NeoSeraphi]

"Let's get going," Shauna suggests. She heads downstairs, keeping her sword drawn. It casts a soft glow, acting as a torch.

[Diachronos]

Skerak follows.

[Kallimakus]

After the looters depart, the alchemist's shop is revealed in its dilapidated glory. The entrance, now open, was hidden behind a false shelf, but was discovered by the looters during their stay

The air in the basement is damp and musty-smelling. The walls and floor are packed earth, while dozens of gourds hang from the ceiling beams. A sludge of rotting plant matter covers the floor and giving off an unpleasant, rotting smell. Against one wall, a wooden table holds a strange apparatus that looks like a clockwork toy of a snake-bodied, sixarmed woman holding a sword in each hand. A tightly corked bottle, filled with what looks like water, sits before the statue.

A wooden chest covered with engraved runes stands under the table, and a sinister image of a star surrounding a goat's face is painted on the wall above the table. It seems to stare at the eyes of anyone that enters in a vaguely unnerving fashion. It seems that this and the smell kept the looters away. The symbol, though not immediately recognizable, is certainly abyssal in nature, and citizens of Kenabres are warned not to approach or touch such things, an edict that the looters thought better than to break.

[Frosty]

Luna stops at the base of the stairs. She squints at the sinister image. "Hold on...lemme compare this with the symbols we've gotten from the cultists..."

Going through her pack, she brings out the unholy symbols of Baphomet and deskari. "These don't look the same, but do you guys think that the image over there is connected to symbols of Deskari or Baphomet at all?" says the cleric.

Spoiler: ooc

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Luna takes 10 on Knowledge religion and failed. Maybe someone else can try it?

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna frowns and examines the strange goat painting.

Spoiler

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Knowledge Religion: (1d20+6)[10]

[Kish]

"Doesn't look like any cultists are here. That cuts down our reason for being here by a lot. Anyone see any kind of documents?" Hesper stops at the bottom of the stairs and looks around the room.

[Frosty]

Luna will throw a rock into the symbol, and into the vegetable matter, just to see if there's any reaction or anyone hiding in it waiting to ambush!

[Kallimakus]

Luna and Shauna are at the bottom of the stairs. The bottomless cleric tosses a rock at the pile of vegetation. It's too low for a human to hide there, not to mention disgusting. She takes another rock and tosses it at the symbol. No reaction there either. As she takes a step closer, however, there is a sudden feeling at the base of her spine. The symbol, previously inanimate, suddenly moves, mouthing off words that fill the space, echoing unnaturally.
"Ahh ... I hope you are among Iomedae's slaves ... I would hate to think of mere peasants wasting such a personal greeting from Lord Baphomet!"

Two things happen as the voice concludes. The vegetation erupts with dark energy, followed by a loud shriek as a corrupted plant formed in a parody of humanoid form awakes in the rotting plant matter.
The other event is the statuette, its swords shattering the bottle. The shards scatter along the table as the liquid evaporates. A smell even worse than the rotting plant matter fills the basement.

Spoiler: OOC

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Hesper, Luna and Shauna are on the floor, close to the centre. The space is 6 by 9 squares, open, with the symbol near middle bottom, and stairs at the North-west corner, 15 feet or so away from our intrepid heroes.

They must make a Fort save (DC 14) vs the poison gas, and Will save (DC 15) either before your turn (If your initiative is less than 23) or after it (If you rolled 23 or higher).

(1d6)[5] Electricity damage to those that fail the Fort save.

[Frosty]

Lunalesca
HP: 19/24 | AC: 19 | Init: +2 | Fort/Ref/Wil = 6/4/8
Diplomacy/Bluff +11 | Knowledge Religion/History +8 | Knowledge Planes +10 | Perception +11 | 
Resources:  Channels 4/5, Fire Bolt 5/7, Dragon Scale 1/3
Effects: Produce Flame (3 mins)

Spoiler: map

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The foul-smelling gas somehow starts tingling. Then the tingling becomes PAIN as she is zapped from all directions! Coughing, Luna rushes out of the area, all the exposed part of her skin stops tingling (and that's a LOT of skin). "Plant monster eh? Well, plants hate ONE thing, I know for sure..."

Chanting the words for a new spell, a sword of pure flame extends from the cleric's empty palm.

Spoiler: ooc

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Move Southwest 2 squares.
Cast Produce Flame

[Diachronos]

Spoiler

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Kinetic blast at the plant
Hit: (1d20+7)[17]/(1d20+7)[20]
Damage: (2d6+8)[10]/(4d6+16)[30]

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna grimaces as the voice speaks, and the gas fills the air. She covers her mouth and wretches, stepping towards the plants.

[Kallimakus]

Hesper moves to flank the monster, having withstood the shriek of the enemy.

The plant monster backs away from the flame-bearing Luna, long tendrils lashing out against the other people in reach.

Spoiler: OOC

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(1d20+4)[11], (3d6+1)[13] Hesper attacks the plant

(1d20+8)[19], (1d4+2)[3] Attack, damage vs Shauna
(1d20+8)[20], (1d4+2)[6] Attack, damage vs Hesper
Attacks are poisoned. DC 15 Fort vs poison, or be Fatigued

(1d6)[2] Acid damage, DC 14 Fort negates this poison effect for Luna, Shauna and Hesper

[Frosty]

Lunalesca
HP: 17/24 | AC: 19 | Init: +2 | Fort/Ref/Wil = 6/4/8
Diplomacy/Bluff +11 | Knowledge Religion/History +8 | Knowledge Planes +10 | Perception +11 | 
Resources:  Channels 4/5, Fire Bolt 5/7, Dragon Scale 1/3
Effects: Produce Flame (3 mins)

Moving Southwest didn't seem the lessen the smell, and in fact is now eating away at her shirt and at her skin. Well, she's next to the plant now, and it's time to end the plant quickly! The cleric swings at the vegetation. "Work with me, Hesper!"

Luck is not with her, however, as she slips on a piece of rotten vegetation, and she bonks herself in the chin with her large breasts. Her swing goes wild.

Spoiler: ooc

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FLANKING attack on the vegetable creatue with Produce Flame
Atk: (1d20+6)[7]
Dmg: (1d6+3)[8] Fire

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna puts up her shield just in time and barely deflects the tendrils lobbing at her. She retaliates with full force.

Spoiler

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(1d20+9)[20] Fort vs acid

(1d20+5)[8]
(1d8+6)[9]

[Diachronos]

Spoiler

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Kinetic blast
Hit: (1d20+7)[21]/(1d20+7)[23]
Damage: (2d6+8)[11]/(4d6+16)[32]

[Kallimakus]

Skerak strikes the monster with another blow. The rock blast staggers it. As it dodges attacks from Shauna and Luna, it fails to mind Hesper, who skewer's its head from behind. It falls limp and crumples to the ground. The translucent poison gas continues to wreak havoc on those exposed.

Spoiler: OOC

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Poison effect (DC 14 Fort avoids)
The subject experiences a persistent adrenaline rush. For the next 2 hours, subject receives a +2 bonus on Initiative checks but takes a -2 penalty on Dexteritybased skill checks due to uncontrollable trembling.

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna rushes upstairs, covering her nose to keep the gas away from her. "Is everyone okay?" she calls.

[Frosty]

Covering her mouth, Luna gestures for everyone to retreat back up the stairs! Once every is safely up, she coughs a few times. "That gas was unpleasant. The electricity hurt. And the acid did a number on my skin and my...well...YOUR...shirt..."

Luna looks at the half-dissolved shirt that Shauna had lent her. "Well, it wasn't really doing much for my modesty anyways...you want it back?" She takes the rags off and offers it back to the paladin.

The cleric channels some white pulses of warmth, and heals everyone

Channel energy healing - (2d6)[8]

[NeoSeraphi]

Shauna sighs and takes the shirt back. "Sure. Thanks. You're going to catch a cold if you don't put something on, though."

[Kallimakus]

The gas disperses after a while. The smell improves, and no more effects are felt in the basement either.

The table, the statuette and the chest beneath the table beckon to you.

Spoiler: OOC

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You reach level 4.

Make a perception check if you mean to open the chest.

[Frosty]

Lunalesca
HP: 31/31 | AC: 20 | Init: +2 | Fort/Ref/Wil = 7/4/9
Diplomacy/Bluff +12 | Knowledge Religion/History +9 | Knowledge Planes +11 | Perception +12 | 
Resources:  Channels 4/5, Fire Bolt 5/6, Dragon Scale 1/3
Effects: Produce Flame (2 mins)

After the smell from the pungent, invisible cloud fades, Luna ventures back dowjn again cautiously. She examine the statuette and the chest first for any sort of obvious wires or traps. Then she opens the chest and sees what's inside.

Spoiler: ooc

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Take 10 on the Perception check for total of 22.

[Kallimakus]

The chest is free of traps. Opening it, it's almost empty. A paper note and a stack of holy symbols of Iomedae are the only things inside.

Luna's keen eye notes a sheen on the symbols though. They've been treated somehow, possibly poisoned. Best not touch with skin. Which leaves her out of options. The note is safe though. It reads "We don't need these anymore, but figured if you survived our surprise, it would be just plain rude to leave behind an empty chest for your troubles!"

If there was any suspicion that the cult of Iomedae had been spared infiltration by demon-worshippers, that would be the end of that. They have trampled down everything about Kenabres and Mendev.

[Frosty]

The nude cleric harumphs. "These bastards tried to poison us! There's some of coating on the holy symbols that I think are poisonous. I can wash them off with water though."

Shauna holds them up with her gauntleted hands, and Luna uses her orisons to create water over the holy symbols. A dozen applications later, the holy symbols should be free of poison.

"Alright. It looks like the enemy already cleared out this place. Shall we head back to Defender's Heart?"

[Kish]

"Do we need extra holy symbols?" Hesper asks, walking forward to study the statue. "No useful information here, hm. That's disappointing."

[Frosty]

Luna goes back to the statue as well. "We don't need more holy symbols, but I don't want anyone coming in here and accidentally getting poisoned. I wonder if this is a magical item. It seemed to move after the message was played. This isn't a statue of Baphomet right?"

She studies it for magical auras as well. (detect magic)

Then, Luna tries repeating what the magic mouth said, to see if that does anything.