Servants of the Thrallherd IC 2 [3.5, faster posting speed]

[Cavir]

Cendrik glances around his allies then back to Albin. "There should be two golems left just below. If you can control them then we won't need to destroy them. Let's go."

The swordsage heads back down the stairs and hops over the railing again to avoid the energy wall. He pauses to be on watch while waiting on the others.

[Kish]

Melinda hurries downstairs as well, waiting to confirm that the golems are no longer dangerous.

[PeacefulOak]

Xaanthios

"The walls should be dismissed momentarily. Though it is a strain on my energy for the day, I can peer into the future to tell if our course of action will prove fortuitous. It will limit the aid I can provide to our future encounters, however... so I will defer to the judgement of my companions. What say you?"

[Cavir]

"That would have been something to do yesterday. Unless it will quickly tell us where our prey is now's not the time. Come on, up and over the railing. No time to wait on the energy wall to drop. Time matters when dealing with wizards." Cendrik moves down another level, still on the stairs, to see what is going on there.

[BelGareth]

Rex follows everyone downstairs.

"How do you propose we get through them then?" Or past..." he adds last minute, he did not look like he wanted to go through the walls again.

[PeacefulOak]

Xaanthios

Shrugging, the psion follows his companion and nudges Rex to hop the railing as well to avoid the wall.

Quietly, to himself... "I did..."

[BelGareth]

Rex nods and follows the lead, even in full armor, he needed a few extra hands of help to jump the rail.

Once on the other side, he headed down stairs to catch up.

[J-H]

Albin answers Cendrik's question: "The roof? A dwarf? It'd be an unlikely place for a Contingency to take him - too exposed and vulnerable. We came in the window" (he points to the opened window in the stairwell) "And could have just as easily gone to the roof."

"We know he won't have gone upstairs to his room, because it'd be idiotic to send himself someplace where he apparently had a devil waiting around. I'll follow you down and talk to Sierra. She's cautious, methodical, and I think she'll see reason."

The team travels down the stairs, hopping bannisters to avoid the still-running Energy Wall on the 6th floor. Albin Levitates himself, taking a zig-zag course down between bannisters with his legs folded under him. "Blocking the 6th floor lab like that was a good choice. The Hezrou in that Circle of Protection could have been freed if one of the golems disrupted the circle. You all look a little scorched and battered, and it would have been a hard fight. I'm authorized to give some orders to the golems, so I'll have them stand down on the way back up."

He leaves you on the fourth floor, walking around the corner to talk to Sierra. "Maybe check the ground floor for any hidden doors? It's actually the least-visited area in the whole tower."


(It takes you about 6 rounds of time to reach the bottom floor, or 3 to reach the 4th floor where Sierra is if you choose to stop there. Any healing or spellcasting while walking? What do you do when you get to whichever floor you are stopping at?)

[PeacefulOak]

Xaanthios

Traveling down the stairs easily, fortified by his mental prowess, Xaanthios devotes his mind to the task at hand. "We should leave you to speak with your fellow student, our encounter with her was less than friendly. We should retire to the first floor and seek out this hidden room of which you speak. We shall figure out his location, and end this Wizard."

[BelGareth]

Rex nods at Xaan's words, and follows him down to the 1st floor.

Spoiler

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Dragon aura s Vigor for those 6 rounds, so fast healing 2 up to half HP's to everyone.

[Kish]

Melinda jumps down and heads for where they left Sierra. If she finds Sierra still in the sphere, she stays back and lets Albin do the talking.

[J-H]

Sierra is still in the sphere. Are you going to stay for the conversation, or go to the 1st floor with the rest?

[Cavir]

"A devil and a demon at his bidding?" Cendrik shakes his head. He leaves Albin to deal with Sierra. His own presence would definitely not help. He uses his healing wand on Melinda then continues downward. He stops at each level to look and listen before moving down to the bottom. "A Detect Magic could be useful, finding anything magically protected, or maybe point out an invisibility spell in use."

Spoiler: OOC

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Cendrik and Melinda are above half hp so Rex's aura has no effect. Lesser Vigor still in effect for Cendrik. Once Rex's hp are too high for the aura I'll use the wand on him too but I don't think we're at that point yet. Last report Melinda was only down 19hp so the wand can help at this point. Will try a few times but a Nat1 blocks any more attempts.
UMD DC 20 (1d20+11)[29]
UMD DC 20 (1d20+11)[20]
UMD DC 20 (1d20+11)[30]

[Kish]

After confirming that Sierra is still there, Melinda follows the others down to the first floor.

[J-H]

You arrive at the first floor without incident, coming out of the stairwell at the rear of the room. There are several chairs and tables sitting around, and a large brass statue of a greataxe-wielding minotaur stands opposite an ornate tapestry depicting some battle.

Spoiler

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Ground floor map (golems are dead/gone)

[Cavir]

Cendrik comes to the ground floor and quickly glances around from right to left. Brand's body still laid in the center. The swordsage's eyes locked on the large brass statue to the left. He didn't trust it before and liked it even less now. He pulled out a wand and started trying to activate it but seemingly his focus was elsewhere.

"The man has a collection of golems and never told his apprentices his emergency plans. Couldn't that thing be his greatest project that he also kept secret from Albin? It's probably guarding the safe room. Surprise is on their side now."

He shakes the wand some more. "Damned thing is supposed to have a few more charges left in it."

Spoiler: OOC

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Lesser Vigor probably done by now. I believe I'm at 64/80hp now.
Safe to assume Brand's body is still there? I can change my post if not.
Took 7 tries for UMD to work (from OOC). I won't jump that far ahead. Someone else may want to try the wand for themselves before then.

[PeacefulOak]

Xaanthios

Arriving at the lowest level, having paid the wizard in a bubble little mind, Xaanthios takes a moment to look around the room paying careful attention to details and anything that might stand out as worthy of note. That done, he then begins to carefully examine anything that had stood out to him during his initial scan.

Spoiler: OoC

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(1d20+8)[24] Search check (initial)
Then taking 20 on Search looking for Secret Doors for 28 if I don't encounter anything in my initial search.

[BelGareth]

Rex follows everyone else, and looks at the statue Cendrik is referring to. "I hope it's not, I'm done being hit by those damnable things today." he says in all seriousness. "What are we supposed to do here, look for anything we missed the first time through?"

[PeacefulOak]

Xaanthios

"That would seem to be the case, friend. Let us seek out this rat's hole, that we might end it." This spoken over his shoulder as he scans the room.

[J-H]

Xaanthios notices an irregularity in the shape of the room. Opposite the brass statue is a tapestry, providing a flat surface where the wall should curve behind it in a circle. The tapestry was lit on fire earlier, destroying the Sepia Snake Sigil imprinted on it. There’s a wall back there, several feet away from where it should be…and there does appear to be a few faint seams in the rock, albeit not one with any visible latch, handle, or switch.

[BelGareth]

"Theres a wall back here" says Rex, mostly to himself after Xaan discovers it.

He moves in past the burnt tapestry, careful not to touch the thing, even if it had been burned, he was skeptical of magical abilities, and wanted to avoid anything that had the word 'snake' in it.

He tries to put his shoulder against the wall, and push.

Spoiler

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because why not
STR check - (1d20+2)[19]

[PeacefulOak]

Xaanthios

"Indeed. My patience grows thin, here." He gestures, needlessly, but the motion is tinged with frustration. A surge of motion occurs in the wall as the psion exerts his will upon it, pushing out to create an open archway where once there was a wall.

Spoiler: OoC

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Spending 7PP to manifest Fabricate on the wall, to open an archway. I can manipulate 7 cubic feet of "mineral" substance, should be enough to open a decent sized path.

[Cavir]

Cendrik takes a step back to the stairs they had just come from and nods his head. "Makes sense. Stays within the tower but with a way out. Would also make sense to have your attention on the hidden passage while that thing activates and hits you from behind." He doesn't have anything to prove it, but from the first moment he had walked in he had a bad feeling about it. He'd be very happy to be proven wrong. They'd know either way son enough. As Xaanthios works on the stonework Cendrik continues trying to activate the wand in his hand.

Spoiler: OOC

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I need 7 rounds to get the wand started. Fabricate also takes 7 rounds to finish crafting.

[Kish]

"You think the wizard might be hiding there?" Melinda stares at the area Xaanthios is manipulating.

[PeacefulOak]

Xaanthios

"It is the only portion of this tower we have seen that does not appear to conform to the expected layout. I would hazard a guess, if it can be called such, that there is something of import behind this wall. If not a wizard, then a wizard's treasure: something just as useful to us in the moment."

[BelGareth]

Rex nods "Right, it's got a bronze bull protecting it." he said, flat paned, staring at the statue.

[J-H]

RexThaun manages to knock a little bit of dust loose by slamming the wall, but nothing else. Xaanthios begins to create an archway. As the stone bends and compresses itself to move aside, a narrow staircase leading downwards is revealed.

Cendrik notices that an 8’x5’ hole has silently formed on the far side of the table & chairs from the others, and may take a single surprise round action.

Spoiler: Map

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Cendrik 16 damage
Rex 68 damage
Melinda 19 damage?
Xaanthios +3 temp HP?; Share Pain
Psicrystal +4 temp HP?

=>Cendrik

[Cavir]

Cendrik was keeping Xaan's work in the corner of his eye which put the rest of the area in his field of vision. The floor change on the far side didn't escape his highly trained awareness.

"Look out! New hole on the far side of that table." He gave up messing with the wand and was ready for something to pop out of the hole.

Spoiler: OOC

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Ready action for Flame Snake if a target comes out of the hole.
Side note- I'm torn between Fire Snake and getting to the main entrance to prevent someone escaping.

[J-H]

Round 33, Part 0

A hideous humanoid figure looking something like a skinned man wielding a bone shortspear rises out of the hole in the ground, unrecognizable to Cendrik. Cendrik slaps his weapon against the ground, and a jet of flame shoots out from it, curling forward, around the furniture, and then into the hole.

Spoiler

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You rolled a 1 on K:Planes.
Firesnake (6d6)[21] fire damage, Ref DC 16 half
W1 Ref (1d20+5)[8] Fail, resist fire 10 means 11 damage
W2 Ref (1d20+5)[7] Fail, resist fire 10 means 11 damage

Spoiler: Status

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W1 11 damage
W2 11 damage

Cendrik 16 damage
Rex 68 damage
Melinda 19 damage?
Xaanthios +3 temp HP?; Share Pain
Psicrystal +4 temp HP?

[J-H]

Round 33, Part 1

The creature gives an unearthly screech of pain, echoed by another below it. The eyeless thing flies forward, moving very quickly, followed by another one. The first one rushes past Melinda towards Cendrik, while the second settles for the closer target. They look like people broken and rebuilt from parts, and their spears appear to be made of bone, with jagged edges.

As he turns, Xaanthios recognizes them as minor demons (sharing typical outsider traits) called Wrackspawns, creatures who hate the living and wield spears causing pain to shoot through the bodies of any they touch.

Spoiler

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Melinda AOO (1d20+4)[19] for (1d4)[3] vs W1 Hit for 3

I forgot the to-hit bonus from Haste, but both hit anyway
W1 bone spear (1d20+8)[24] for (1d6+4)[5], plus (2d6)[6] and sickened with pain for 1 round, Fort DC 18 negates sicken and halves the pain damage. Cendrik Fort save, assuming you’d rather use Mind over Body for Concentration to Fort, (1d20+15)[24]. saved, 5+3 = 8 damage

W2 bone spear (1d20+8)[21] for (1d6+4)[9], plus (2d6)[7] and sickened with pain for 1 round, Fort DC 18 negates sicken and halves the pain damage. Melinda Fort save (1d20+5)[22]. saved, 9+3 damage = 12

Behind them, a dwarf with a red, angry face, torn robes, and a large grey beard flies out of the hole with the speed of an eagle. You haven't seen him, but this must be Mezzir-Shazz. He glances around for a moment, then points at Xaanthios, muttering something rapidly. A black cloud forms around Xaanthios’s head, swirling around his eyes, but dispersing as Xaanthios manages to resist its effects.

Spoiler

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Blindness… Fort DC 19 to prevent.
Xaanthios Fort (1d20+5)[22]

Spoiler: Map & Status

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W1 14 damage
W2 11 damage

Cendrik 24 damage
Rex 68 damage
Melinda 12+19 damage?
Xaanthios +3 temp HP?; Share Pain
Psicrystal +4 temp HP?

=> Party