Aegis' Dungeoncrawler In-Character

[Dread_Head]

Thanquil steps back from the party trying to back out of reach of the Salamanders spear. Then he brings to mind the weaknesses of a Salamander and lets the party know how to best attack it before firing an arrow at the monster.

Spoiler: Actions

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Free: 5ft. step
Move: Dark Knowledge (Tactics) (1d20+24)[30] - Edit: +2 attack for the party
Standard: Attack - Point Blank Shot, Inspire Courage +2, Knowledge Devotion +3, Precise Shot, Dark Knowledge +? - (1d20+13)[23] (Edit: +2 for Dark Knowledge), damage (1d6+8)[9]

[whoiam]

"...Why are you trying to capture it? We've already been told they don't remember anything pre-delve, have we not?" Liselle herself had no intention whatsoever to switch to non-lethal attacks... mostly because, as she'd learned from the earlier, smaller Salamanders, actually landing a hit on them was hard enough when she was giving it her all. She wasn't about to hobble her accuracy in this fight.

Unfortunately, it'd been able to get out of (her) melee range without her being able to stop it. Nothing to do now but shift stance (into the Punishing stance) then try and get in close the old fashioned way:

"Tumble DC15" - (1d20+13)[17] - to provoke no AOOs while closing with the Salamander

And once she's alongside it again, make another attempt at taking it out.

Spoiler

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This round she's using the Shadow Blade Technique, but dropping Power Attack.
Modifiers:
+16 (Base)
+2 (Inspire Courage)
+2 (Dark Knowledge)

"Attack 1" - (1d20+20)[25]
"Attack 2" - (1d20+20)[37]
"Crit Conf" - (1d20+25)[37] - threat on a 39 or 40.

"Damage" - (4d6+10)[28]
"Crit Damage" - (4d6+10)[22]
"Punishing Stance" - (1d6)[1]
"Cold Damage" - (1d6)[3]

[QuadraticGish]

"I still want to press it- maybe it's different if we talk while we're still in the dungeon." Orchid suggests, disagreeing with Liselle. She then takes a moment to judge the situation before hopping back and grabbing her bow from the spare hand after handing it her scythe.

"I don't think I'll complain much if he dies; he is dangerous."

Orchid then notches an arrow and fires at the Salamander.

Spoiler: OOC

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Move: Orchid moves away from the Salamander.
Standard: Fire an arrow at the Salamander: Attack: (1d20+10)[16] Damage:(1d8+5)[7]

[TheFallenOne]

A malevolent smirk crossed Solstafir's face. "I don't mind, I like this one. He's feisty." His axe went into a furious pattern, opening with a strike of the flat followed up by a more lethal blow to bring their powerful foe to the ground.

Spoiler

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Flashing Sun
attack - (1d20+9)[11] nonlethal damage - (2d8+5)[9] +1 Fire +1 Electricity +2 Flanking, +2 Inspire Courage, +2 Dark Knowledge, -2 maneuver, -4 nonlethal
attack - (1d20+13)[29] slashing damage - (2d8+5)[17] +1 Fire +1 Electricity
edit: Forgot IC on damage and Furious Counterstike. Add +2 on each attack and +4 on damage

[Aegis013]

The solid plate armor repels the party's arrows. However, Liselle's sword and Solstafir's axe work their foe relentlessly. The large Salamander drops to its knees, unable to fight further and mortally wounded. The creature grunts in pain as its spear clatters to the ground, bluish life blood pouring from its wounds onto the ground below.

"I yield. Simply give me a quick death as I would've done for you." the creature says, not having much longer to be attached to this life anyway.

Spoiler: Status and Conditions

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The enemy has taken 129 damage (albeit some of it non-lethal) and will die shortly unless significant healing magic is used (though it'll probably just attack you again if healed)

The Salamander has taken 80 damage.

Liselle has 50 HP remaining.
Orchid has 48 HP remaining.
Solstafir has 45 HP remaining after Steeley Resolve empties.
Thanquil has 17 HP remaining.

Each character gains 6,000 XP (You've already reached the max of 10,999 XP for this level as of last encounter).

It seems you could interrogate the creature briefly before it dies.
The creature carries a +3 longspear, an anklet of translocation and a masterwork suit of full plate.

Behind it remains the ornate fountain with the statue gripping the finely crafted longsword and the roughly cut mirror shield.

[QuadraticGish]

"Thanquil, can you ask him how he knows about Solum?" asks Orchid, looking towards Thanquil.

[Dread_Head]

Rushing the words out before the Salamander passes away Thanquil asks in Ignan "How do you know of Solum? What is this place?"

[Aegis013]

"The architect's... mirrors showed me... a land... past the endless desert..." the creature coughs, spewing bluish blood onto the stone between you, the strength of its arms giving out as it slumps into the pool of blood. "Solum... I dreamed of going..." the life fades from the creature's eyes as it lies motionless before you, dead.

[QuadraticGish]

Orchids grimaces as she hears the Salamander's final words, and stands silent for a moment having felt a pull on her heart strings.

"...I think we should at least give him a proper send off back at Solum." Orchid comments, glancing at the Salamander's body.

"Architect and mirror..." she then says aloud. "Would it be right to say that we can pin the entity creating all of this as the architect?" Orchid ponders it for a moment before continuing.

"I think we should make sure to find and claims this mirror before we depart. I wonder if it's that shield the statue is holding or the mirror room we passed by earlier? Something else pressing is that he seemed to have his own motivations that didn't directly involve trying to kill us. Are there more places like this? What if this is all just a game and Solum is just another place like this 'endless desert'? It would make sense since as far as we know people who ventured out had a habit of never finding much or returning..." Orchid says before drifting off into thought.

"Thanquil, would you happen to how far back Solum's history goes?"

[Aegis013]

Thanquil's study of the old histories of Solum is a bit lacking, given that it never appeared to provide increased survival rate when delving (nobody has ranks in History). Here's what you know:

The Bureaucracy was started when the current king took power, supposedly almost 500 years ago - everyone generally accepts that the king uses magic from the Dungeon to extend his life, a rare thing but well known to be one of the most desirable finds from the Dungeon. Even the oldest living elf doesn't remember the reign of the previous king. The last major attack, during which an obelisk monument was destroyed shortly before the current king rose to power. When that happened the havoc was significant and a lot of records were lost or destroyed, a lot of scribes died in the event and many of the records that survived the ordeal simply deteriorated too far with so few of the survivors dedicated to transcribing them.

Solum is supposedly as old as time itself, but the series of events that lead to the society being as it is today aren't easily grasped.

[QuadraticGish]

"I think it will be time to hit the books when we get home." Orchid comments, before helping to gather the loot.

Spoiler: OOC

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Orchid is ready to get moving.

[TheFallenOne]

"Who knows what this all is about. We're clearly not below Solum anymore. With the dungeons before that was my assumption, but with a sun above and sand stretching to the horizon in every direction we're clearly nowhere near home. I wonder how far the desert stretches if we would just keep going and going in the same direction." With the group ready to move on, Solstafir took the final door. This, time, there was no need for his arachnid zombie to cover another door, so it would be able to join their battle.

[Aegis013]

Throwing open the leftmost door reveals a small room with a small number of cots lining the walls. The room appears to be unoccupied. Whatever creature was in here may have heard the commotion of combat and fled deeper into this strange place.

Your nostrils are accosted by the acrid smell of whatever passes for foodstuffs among these firenewts and salamanders. A large cauldron hangs from a sturdy chain fashioned onto the ceiling over a fire pit, it looks like it's been awhile since the fire pit has been lit and the foodstuff is now cold, though the smell still lingers in the room. There's also a large ladle hanging from a small hooked notch in the chain and a number of small stone bowls in a stack near the cauldron.

A narrow hallway extends from this room for at least 100ft. You can make out another sturdy stone door at the distant end of the hallway, it looks like it is hanging slightly ajar. It's possible whatever creature was in here previously heard the commotion of combat and fled deeper into this mysterious place.

[QuadraticGish]

"Would you and your zombie like to take point Solstafir?" Orchid asks, motioning toward the narrow hall.

[TheFallenOne]

"That's why we're here," Solstafir said confidently, not at all perturbed by serving as the group's meat-shield. Harpoon at the read, he directed the zombie to push open the unlocked door and proceed further into the unexplored reaches of the dungeon.

[Aegis013]

As the party begins to proceed down the long hallway, you can make out that areas of the hallway seem to be unusually brighter.

It quickly becomes apparent that a total of 8 mirrors line the walls in small alcoves, four sets of two facing each other across the hall. The light is reflected from each mirrors surface creating the strange light patterns within the hall. Each mirror is unique in its own nature, the first being held by a sculpted serpent, its head and tail wrapped around the edge of the mirror with claws gripping onto the reflective surface. The next having a thick wooden frame with an intricate pattern of repeating geometric shapes carved into the mirrors frame.

The next pair being a held by a metal frame marbled with lines of silver and gold and being held by a red stone frame. The mirrors seem to be mundane though the craftsmanship is high quality.

Spot DC 25:
Thanquil (1d20+10)[13]

[Aegis013]

As the group progresses towards the third set of two mirrors, a Large Monstrous Spider Necrocarnum Zombie drops from an alcove hidden in the shadows on the ceiling on top of Solstafir's Large Monstrous Spider Necrocarnum Zombie, attempting to sink its mandibles into its twin.

Wisps of what appear to be a light smoke rise in tendrils from the strange enemy zombie spider, dissipating harmlessly into the air.

Enemy Necrocarnum Zombie's surprise attack:

(1d20+7)[8] to hit
On hit it deals (1d8+5)[7] damage.

The spider isn't coordinated enough to pull off the attack while falling even a short distance, not managing to get a good bite against its twin.

Initiative:
Initiative count for enemy's in this combat: (1d20+5)[25]

Liselle (1d20+9)[24]
Orchid (1d20+2)[8]
Solstafir (1d20+9)[25]
Thanquil (1d20+7)[16]

Solstafir has initiative (higher initiative mod wins the tie).

[TheFallenOne]

"Well, isn't this familiar," Solstafir said with a chuckle. "Hey there, gonna bet you ten gold my spider can beat up your spider!" Having declared his bet he stood back and let the pair of spiders square off.

Spoiler

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Solstafir does nothing. Spider attacks other spider
(1d20+7)[14] (1d8+5)[10]
Switch Essentia into Incarnum Defense, raising AC to 25

Just in case you copied the stats from Solstafir's zombie, keep in mind they are modifed by +2 strength belt, Mage Armor and Desecrate at time of creation.

[Aegis013]

The two spiders are shunted (1d8)[1] into one of the alcoves with the mirrors further ahead, opening the path forward for the party. You can see one of the spider's abdomens sticking out slightly from behind cover. Solstafir's perfect control lets him know that is the enemy spider.

The evil twin spider zombie attacks the friendly spider zombie.

(1d20+7)[18]
On hit it deals (1d8+5)[9]

The spider can't quite get a good bite on its Solum-aligned twin, though even with the party's magic and equipment the enemy spider seems to be going spider tarsus to tarsus. The enemy spider was even wearing the same equipment as Solstafir's spider.

Spoiler: Status and Conditions

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Liselle has 50 HP remaining.
Orchid has 48 HP remaining.
Solstafir has 45 HP remaining.
Thanquil has 17 HP remaining.

The party has initiative. You can see the hole in the ceiling where the enemy spider dropped down, but can't quite see what's within. The hole in the ceiling is roughly halfway through the hallway toward the ajar stone door.

[QuadraticGish]

"I'll take a look at what's above." states Orchid as her spare hand passes the Hearthfire Lantern to her. She starts the lantern and flies up toward the hole in the ceiling to see what's inside.

Spoiler: OOC

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Putting 10 gold on our boy the monstrous spider.
Free: Spare hand puts the bow away and passes Orchid her Hearthfire Lantern.
Standard: Orchid activates it.
Move: Orchid flies toward the hole on the ceiling, ending right next to it if possible. Spot if necessary: (1d20+3)[22]

[TheFallenOne]

"Looks like something up there is making copies of what passes through? We better figure this out, I'm not in the mood to fight my evil twin." For now Solstafir held position and let the zombie do its work while he observed.

Spoiler

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(1d20+7)[14] (1d8+5)[8]

[Aegis013]

From Orchid's vantage point next to the hole in the ceiling, she can see soft shifting light patterns within the passage. She leans and peeks around the corner to see what could be in this hole in the ceiling.

The gap in the ceiling extends several feet where it ends in a perfectly circular mirror that appears to be clutched in place by skeletal hands protruding from the red stone walls. Additional runes are carved into the face of the mirror around the edges. Her reflection peeks back at her, before the reflection starts to fall out of the mirror! The evil-Orchid catches herself in mid-air.

With Orchid's knowledge of arcane implements, she immediately recognizes this as a Mirror of Opposition. An incredibly rare and powerful necromantic item that creates an exact, evil duplicate of whoever it reflects. If you can secure it without activating its nefarious power, or by exhausting its power, it would be quite the haul. However, those runes on the edge seem to indicate it has power beyond that. That the spiders were teleported further down the hall while locked in combat also seems to suggest this particular Mirror is especially powerful.

Thanquil, Liselle, and Solstafir (if he so chooses) may still act.

[Aegis013]

The good spider isn't able to land a solid blow on the evil spider. The evil spider tries to attack the good spider in return. (1d20+7)[24] dealing (1d8+5)[6]. The good spider's Incarnum defense protecting it from the evil-spider's attack.

Thanquil, not able to the see the evil-Orchid from his vantage point and not wishing to create an evil-Thanquil by going underneath the mirror activates his healing belt for a single charge, recovering (2d8)[9] HP. He fires off a barrage of arrows at the enemy spider's abdomen sticking out of the alcove ahead.

Spoiler: Kn Devotion and Attacks

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Kn: Religion (1d20+22)[27] (+3)

(1d20+6)[18]+3 to hit, (1d2)[1] miss on a 1, deals (1d6+2)[5]+3
(1d20+6)[10]+3 to hit, (1d2)[1] miss on a 1, deals (1d6+2)[6]+3

When the arrows pass through the evil-spider as if it was made out of some kind of mist-like substance, it becomes clear that one of the Mirror's functions is providing protective powers to its reflections against those who aren't the reflected. Any attack not originating from their original has a 50% chance to pass through them. It's possible this Mirror has other powers as well.

Liselle, also unable to see the spider, but more concerned about the evil-Orchid, prepares to fire her bow at the evil-Orchid should she emerge from the hole in the ceiling.

Solstafir readies a harpoon should the opportunity to skewer evil-Orchid arise.


You can hear Evil-Orchid attempting to cast a spell from within the ceiling hole where she remains hidden from view, using the threat of more evil-reflections as a deterrent to the rest of the party.
UMD (1d20+16)[32] on Scroll of Cloud of Bewilderment
Upon a successful activation, the cloud materializes just outside the entrance to the ceiling hole, barely catching the real Orchid in her hiding spot.
Fort Save DC 16 (?) (1d20+7)[26]

Orchid easily resists the spell. However, the cloud presents a unique opportunity. As it is opaque, it means individuals can go past the mirror without being reflected. It just takes running through a Cloud of Bewilderment.

[Aegis013]

As the round concludes, one of the Mirror's powers activates again:
Spiders (1d8)[3]
Orchids (1d8)[7]

The spiders are shunted into the mirror alcove directly to the left of the party.
The Orchids are both shunted into the mirror alcove directly to the right of the party.

You have clear line of sight/effect/attack against both evil-reflections at this time.

Spoiler: Status and Conditions

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Liselle has 50 HP remaining.
Orchid has 48 HP remaining.
Solstafir has 45 HP remaining.
Thanquil heals for 9 and has 26 HP remaining.

The party may act.

[QuadraticGish]

Finally having gotten over the shock of being cloned and being teleported around, Orchid points at the other Orchid. "That woman's an imposter!" she shouts while bringing her scythe down onto her the imposter.

Spoiler: OOC

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OOC proof

Standard: Attack: (1d20+9)[29] (2d4+6)[11]+1
Crit confirm: (1d20+9)[18]

[TheFallenOne]

"I better stay here, don't think you want to fight my clone... Any idea how to turn this thing off?" Solstafir tossed a harpoon at the copy of Orchid while the spider kept occupying its twin, less for hope of actually destroying it than to keep it away from the rest of the group.

Spoiler

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attack - (1d20+8)[22]
piercing damage - (2d8+5)[17]
If hit Reflex DC 10+damage taken or harpoon stuff

Doesn't include any buffs like Inspire Courage, not sure if we have anything active

Spider
(1d20+7)[14] (1d8+5)[6]

[whoiam]

"Smash it? Even enchanted mirrors probably aren't that tough..."

Following Solstafir's judgement of which is the 'real' Orchid, Liselle switches back to her chain and advances until she's just in range. She opens, once again, with a full power-attack Emerald Razor.

Spoiler: Attack

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So using her chain, with 5 points of Power Attack, and Emerald Razor (so targeting touch ac).

Net result: +10 attack bonus, +10 points of Power Attack damage.

"Touch Attack" - (1d20+10)[19]
"Crit Conf" - (1d20+15)[35] - Threat on a natural 30 only

"Damage" - (3d6+20)[32]
"Crit Damage" - (3d6+20)[31]
"Punishing Stance Damage" - (1d6)[5]

Spoiler: AOO

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If Not-Orchid attempts to move in the next round, Liselle will try using an AOO on her with Stand Still, to keep her stuck in place.
"AOO Attack" - (1d20+10)[12] - sadly vs her regular AC, not touch.
"Save DC" - (3d6+30)[45]

[Aegis013]

Orchid's attack has no miss chance against her own duplicate, and upon landing her blow, she sees her attack is spectacularly effective.
(6d4+18)[31]+3 extra damage (successful critical hit)

Thanquil, fires arrows at any remaining foe.

(1d20+9)[10] (miss chance (1d2)[2] miss on 1) damage (1d6+5)[8]
(1d20+9)[14] (miss chance (1d2)[1]) damage (1d6+5)[8] Evil-Orchid's armor and ephemeral nature protect it from the hail of arrows.

Solstafir's harpoon impales evil-Orchid.
Ref DC 27 (1d20)[5] (succeeds only a 20)

Liselle's chain seeks an ephemeral foe.
(1d2)[1] miss chance, the reflection flickers in and out of existence as the Mirror attempts to sustain the evil duplicate, narrowly evading the damage.


After the harpoon lodges in evil-Orchid's abdomen, Orchid's opportunity is presented and with a single fell swoop decapitates the twisted version of herself which disperses into some kind of misty substance which evaporates immediately.

[Aegis013]

The team turns on the evil-spider who has almost no hope of even damaging its original and kill it, despite several instances of the spiders warping around the eight mirrored alcoves.

The team is max'd out on XP and combat concludes.

Spoiler: Status and Conditions

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Liselle has 50 HP remaining.
Orchid has 48 HP remaining.
Solstafir has 45 HP remaining.
Thanquil has 26 HP remaining.

[QuadraticGish]

"Glad that's over." comments Orchid as she wipes away sweat from her forehead.

"Thanquil, can you let me borrow your ring of invisibility so I can hopefully work on the mirror without making more mes?" she asks, holding her hand out.

Spoiler: OOC

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So Orchid will activate the ring of invisibility and fly up into the alcove to get to work on the mirror. When it's loosened, she'll put it away in her haversack. Considering how the haversack works, it shouldn't be a problem pulling it out later and covering it up with a blanket or something. I'm not actually sure what to roll to loosen it.