Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (IC)

[Kish]

Tarak leads the way through the streets of Barovia. It's only lightly foggy today, so you can see further than you could last night.

A gray, sagging edifice of stone and wood stands atop a slight rise, on the very roots of the great pillarstone of a huge castle. Light flickers through holes burned through the roof shingles, and the sound of hoarse chanting is audible within the church.

Beyond the church, stone slabs, mostly simple square markers in the earth, dot the manicured grass that grows at the foot of the great crag. The omnipresent mist encircles the cemetery but seems unwilling to penetrate its heart. Perhaps surprisingly, it doesn't appear any of the graves you can see from here have been disturbed.

[Cavir]

Seeing the church Suga forgoes halfheartedly keeping to the shadows. He puts his keen nose to work taking in the surroundings while unconsciously rotating his shoulders to loosen them up. "Seems someone is alive." Suga heads to the church. If anyone else takes lead position that's up to them.

[razorback]

"So it would seem. Best to keep on our toes for an ambush or trap, though. Should we fan out a bit or stick together. I don't want to scare anyone away by looking like an assault but I also don't want to get bunched up together."

[Kish]

Spoiler: Suga

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As Suga assumes the Hunter's Sense stance, he detects a distinct odor of decay. Unsurprisingly, it is apparent that not every body in the area is buried. The smell grows stronger as he approaches the church.

[Cavir]

Suga sniffs the air again. "Hold up. Stinks of death in there."

Are there any ground level windows?

[razorback]

Feagon, heeding his hulking friend, stops in his tracks as he scans the area, looking for hostiles.

Spoiler

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Perception
(1d20+7)[9]

[Kish]

The church's stained-glass windows are higher up than you could reach easily, and you can't see through them.

[Cavir]

"Stink and sound coming from the church. Listen at the door then decide." Suga quietly heads for the door.

[RolandDeschain]

Tarak

Halting in his tracks, the hobgoblin begins looking around at the adjacent buildings seemingly searching for something with clear intent.

Pausing, he motions for Feagon and Suga to retreat away from the church and join him.

Spoiler: OC

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What is the relationship between the church and the castle? Is the church at the base of a rock formation and the castle at the top? Is the church is made of wood and stone both, and the wooden roof has holes in it correct?

[Cavir]

Suga stops and turns back to Tarak. "What's up? They are busy chanting. Not going to hear us through that stone wall unless we make a lot of noise."

[RolandDeschain]

Tarak

Running his hand through his orange, red hair, "Listen, I know you're probably itchin' for a fight big guy...but if that's some kind of &#-0 #@$(&% cult in there, I'm not!"

Looking to Celesta, Feagon, and Ashlyn, "Anybody have a length of chain? I say we take one quick peek, and if it's a bunch of zombies and some kind of undead summoning cult, we chain the doors and burn the place down. Yeah, yeah, burnin' down a church probably sounds bad, but I've already seen enough of the things to know I don't wanna fight a whole church full of 'em."

Spoiler: Yeah....This

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[Cavir]

Suga half nods. "Chain's a good idea for that door. Probably not the only door though. Gotta see what's in there. Could be some priest trying to keep the place holy too. Graves not torn up." He looks back at the church. Was it mostly wood or was there too much stone to get a fire going?

His eyes scan across the other buildings in the area, looking for some hint of a building that would more likely have a length of chain or something else to keep the door stuck. A stable? Store? Blacksmith?

[razorback]

Spoiler

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These 503 time outs are killing me!

Feagon walks up on pats him Tarak on the shoulder as he speaks. "Yes, it has been a lot but best to take things with caution but without overzealousness." as he gives Ashlyn a small glance. "But, no chain. What, then, do we do?"

[RolandDeschain]

Tarak

"I'm not talkin' about murdering a priest and bunch of innocents......well, hopefully, not......anyway. Can't you two flush out 'evil' with at a glance?"

With a second look to Suga, "I'm gonna duck around the corner and see if there are any other exits."

Spoiler: OC

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I think party has a couple of different lengths of rope if there are no chains to found near by.

[Kish]

Spoiler: OOC

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The castle is sufficiently far above the church that you would need to fly to reach it without leaving the churchyard. The sound from inside the church is an oddly repetitive chant; you can't make out any actual words from here. From the stained glass windows, you think this place is, or at least was originally, consecrated to Pelor. Fire would do quite a bit of damage to the church, but you don't think it would actually fall; even if a powerful mage disintegrated the entire church, it wouldn't affect the castle. It's also worth noting that the whole area is pretty damp due to the omnipresent fog. No other buildings are anywhere near the churchyard. You don't remember seeing anywhere else that looked like a place of business of any sort between here and the town square.

"Wait, wait," Ashlyn says. "You can't burn the church without knowing who's inside it!"

[Cavir]

"The burning is if it is full of undead. Going to look first." Suga looks upward. "Smoke may alert those in the castle. Better to fight them at the door so they can't surround us?"

[Cavir]

As Tarak scouts around, Suga quietly moves closer to the main door. He listens to the chant and takes in what scents he can. His head tilts briefly then he moves back to the group, signaling Tarak to come back.

"Smell of death in there, but something alive too. Maybe some priest working his throat dry praying? Maybe one of Ashlyn's friends? Either way we need to take a look. Let's go."

Spoiler: OOC

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Can update with results from Kish.

[Kish]

Tarak doesn't find any other exits. It appears that the only way into the church, short of flying and smashing through the windows, is the front door.

Suga thinks he is hearing only one voice, male.

[Cavir]

Suga pantomimes only one voice inside the church then heads to the door. As the others gather he quietly opens the door.

[RolandDeschain]

Tarak

Pushing past Ashlyn, "Excuse me your holiness."

Nodding at Suga, "I suppose there's nothing else to do but see what we're up against...."

[razorback]

Nodding from Suga's comment, Feagon circles to his left around the door, keeping his eyes open for other trouble as he keeps his bow trained on the entrance.
He smirks as Tarak's comment to Ashlyn but holds his tongue as he moves forward slightly.

[Kish]

The church interior is a shambles, with overturned and broken benches littering the dusty floor. A claw-scarred altar broods at the north end of the church, directly north of a gaping hole in the rotten floorboards. A hoarse voice coming from that same direction chants the phrases of a nonsense prayer.

Spoiler

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Map.

[RolandDeschain]

Tarak

Sighing heavily, the hobgoblin's chin drops to rest on his chest as he slowly shakes his head back and forth. Turning to both the cleric and the paladin, "I wish I were wrong. I wish we would have opened these doors to find the good village priest shepherding his flock, keeping them safe, and offering them refuge.....I wish I were wrong."

Then placing his finger to his lips and motioning for them to stay ready, the hobgoblin ducks in the doorway and moves stealthily to doors just inside the church.

Spoiler: Scouting

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Move to G10 stealth (1d20+17)[37]; Perception (1d20+13)[31]

[razorback]

As Tarak disappears before his eyes, Feagon keeps a bead on the entrance, ready to fire at any threats to his friend.

[Cavir]

After Tarak moves past, Suga steps just inside to get a better scent from the interior of the church while keeping watch over the hobgoblin's scouting.

[Kish]

As Suga steps inside, Celesta does as well. Then the door ahead of you and to the right swings open. A creature that resembles a skeleton, but with glowing red eyes, emerges and gestures toward you as if throwing something. A tremendous boom that seems to come from right outside the church rocks you.

Spoiler

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Suga, Celesta, Ashlyn, and Feagon take (1d8)[8] sonic damage and need to make a DC 14 Fortitude save or be stunned.

Ashlyn Fortitude save: (1d20+9)[26]
Map is updated. Celesta and Feagon are up if either of them is sufficiently unstunned to act.

[Cavir]

Spoiler: Fort Save

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We're back!
FORT: (1d20+8)[26]
53/65hp

[razorback]

Spoiler: Fort

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AC ~15; Current ~ 12
HP ~ 42; Current ~ 34

(1d20+4)[8]

Effects ~
Point blank shot
Sickened - The character takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Stunned - A stunned creature drops everything held, can’t take actions, takes a -2 penalty to AC, and loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any).

[Cavir]

Celesta

Celesta is hit by the sonic boom but isn't phased. "BASTARD!!!" She rages and charges with her dwarven waraxe wielded in both hands.

Spoiler: OOC

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Char sheet isn't updated for level 6. Not sure of hit points after healing and resting from the previous day, nor if she is sickened (if so apply -2 as needed).
Normal HP I think should be: 12 (1st level) + 35 (L2-6 @7 each) + 24 (18 CON @L6) + 6 (favored class) = 77

Rage: STR 20, CON 22, -2 AC, max 89hp, immune to cold, +50% vulnerable to fire, 9 rounds

Swift to enter Punishing Stance (+1d6 damage, -2 AC). AC is 13.
Rage and charge to H9.

Attack: (1d20+11)[29] (Bab 6, +1 weapon, +5 STR, +2 charge, -3 PA)
damage: (1d12+14)[23] (+1 weapon, +7 STR, +6 PA) + (1d6)[1] (Punishing Stance)

[Kish]

Celesta smashes the undead creature, and the light in its eyes fades. Then a wild-haired man pops up from behind the altar. He screams, "You can't take my son from me!" and launches a spell from a crumbling scroll he clutches in one filthy hand.

Spoiler

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Ashlyn, Celesta, Feagon, and Suga take (2d8+11)[17] damage, Will save DC 19 for half. Celesta is already sickened and thus gets -2 to her save.
Ashlyn's Will save: (1d20+6)[23]

Tarak, still invisible, is up.