Iron Crisis Part 2 (IC)

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 18 HP: 30/33 PP: 17 PIv: 12 PIs: 17 Conditions: Light (on holy symbol) Concentration: Bless (Vala, Caelyn, Senna) By Deneir, we will put you out of your misery. Senna says as the last of her divine blessings surround Vala, her sister and herself.

[purepolarpanzer]

Caelyn Syol'arael Wood Elf Druid AC: 15 HP: 39/39 PP: 17 PIv: 10 PIs: 17 Conditions: Blessed Concentrating on: Caelee had stayed quiet through negotiations- she felt this creature was vile, it's magic was vile, and it should be put down, but she was not willing to risk the deaths of her family if any of them wished to pursue peace. When it became obvious that peace was not an option, she stepped forward and shot an arrow of fire from the tip of her staff, then retreated. She had seen this thing breath fire, and had no desire for all of them to be caught in an inferno.

Spoiler: OOC

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Moving forward 5 feet. Casting fire bolt- (1d20+7)[22] to hit, +1d4 from bless (1d4)[1]. (2d10)[13] fire damage. Then move back 5 feet and south 10 feet to get out of the splash zone.

[Amnestic]

The otherworldly monstrosity bears down on Senna, even as Caelyn's firebolt strikes him hard in the chest. With the loss of his lion head, the bite is no longer a threat, but the claws and horns still remain. He lashes out, but finds nothing but air and solid shield in place of the cleric's flesh that he'd hoped to gore. Vala, already glowing, slides past Senna, aiming to split the beast's attention, though she's careful not to step into the ritual zone. Even disrupted she's wary of what it might be able to do. Instead she jabs at the foe's leg with her spear twice. One skitters across the hard leathery skin, but the other one finds its mark and draws a modicum of blood.

Spoiler: Map

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Caelyn hits for 15 (hot day buff lets goooo)
Chimera completely flubs his attacks on Senna.
Vala hits once for 12. Natural 1 on the other one, no saving that :( Chose not to fight recklessly this turn.

Everyone's turn!

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 18 HP: 30/33 PP: 17 PIv: 12 PIs: 17 Conditions: Light (on holy symbol) Concentration: Bless (Vala, Caelyn, Senna) Drop! the cleric commands the creature. Drop and accept your death. Spoiler Show Wis save of 16 vs. Command. Please have horrible wis.

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam Half-Dragon Warlock | Imp Familiar AC: 12 HP: 37/39 | AC: 13 HP: 10/10 PP: 10|14 PIv: 15|10 PIs: 11|13 Conditions: -- | -- Stepping out from behind Senna, Sam reaches out with both hands, uttering the Infernal word for flame. A blaze pours out, enhanced by the sweltering weather. Then, to keep from being pinned down or open to its own fire, he runs south and begins circling around. Spoiler: Rolls Show Move 1 S. Cast Burning Hands with Warlock slot. Chimera Dex save vs 14: (1d20)[6] for half damage Damage: (4d6+2)[19] fire damage Move 4 S, 1 SE.

[purepolarpanzer]

Caelyn Syol'arael Wood Elf Druid AC: 15 HP: 39/39 PP: 17 PIv: 10 PIs: 17 Conditions: -- Concentrating on: Caelee repeats her movements- moving forward to gain line of sight, firing a fire bolt, then retreating back out of line of sight.

Spoiler: OOC

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Move 10 feet up and 5 feet east. Fire bolt- (1d20+7)[9] + (1d4)[3] to hit, (2d10)[12] fire damage, plus the hot day buff I should have remembered ALL of last fight. Then move back to my original position.

[Amnestic]

Sam's flame smother the beast and the bodies at their feet, filling the room with the scent of sizzling copper and singed hair. Pungent, unpleasant. The beast lashes out at Vala and catches her shield at an awkward angle. While the claws don't draw blood, the impact from the slam is likely to leave a bruise. When Senna yells her Command spell, they turn away from the spear maiden and rear back, before unleashing a torrent of flame from their own mouth, just as Caelyn's firebolt flies forth. The bolt is swallowed up by the breath of fire that engulfs Senna, and the bookshelves behind her, igniting them and adding the smell of burning wood and paper to your already overwhelmed nostrils.

Vala tries to get its attention again, landing two solid blows on the monster's side, but with his maddened twisting and turning it's hard to tell who he'll attack next.

Spoiler: Map

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Caelyn misses and Senna's spell is resisted. Beasty boy fails their save vs. Burning Hands though for the full 19, and Vala hits him for another 24 on top of that.

Vala takes 12 (reduced to 6) damage (60/66) and Senna doesn't make her dex save, so she eats 19 fire damage to the face. Didn't recharge his breath weapon though!

[purepolarpanzer]

Caelyn Syol'arael Wood Elf Druid AC: 15 HP: 39/39 PP: 17 PIv: 10 PIs: 17 Conditions: -- Concentrating on: Settling into a rhythm, Caelyn continues running laps and firing spells.

Spoiler: OOC

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Same routine as last time. (1d20+7)[17] + (1d4)[3] to hit. (2d10)[5] fire damage. (2d10)[9] in case a crit happens.

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 18 HP: 11/33 PP: 17 PIv: 12 PIs: 17 Conditions: Light (on holy symbol) Concentration: - Dropping to one knee, Senna coughs as she inhales a bit of the smell. Was that her own skin burning? She is reminded of the words of her combat instructor never ever to give the enemy the height advantage. As thus she stands back up and looks at the towering giant. Under another blow covered by her shield, she lets the power of said attack propel her back into a safer position. Spoiler Show Disengage and move to the northern corner of the western room.

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam Half-Dragon Warlock | Imp Familiar AC: 12 HP: 37/39 | AC: 13 HP: 10/10 PP: 10|14 PIv: 15|10 PIs: 11|13 Conditions: -- | -- Strafing to the side, Sam unleashes a dual battery of blasts at the creature, holding back from knocking it out of Vala's reach. Spoiler: Rolls Show Cast Eldritch Blast. (1d20+6)[14] Blast 1 (1d10)[2] Force Damage (1d20+6)[10] Blast 2 (1d10)[5] Force Damage No pushy, don't want to give it free Disengage from Vala. Move 3 E.

[Amnestic]

Senna's retreat leaves it spinning in place, searching for a new foe. It could pursue, but Vala's spear and Sam's blast in its back keep it locked in place, even as Caelyn's firebolt strikes it in the shoulder once more. He swings his claws at Vala once more, catching her just past the shield, before rushing at Sam. The great beast tears up the floor as it rakes the half-dragon with its piercing horns, roaring with anger and pain. You can see its fur is mottled with blood and chunks of flesh, barely held together, are starting to come apart at the seams. The eagle head seems to almost be struggling to pull itself away from the rest of the chimera's body, cawing madly.

Spoiler: Map

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Caelyn deals 7 damage, Sam deals 2 with one beam, and Vala deals 19. He looks to be on his last legs. And still hasn't recharged his breath weapon.

He does however crit Vala for 10 (reduced to 5), 55/66 remaining and hit Sam for 10.

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam Half-Dragon Warlock | Imp Familiar AC: 12 HP: 27/39 | AC: 13 HP: 10/10 PP: 10|14 PIv: 15|10 PIs: 11|13 Conditions: -- | -- As he draws nearer to the ring of charred and defiled bodies in his strafing, the smell becomes overpowering and Sam gags. An opening the chimera is all too happy to take. One of its horns slams into his side, its sharp point raking over the face of Sam's armor and leaving a mark. "Ignite!" he commands, the ground beneath one of the monster's legs lighting up with a circle of flame. Spoiler: Rolls Show Create Bonfire on Chimera. Dex save DC 14 to avoid: (1d20)[16] (2d8+2)[5] fire damage

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 18 HP: 11/33 PP: 17 PIv: 12 PIs: 17 Conditions: Light (on holy symbol) Concentration: - Senna reels from the fire still, her burnt flesh making it hard to breathe. She pulls out a bell and a hefty vibration open cracks and wounds all over the creature. It comes apart at the seams, of which it has many. I am sorry for you. she adds sincerely as the monster drops. Spoiler Show Wis save 5 plus mods vs Toll the Dead for 24.

[Amnestic]

Though the beast deftly steps out of the way of Sam's fire at its feet, its caught unprepared for Senna's tolling bell. Its body is wrapped in the necrotic energy that signals its death, and it collapses forward into the fire it had just avoided, the fire beginning to make its way through fur, flesh and form. Unlike with the lion-spirit, neither eagle nor bull seem to be able to pull themselves free of the body that is consigned to the grave, and their heads remain intact, albeit soon to be consumed by flame.

Silence settles back over the ritual room and beyond. Though the purple light of the circle persists, it's dimmed somewhat now that it's not in use. The bodies remain still, including Okethar, who is flopped down at the centre of the room. There is a hint of some hair growth around the edges of jawline, but it hardly constitutes a full mane.

With the battle concluded, you get a few moments to recover any items of specific value. Vala seems pretty hardy still, despite taking two hits. After a very short breather, and stabbing the body for good measure to make double double sure it's dead, she asks "Okay, so what now?"

Spoiler: OOC

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The combined loot for this and the previous encounter:

Bula's Flail [Magical, Unidentified]
Non-magical shield
A spellbook from each red wizard, only really useful to Melian. I'll sit on those details until Cigaw is back in the saddle.
Okethar's Crossbow [Magical, Unidentified...Officially]
J.J.'s non-magical trident.

Gazgazgaz's potions are all smashed and cracked, so nothing of use there.

There's nothing magical about Bula/Okethar's armour but you could sell it if you've not got any qualms about stripping corpses (I know Sam does).

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam Half-Dragon Warlock | Imp Familiar AC: 12 HP: 27/39 | AC: 13 HP: 10/10 PP: 10|14 PIv: 15|10 PIs: 11|13 Conditions: -- | -- Panting from the heat and choking on the noxious air, Sam dismisses the bonfire and walks out of the room to find fresher air flowing down near the stairs. He takes a seat on the stairway, in spite of the blood, looking down into the destroyed wine cellar. "We... should probably explore the rest of the place. Look for clues about who these guys were. Or- Senna's bell, maybe?"

[purepolarpanzer]

Caelyn Syol'arael Wood Elf Druid AC: 15 HP: 39/39 PP: 17 PIv: 10 PIs: 17 Conditions: -- Concentrating on: Caelyn enters the ritual room with her features set in grim determination. This place reeked of death and foul magic, but she would not let it overwhelm her. She wordlessly begins looting bodies, stripping armor, weapons, and anything else of use from the corpses with little to no hesitancy. Once she is done, she joins Sam by the stairs, dragging Bula and Oke's armors noisily behind her using ropes. I'm going to haul all this stuff up to the cart, and then I agree with Sam. We should learn all we can of this place, look for any more treasures hidden inside, and then raze the dead to purify this place and hide any trace of what was done so no one can attempt it again.

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 18 HP: 11/33 PP: 17 PIv: 12 PIs: 17 Conditions: Light (on holy symbol) Concentration: - The cleric is on the verge of tears; and injured too. She tries to get the sooth out of her hair but most movements hurts so she just groans and approaches. She slumps down and looks around.We take whatever is magical, and we burn the rest. These creatures may become vengeful spirits, as thus I would want to make sure the area is cleared of their lingering souls, and they have no empty bodies to latch onto. Senna turns to Sam. The bells are but spent for the day, and maybe a few days. Clues are good. She then adresses her sister. I agree on all principal points. But what I agree even more on would be healing. Could you please heal me, Caelee? Senna looks miserable. Parts of her hair is burned off, her bandages hang on her chest revealing pink singed flesh.

[Amnestic]

Thankfully Caelyn doesn't need to strip everything from Bula and Oke to get their goods. Removing the helmet from the quiet warrior reveals the face of an orc woman, though her head is completely hairless. Tattoos not entirely dissimilar in style to the ones the wizards wore mark her bare head, and glancing inside her open mouth you note that she has no tongue, an old wound (or surgery, perhaps) that has long since scarred over.

With the items quickly stored on the cart up above, and whatever healing required administered, you move to continue your exploration of the cellar. Vala tentatively pushes against the door that Sam had aimed for before being misdirected by Oke. It screeches against the stone floor as it opens inwards, leading you into a darkened room without light. While the other rooms (save the molten moat) had a degree of connection to the living, this one seems markedly different. It's colder, for one, and has nothing in the way of amenities. Six massive stone objects line the walls of the room around you. If you had to put a word to describe them, "coffins" would be appropriate. Enormous, thick, sturdy, but with large handles attached to the front of them to show that they can be opened, and indeed one of the - the furthest from you - is open, and empty. The other five are sealed, though if the wizards opened them then chances are you could just as easily, if you so wished.

Nothing leaps out of the darkness at least, as Vala steps into the room to look around further, though she does give a quiet sneeze from the dust buildup in the room.

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam Half-Dragon Warlock | Imp Familiar AC: 12 HP: 27/39 | AC: 13 HP: 10/10 PP: 10|14 PIv: 15|10 PIs: 11|13 Conditions: -- | -- As everyone comes back out of the room full of dead bodies, Sam pushes himself off of the stairs to approach Senna. He places a hand on her shoulder and an odd mixture of cold and heat accompanies the infernal energy he twists into healing her wounds. "There. That should be better?" Scratching at the back of his neck, he puts off any discussion of what had happened before, instead venturing into the new room. All around are strange stone sarcophagi, or burial caskets. "Hm..." he'd gotten familiar with a lot of religious and cultural history during his time at Candlekeep, even if his reading was usually more recreational than his sisters' avid research. Spoiler: Rolls Show Cure Wounds with last Warlock slot (2d8+3)[11] History and Religion checks on the burial method (1d20+5)[8] History (1d20+5)[20] Religion

[purepolarpanzer]

Caelyn Syol'arael Wood Elf Druid AC: 15 HP: 39/39 PP: 17 PIv: 10 PIs: 17 Conditions: -- Concentrating on: Caelyn lays a hand on her sister and invokes the words of druidic necessary to heal her wounds. She can do nothing for her sister's hair, but she would if she could. After the singing spell has taken hold, she wraps her sister in a hug, ready to apply more healing if it is needed. She strokes her sister's burned hair and speaks very quietly to her. You were very brave. It will grow back. When she finally releases the hug, she has expended as much of her energy as it took to leave Senna unmarked by violence. That done, she picks up her staff, gives Senna one last squeeze on the shoulder, then follows Sam into the next room. She didn't like this. She didn't like any of this. These mages were clearly interfering with the boundaries between life and death, soul and body. The fact that they had sealed caskets meant for people didn't surprise her, but it did disgust her. She moved as far away from these stone tombs as she could, keeping her staff up as though prepared to blast anything that could come lurching out of them.

Spoiler: OOC

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Spending 1st level spell lots to heal Senna. I have up to three, and Senna needs 11 Hit points, so I'll roll all three but only intend to spend them till we hit 11. (1d8+4)[7] and (1d8+4)[5] and finally (1d8+4)[12]. EDIT- Got it in 2.

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 18 HP: 33/33 PP: 17 PIv: 12 PIs: 17 Conditions: Light (on holy symbol) Concentration: - Surprised by the hug, Senna falls silent for a moment. She does not reply, and instead awaits Sam's healing in a stunned state of mind and body. Senna does not immediately thank you but the more astute of you can see and hear her breathing freely again. Thank you. As much as I like bandages, sometimes there is no replacement for magic. She hoped the change of topics would spare her from discussing the fate of this monstrosity. Instead, she looks around. Unmarked graves, without any deific adornments. Even if this were a druidic burial site, it would surely have druidic runes around. And you know Kelemvor will use any and all souls not devoted to an afterlife for his walls. This is peculiar. I don't think three mages can build a tomb on their own, so it had to be here before them. At least not three mages we could best. There was no humility in Senna's voice, it was just a statement of fact. Real archmages would consider their control of fire pedestrian and not succumb to it. But a small tinge of her wasn't so sure their power growing so rapidly was another bad sign. Some clerics needed decades to master the first circles of magic, yet here was young acolyte Senna technically able to bring back the dead, granted the right ritual component were there. If you were so patient, what I CAN muster is a ritual spell, to at least find sources of magic hidden in here. Senna kneels down for a short prayer. Spoiler Show Casting Detect Magic as ritual.

[Amnestic]

The lack of any sort of religious iconography, and the oddly vertical coffins, could lead you to conclude it's intended more for storage of bodies than actual burial of honoured dead, especially since they were stored down a trapdoor rather than a place accessed via a proper doorway. . A closer inspection indicates that they are unlikely to be openable from the inside. They're dusty enough that they might have been here before the red wizards, though you've got little hint for just how long the mages have been here. There's no real press for time with the demon dead, so Vala nods in agreement at the ritual offer.

Four of them - including the open one - have little more than lingering traces of magic, a hint of magic that was once there, but now is not. Two of the coffins, or rather their contents, do show up as having a strong magical aura indicating that they still hold something of value.

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 18 HP: 33/33 PP: 17 PIv: 12 PIs: 17 Conditions: Light (on holy symbol) Concentration: - These two Senna points at two coffins. these hold magic. But the auras could also belong to traps. So don't even think about trying to read any inscriptions.

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam Half-Dragon Warlock | Imp Familiar AC: 12 HP: 27/39 | AC: 13 HP: 10/10 PP: 10|14 PIv: 15|10 PIs: 11|13 Conditions: -- | -- "Not a tomb," Sam corrects Senna, looking over the caskets with a claw on his chin. He drops it back to his side and points all around the blank faces. "No religious adornments, and this room doesn't look like a mausoleum or crypt at all, it's more like... storage containers? You're right though, these were here before the demonologist guys. Maybe this place was built by some kind of necromancers." Walking up to one of the ones Senna indicates as magical, he motions at the covering. "I still feel fine. Want me to open one? I can to it from the side, everyone all keeping back, in case it like shoots jets of fire or something. Whoever made this place likes fire if that moat is anything to judge by."

[purepolarpanzer]

Caelyn Syol'arael Wood Elf Druid AC: 15 HP: 39/39 PP: 17 PIv: 10 PIs: 17 Conditions: -- Concentrating on: Caelee looks at Sam and bites her lip, but she eventually nods and steps out of the way of the sarcophagus, motioning for Sam to proceed. She has words of magic on the tip of her lips, ready to blast anything that comes out of there.

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 18 HP: 33/33 PP: 17 PIv: 12 PIs: 17 Conditions: Light (on holy symbol) Concentration: Detect Magic (9ish minutes) Senna smiles. You're a brass dragon. The fact that you are injured at all by fire still amazes me. That being said, I miss Grepha for suicidal stuff like this.

[Amnestic]

With everyone else suitably at a distance (poking their heads down the corridor so as not to be totally caught unawares), Sam is able to take hold of the closest magical-pinging coffin's opening bar and pull. It's hefty, and the hinges aren't exactly well oiled, but with a bit of a struggle and a lot of noise he slowly pries it open. Sam hears the flumph of a body falling forward before he sees it, his eyeline blocked by the coffin's door, but upon peeking round it appears to be a gnomish man. His brown hair and beard is dirtied by dust and grime, but otherwise seems healthy, and likewise his skin pallor is the kind one would expect of someone hale and hearty. His clothes are more intact than the dwarf's were - a red velvet tunic, comfortable brown trousers and a set of ornate boots - the lattermost of which seems to be where most of the magic was coming from. Around the neck is a small pendant, not entirely unlike a holy symbol, but instead of a god's imagery it appears to be the gnome's own face, or a near approximation of it.

A quick check of his pulse reveals him to not have a heartbeat, or be breathing. The natural medical assumption would be that the gnome is dead, and indeed his lack of motion or movement, save that caused by the opening of his coffin, would also support this conclusion.

[RandomWombat]

Cheerful Sam Half-Dragon Warlock | Imp Familiar AC: 12 HP: 27/39 | AC: 13 HP: 10/10 PP: 10|14 PIv: 15|10 PIs: 11|13 Conditions: -- | -- "Can't help but think Grepha would have pegged those guys as bad news..." Sam muses at the topic of the imp. As much as he hates to admit it, her advice is usually sound, cold and logical though it is. When he sees the gnome, seemingly in fine condition, Sam hurries to check on him, holding a pair of fingers to the neck the way Senna had shown him when they were younger. As they others return to investigate, he shakes his head. "No pulse. I think he's dead... it must be some magic preserving him? Unless you know something about gnome biology I don't," he suggests, getting up and using his tunic to wipe off the hand that had touched the body.

[purepolarpanzer]

Caelyn Syol'arael Wood Elf Druid AC: 15 HP: 39/39 PP: 17 PIv: 10 PIs: 17 Conditions: -- Concentrating on: Caelyn, trusting her brother's assessment, turns her attention to trying to identify what actually killed this gnome, if there are any physical signs of it. Wounds, punctures, bites, rashes, blood... ANYTHING to indicate what caused this gnome to stop having a pulse or a bit of breath in his body.

Spoiler: OOC

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Giving advantage to any attempt Senna makes to revivify the gnome.

[Spore]

Senna Human Arcana Cleric AC: 18 HP: 33/33 PP: 17 PIv: 12 PIs: 17 Conditions: Light (on holy symbol) Concentration: Detect Magic (9ish minutes) Three things. First, I would like to give everyone here some kind of fire burial. I would prefer a burial above ground, but it would attract wild animals, and we dont have the ressources nor do I have the patience to fight an owlbear looking for dinner. Secondly, if we can find out whoever this is, we want to find the relatives, hopeless as it might seem. This peculiar amulet might be a good clue. Thirdly, while graverobbery, I will confess that any and all arcane artifacts we find improve our chance in beating the bandits. And if we don't take them, a scouting party of their inevitably will. Senna does not seem distraught, but is once again calm. Now for the other coffin.