Curse of the Crimson Thread: Seven Days to the Grave II [IC]

[Moriar]

"Shall we then get this over with?" Vivino asks. With one last cautious look at Ramoska and his prisoner, Vivino will leave the room and head to the door to the east to await the rest of the party and resume our marching order.

[lostsole31]

The door to the east being on the lower level, that is.

As Vivino leaves, Harsk relaxes his aim, and Adelaide lets you know where she is (she is now invisible). They were totally ready to storm in or shoot down a fleeing enemy. The party goes back down below, passing the body of the deceased Dr. Davaulus.

Vivino goes through the northernmost of the two eastern doors, while Seelah, Harsk (and Biter) and Adelaide go through the southern of the two for a two-prong entrance. Meanwhile, Dane gives a quick recap to Adelaide and Harsk about the deal.

In this next room, he reek of once-burning wax wafts through this morbid chamber, with several tall, misshapen candles being the apparent now unlit source. Workspaces strewn with tall beakers of foul-colored liquids, parchments covered in insidious symbols, and cages of whimpering rodents fill large alcoves in both the northern and southern walls. A pair of huge stone doors hang ajar to the east, revealing a long hallway leading further into the dark. At the room’s center stand four large, cylindrical glass vats, two of which are filled with a bubbling emerald fluid that tints the chamber’s light a noxious green. Within each suspension floats a malformed abomination—something part human, part angel, and part horse—things of half-formed muscle with dead, fleshless equine skulls. The forms are motionless.

At the base of one of the broken vats is one of these things, definitely dead, but without the signs of recent battle seen from the similar "leukodaemon" (as Lilim calls it) in the entry hall you came through.

"Wait a minute," says Harsk after absorbing the details of the meeting with Arkminos. "So, the Urgathoans have given up this place, but there is a 'Lady Andaisin' with a matchbox maguffin to some place to the east?" The latter he emphasizes pointing to the stone double doors. "I feel like we're walking into a trap. Can we spare a minute? I'd like to scare up a little help."

[Moriar]

"Very wise Harsk," Vivino says. "I didn't expect things to be the same as we had left them down here. But things seem very odd indeed."

[lostsole31]

Okay ..... now what?

[Moriar]

"Do you require more time Harsk or are you and everyone else of course, ready to proceed?" Vivino asks.

Spoiler: Ready?

Show

If Harsk and others are ready, Vivino will examine the door for traps and disarm if he finds any. If he detects one and is unable to disarm then says : "Beware there or something on this door that I want able to disarm yet."

Then will assume normal party order and if no traps were detected or were disarmed will say: "Doorway looks clear."

[lostsole31]

Harsk is ready, and the doors are opened to reveal a long, 10'wide passageway heading into the darkness beyond the range of anyone's darkvision.

[Moriar]

"Let us proceed quietly if we can," Vivino suggests. "They might have waited so long for us that they have becone lax. "

Spoiler: Sneaky

Show

If everyone is ready will try to stealth down the hallway checking for traps occasionally.

[Kvard51]

Seelah nods quickly to Vivino, pulling her shield in close to her torso and looking over the top as she follows him into the halway.

[lostsole31]

As the party closes to what appears to be a large, circular chamber, a single cultist of Urgathoa steps out, the light glow about her signaling that she is ready for battle.

"Hold!" she calls out. "What is it you seek here at Urgathoa's fane?"

Begin Round One ...

R1T20: Harsk is heard groaning in some type of pain before he wheels out from the back to the head and north of the party. His diplomatic response is shooting her in her unprotected left calf for 12 + 2 fire. He speed loads his crossbow.

R1T18: Adelaide has been invisible for several minutes, and her arrow reveals herself, as she is standing by Harsk out of line of the rest of the party. The arrow hits the woman in the neck for 27, dropping her.

"Showoff," Harsk mutters with a slight smile.

R1T17: Vivino, what do you do?

[Moriar]

Vivino pauses to see if there is any reaction to that brief negotiation. He holds one of his extracts waiting to see.

Spoiler: hello?

Show

If any other enemies appear or something dangerous happens, Vivino will drink his bears endurance extract. Ready to drink?:)

[lostsole31]

R1T17: Vivino readies an extract.

R1T16: Seelah, what do you do?

[lostsole31]

A woman's voice calls out from the chamber beyond ...

“And so you have found your way to me, hopeful heroes. Know that you stand before the architect of your city’s death. You call this sending blood veil, yet I know it as the gentle kiss of the Pallid Princess. Your reward shall be great—choose of the seven scourges to become one with the goddess. Those who drink I shall only cripple, leaving you alive to enjoy her as she quickens inside your flesh. Those who abstain are fools, not fit to house the divine gift. You may prostrate yourselves at my feet, and I shall make your end all the more swift for it. Swifter, in any event, than this delightful end your lovely queen has enjoined me to create!”

Just then, two figures appear from around the sides. These wretched human figures have tight leathery skin, sunken eyes, and emaciated frames, yet move with eerie alacrity. They both wield short swords.

Round One ...

R1T28: Harsk, not even waiting to "talk it out" as the female voice had mentioned, grunts as if in pain rather than a dwarven grunt of resolution, ripples of muscles moving about under his skin. He looks to the party. "I'm going to call for help. Cover me! Biter, guard me!" He steps back 5' and then begins concentrating.

R1T26: A third of these dead-walkers comes zooming into the hallway from the south and stabs the now-visible Adelaide in her groin for 10.

R1T24: Lilim moves past the front line and drawing on reserves of energy throws out a blast that hits one of these dead-walkers (Blue) square in the abdomen with a soft crit for 18 acid. In addition, the burst explodes in acid, engulfing the other two dead-walkers. Though quick, they are unable to jump out of the way and Red gets hit for 8 acid (and a destroyed short sword), and Green gets hit for 16 acid.

R1T22: That woman's voice is heard again, chatting from the blue-glowing chamber beyond. A woman with a great scyhe, walking 10' off the ground, is barely seen for a brief second, walking over the tunnel's entrance (she is too high to be targeted at this time).

R1T19: The Red dead-walker whose shortsword was melted closes on Adelaide and misses wildly with its fist.

R1T18: Adelaide steps back - to close ranks on Harsk, but to give herself breathing room, giving a good look at Green. She then lets loose with a volley of arrows. Her first is a manyshot that plugs right into Green to destroy it! The next arrow is at Red's left hand for 6 mod, and a final arrow to its left shoulder for 11 mod.

R1T17: Lem takes out his flute and begins to play a jaunty tune that fills the hero's hearts with courage!

R1T15: A different woman's voice is heard from the chamber beyond.

R1T13: Blue dead-walker charges Lilim, but can't get past her armor.

R1T12: Seelah, what do you do? [Note, you don't see the woman to the east, but you know she is there "on the air" right above tunnel entrance (the tunnel is 10' high).

[Kvard51]

Seelah, keeping herself behind her shield, advances down the hallway towards the welcome party.

Spoiler: actions

Show

MA: Move 30 feet east in a defensive stance.

[lostsole31]

R1T12: Seelah, keeping herself behind her shield, advances down the hallway towards the welcome party. As she passes Blue, it stabs her with a lucky soft-crit in the right shoulder for 10. She then goes to sidestep Red who (wow) also gets a lucky soft crit with its fist against her head for 12. She passes the very lucky gauntlet to get to the room beyond.

R1T10: Dane, Drinking Companion is in hand. What do you do?

[lostsole31]

R1T10: Dul'Dane Thunderbreaker smiles at Seelah having taken a worthy sacrifice, for he follows up by being ignored by Blue while he steps up to Red. "Drinking Companion here will take your heads, by the Lucky Drunk, and justice will be served!" He then mentions a few words to Lilim for tactics on outflanking Red. He finally ends his action by bringing his earthbreaker to bear on Red's left shoulder at an odd angle to crumple and destroy Red.

R1T9: Biter double moves and gets to a point to threaten the deadwalker and screen Harsk from danger.

R1T6: Vivino, what do you do?

Harsk on deck, Lilim in the hole ...

[Moriar]

Vivino quaffs his extract in frustration and excitement. Then with a flurry of movement tumbles into flanking position of blue brandishing his mace.

Spoiler: flank

Show

Drinks the bears endurance extract.

Then tumble to the other side of blue pulling out his mace.

Tumble roll: (1d20+12)[27]

[lostsole31]

R1T6: Vivino quaffs his extract in frustration and excitement. Then with a flurry of movement tumbles into flanking position of blue brandishing his mace.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T28: Harsk continues to concentrate.

R2T24: Lilim brings forth that strange scythe as before and destroys Blue in a single stroke. She then steps back to continue to create a protective ring around Harsk.

R2T22: A spell is heard being intoned, and Seelah can even look up to see the woman casting.

Seelah, roll a Fort save!

[Kvard51]

Seelah looks up and sees the woman casting. Realizing the spell is targeting her, she steels herself against whatever happens...

Spoiler: save

Show

Fort (1d20+14)[16] (+2 more if Fear/Emotion)

[lostsole31]

R2T22: Seelah's eyes and the eyes of the flying woman meet just long enough for Seelah to see nothing else. Nothing. Her visual world has been plunged into darkness!

R2T18: Adelaide goes running in and calls out, "Bogey to the north! Woman with scythe. Flying woman above me with scythe. Seelah looks like something has affected her!"

Adelaide casts a spell on herself, disappearing from view.

R2T17: Lem continues playing his flute, moving forward to fill in where Adelaide was a second ago to protect his boss. In a brief interim, he casts a spell on himself, and seems like an even more magnificent version of himself.

R2T15: Chanting is heard from the chamber beyond.

R2T12: Seelah, you are blinded. Do you tell the others of your current predicament? What do you do?

Dane on deck, Biter in the hole...

[lostsole31]

R2T12: Seelah calls out, "I've been blinded by some type of spell from a flying woman about 10' from me, 10' in the air! I'm backing out!"

Seelah then begins to withdraw, using the wall to help her from getting too confused. She goes until she bumps into Lem.

R2T10: "It's okay, miss. You've done right by us even for this little bit," says Dane reassuringly to Seelah. He casts a spell and touches Seelah for 6 healing. Dane senses that this area is not friendly to his holy magic.

He steps forward. "Somebody help me screen Seelah from any mischief!"

R2T9: Biter remains in total defense to screen his master.

R2T6: Vivino, what do you do? You do see an elf with a scythe NE of your position.

Harsk on deck, Lilim in the hole ...

[Moriar]

"Hello there lass," Vivino says as he walks towards the Sythe wielder.

"No need for this anymore." He puts away his mace calmly.

Then with a howl of rage, his hands extend into claws and mouth grows into a muzzle of teeth. One claw slashes towards her belly.

Spoiler: Barbarian smash

Show

Moves 10' to NE to close with the elf.

If she is up in the air will do a jump to slash at her. Acrobatics roll if needed (if she is near the ground then won't bother with acrobatics): (1d20+12)[14]

Enters into rage.

Attack with claw, risky strike to hit (1d20+12)[19]
And damage if it hits: (1d6+11)[16]

[lostsole31]

R2T6: "Hello there lass," Vivino says as he walks towards the Sythe wielder as he calmly drops his mace. "No need for this anymore."

Then with a howl of rage, his hands extend into claws and mouth grows into a muzzle of teeth. One claw slashes towards her belly, digging into her hide shirt, only to be stopped by what seems like thick skin.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T28: Harsk appears to grow an inch and he groans in pain from the shift, but contains to focus on what he's doing.

R3T24: Lilim moves up in front of Seelah, and then says, "Seelah, use my shoulders, and then Dane's, to get to the other side of the passage, and then move back from battle so you aren't a liability."

Meanwhile, Lilim takes up a defensive posture.

R3T22: The woman walking on the air moves back east several feet so that while still 10' off the ground, she can see most of the party (who in turn can see her). She casts a spell, using an unholy symbol that looks like an ugly bug and finishes it off by calling out, "Fall .... before the might of the Pallid Princess!"

A wave of mental power washes over everyone when she says "fall" ... and Dane, Lem, Lilim, Seelah, Vivino, and Biter (basically, everyone except Harsk ... and Adelaide, who is invisible) ... fall prone. Worse, they feel compelled to stay prone.

R3T18: An arrow sails up and hits the air-stepping woman in the lower side above the hip for 23, but now Adelaide's position is revealed.

R3T17: Lem, even though he fell, continues to playing his flute. "I ... I can't stand up!" he cries out during a whole-note rest, but his courage still fills the party.

R3T15: "I am Jaethal, cretin," says the elf to Vivino, "and I am no rank-and-file to be bothered by the likes of you."

She stands a strange way, as one born of darkness. She swings her scythe above her head before doing a hand-crossover maneuver that throws off Vivino's expectations before chopping downwards with power. Vivino turns to wriggle away, and gets hit in his lower back, buttocks, and hip, managing to keep the blow from getting hit in the groin, but he still takes 18 mod + 1 STR.

R3T12: Seelah says a quick prayer, touching herself for 8 healing. She sheathes her sword and takese out a wand. "I am blind, but not useless. I recognize the wisdom of not being on the front, but now I shall concentrate on healing."

R3T10: Dane is unable to throw off the compulsion to stay down. He crawls as far as he can to the east to be ready for when he can rise again.

R3T9: Though prone, Biter continues to be defensive.

R3T6: Vivino, you are raging and prone. What do you do?

Harsk on deck, Lilim in the hole ...

[Moriar]

As Vivino lays there some of his wounds heal and he quaffs another extract. He grows in size and then he struggles to stand.

As he grates his teeth in effort he growls out, "Congratulations on having a name, but you are still just a pawn following a a diety that has to hide deep underground. "

Spoiler: Dancing on the floor

Show

Free action to use spontaneous healing to heal 5.

Then drink his enlarge person extract. Then will try to stand if possible.

[lostsole31]

R3T6: As Vivino lays there, some of his wounds heal and he quaffs another extract while at the same time he gets hit by Jaethal for 15 mod in the left elbow. As he grates his teeth in effort as his body is beginning to undergo a physical change, he growls out, "Congratulations on having a name .... but you are still just a pawn following a a deity that has to hide deep underground."

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T28: Harsk grows a set of very small claws, yet still more than the tiny needles of claws he had last battle. He continues to concentrate.

R4T24: Lilim delays ...

R4T22: The compulsion making everyone feel that they must remain prone lifts. Lady Andaisin steps down a few feet, snarling at Adelaide. "Dirty Pathfinder. I've been trained to break the body and minds of you meddlers."

She then unleashes her full fury against Adelaide. Putting her full power behind the swing, she hits Adelaide in the chest with her scythe for 30, but takes 2 herself; then the scythe catches Adelaide in the head for 28, taking 2 herself; then, in the chest again for 26, taking 4 herself ... and it is this last blow which fells Adelaide.

"And that," Lady Andaisin says, "is what I do to Pathfinders."

R4T21: Lilim and flies into the next room, getting on level with Lady Andaisin and 10' from her.

R4T17: Lem continues to play his flute, but casts invisibility on himself, and his music is heard moving slightly west now.

R4T15: Jaethal seems to do a sequence of strange martial maneuvers, though her feint fails this time. Still, her scythe strikes Vivino in his inguinal muscle at the groin for 14 mod + staggered.

R4T12: Seelah calls on Iomedae to heal her for 13 healing. She then casts eagle's splendor on herself and stands up.

R4T10: Dane stands up. "Adelaide's down!" he calls out while closing on Jaethal. "Status unknown."

R4T6: Vivino, that shot to the groin has weird energies that built up while causing you intense pain and you take 3 (internal, so not reduced by DR). You grow to your enlarged height, slowly pushing the corpse of the cultist away as you do. You are prone and staggered. What do you do?

Harsk on deck, Lady Andaisin in the hole ...

[Moriar]

More of Vivinos wounds heal as he gets to his feet.

"Hope that backup is coming soon Harsk. Seelah can you bring forth any assistance? Can someone get to Adelaide?" Vivino says.

He growls in frustration as he looks to unleash his rage upon anything.

Spoiler

Show

Continuing to rage of course.

One more round of spontaneous healing.

Then move action to stand up.

[lostsole31]

R4T6: More of Vivino's wounds heal as he gets to his feet, but not before he gets hit in the back by Jaethal's scythe for 11 mod.

"Hope that backup is coming soon Harsk. Seelah can you bring forth any assistance? Can someone get to Adelaide?" Vivino calls out, growing in frustration as he looks to unleash his rage upon anything.

"I'm blinded!" calls Seelah.

"On it!" says Dane.

End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T28: Harsk's skin seems to ripple all about, as again it seems to cause him pain, yet he endures and concentrates.

"I don't know ..." continues Seelah.

R5T22: Lady Andaisin backs up to the west and regains her original 10' altitude. She casts a spell, and a ghostly scythe appears near Harsk and attacks him, cutting him in the right shoulder for 10 force, and then missing the second attack.

"...Adelaide is."

R5T21: Lilim creates her own strange scythe .... the one made of inky blackness but for the quicksilver or gleaming water at the edge. She ignores Lady Andaisin for now and swoops back to flank Jaethal with Vivino. Despite the height advantage, it is a deceptive low cut that strikes Jaethal in her right knee. There is a flash from the quicksilver and Jaethal is instantly destroyed, as well as her cold iron scythe, though the rest of her equipment falls to the ground.

Lilim looks to Vivino, and gives a nod of emphasis, though her features are otherwise too strange and difficult to read.

R5T17: Lem continues his flute playing, his music now playing in the chamber.

R5T12: Seelah moves up, bumping into Vivino. "Vivino, if you need healing, let me know before you walk off."

R5T10: "Just you now, precious," says Dane tauntingly to Lady Andaisin as he moves over to Adelaide. He casts a quick healing spell on Adelaide. He then adds to his allies, "Dropped stabilize on Adelaide. Still don't know her status, but I wasn't wasting time with triage first."

R5T6: Vivino, you are no longer stabilized, and there is no longer additional pain or continuing injury from your groin. You are raging. What do you do?

Harsk on deck, Lady Andaisin in the hole ...

[Moriar]

"I am well enough Seelah, but if you could follow the sound of my footsteps I will lead you to Adelaide," Vivino says.

Vivino moves around the chamber to the north to end up between Adelaide and the Lady Andaisin.

Then makes a swipe with a massive claw.

Spoiler: closing in

Show

Continues raging

With his 40' movement Vivino moves around the object in the center to end up just north of the Lady in the 10' square and next to Adelaide.

Then attacks the Lady with a claw, raging/enlarged

To hit: (1d20+13)[20] and damage (1d8+7)[11]

[lostsole31]

R5T6: "I am well enough Seelah, but if you could follow the sound of my footsteps I will lead you to Adelaide," Vivino says. He moves around the chamber to the north to end up between Adelaide (he's actually partially standing over Adelaide) and the Lady Andaisin. He then makes a swipe with a massive claw, but finds that her breastplate is a powerful defense, despite Lem's jaunty music aiding Vivino.

End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T28: Harsk hide ripples again as he again gives groans of pain from whatever is happening to him, but he maintains concentration. "Somebody ... dispel that thing ... if you can," he grits through his teeth.

R6T22: The floating scythe swings twice, each time skipping off of Harsk's armor. Lady Andaisin steps back as if she were walking and not flying, and she concentrates on a spell and casts it. The spell is successful, for where Vivino was able to easily keep track of Lem (who was invisible), Vivino can no longer see the halfling. Well, at least that's a friendly.

R6T21: Lilim flies over by Adelaide and tends to her. "Adelaide is dead. I am sorry," she says matter-of-factly, "but we shall see that Urgathoa's daughter is expunged from this land."

R6T17: Lem continues playing, but his music obviously heads west into the tunnel again. "Get ready," he calls out between rest notes, "I'm going to put the flute away in a sec to change things up."

R6T12: Seelah traces her way around the wall and fountain. "Well enough, is not completely well," says Seelah, crestfallen at the death of a party member.

R6T10: Dane gives a good Caileanite curse under his breath. "I'm sorry, Adelaide. Rest now in the hall of heroes."

Dane now starts moving counter-clockwise around the fountain, casting a quick spell that is luckier than he expected when a bolt of acid crits Lady Andaisin in the head for 8 acid. This is the first visible wound she's taken.

R6T6: Vivino, what do you do? Though she backed up, she's still in reach.

Harsk on deck, Lady Andaisin in the hole ...

[Moriar]

"You will pay for that!" Vivino cries as he steps forward to unleash claws and teeth.

"Let's see what you taste like."

Spoiler: full attack

Show

Steps 5' closer to keep pushing her closer to the others and help prevent easy combat casting.

Rage continues.

Claw to hit (1d20+13)[14] and damage (1d8+7)[8]

Claw 2 to hit (1d20+13)[31] and damage (1d8+7)[11]

Bite to hit (1d6+13)[15] and damage (1d6+7)[10]

[lostsole31]

R6T6: "You will pay for that!" Vivino cries as he steps forward to unleash claws and teeth. "Let's see what you taste like."

Vivino's claw passes dangerously close to the priestess' face, so much so that just as he misses her, she bites him on his hand for 2 mod ... she is really surprisingly strong! Of course, that was foolish, because as she does that Vivino is able to land his second claw in her stomach for 13. That hurt her, though she pulls away from his follow-up bite.

End Round 6, Begin Round 7 ...

R7T28: Tiny claws poke through Harsk's boots, and that doesn't seem to be a regular thing with him at all as those are new holes, and there is blood that comes with it, but still he concentrates.

R7T22: The ghostly scythe completely misses Harsk both times. Lady Andaisin sidesteps again, but still in reach of Vivino. She concentrates on a spell, Vivino very nearly making her trip, but she finally succeeds. This time, another spiritual scythe is formed, but goes after Vivino! It swings at him, just barely catching him in the side of the abdomen for 8 force, but the second swing clangs against his armor.

R7T21: Lilim flies up and around to get flanking for Vivino.

R7T17: Lem's flute stops playing. Then, he is heard telling jokes. It is the same buoying effect as before, though it seems like it is some effort to stop one thing to start another.

R7T12: Seelah has a unicorn horn that glows, and as it does so, Sterling appears again. "Sterling, I am blind and cannot fight. You must do so in my stead. Dane! Please point out the wicked woman for Sterling to smite," she says as she mounts Sterling.

R7T10: "HER!" calls out Dane, pointing to Lady Andaisin.

He then gets clear of the big statue of Urgathoa in the fountain over milky fluids that he can get a clear shot at the villainess. "Now, Lady Andaisin - for the nosferatu has named you..." (which garners a hiss of anger from the woman) "... you will not escape this place with cheap trickery."

He casts a spell, and fires a ray that hits her squarely in the gut. It doesn't appear to do any damage, but Dane seems quite happy with the shot anyway.

R7T6: Vivino, what do you do?

Harsk on deck, Lady Andaisin in the hole ...