Second Darkness: Children of the Void [IC]

[lostsole31]

The shoddy construction and the feeling that the building could come down atop him at any moment had him on edge.

[AggressiveBread]

Santiago holds up a hand, looking up at the roof.”It could come down any moment, we should just go around.” He starts walking around the outside of the building, moving toward the building to the south.

[lostsole31]

Two doors quickly reveal themselves to the building to the south.

[bcool999]

Ozzy

Hearing Ago’s report about the soundness, or lack-thereof, in the first building, Ozzy points to the watchtower and says, ”We can eyeball these buildings for anything creeping inside, but my money is on the watchtower holding anything of note. It’s the only one I would consider hiding out in and I’d still say my prayers vigorously before getting any shuteye in there.”

That said, Ozzy stays with the group. Keeping a wary eye for the perpetrators of this slaughter, and hoping this doesn’t turn into the ambush it appears to be.

[lostsole31]

Kwava seems leery of the buildings, regardless of intent, purpose, or party gain.

Sol, for his part, says, "I think a careful scour of these other buildings might give a clue as to what is about, rather than heading right for the most heavily-defensible structure."

[rypt]

Everything Sol has to say about the Cyphermages is new to Tsyra, including that of the fate of Santiago's brother -- a detail which brings certain clarity to some of the tiefling's earlier comments. "In the interest of gauging the magnitude of the peril they faced here, is it fair to say you would consider the Cyphermages to be primarily scholars, rather than warriors?"

As Tsyra continues to move south with the others, she will look around for any humanoid remains.

[lostsole31]

"As a rule, they tend to be sedentary and scholarly, yes," admits Sol.

Tsyra doesn't see a body, though the scent of decay is in the air.

[meemaas]

Visto follows quietly, helping the search, but doesn't have any other input at present.

[AggressiveBread]

Santiago will open up the door to his south and look inside the building.

[lostsole31]

This large timber-and-stone structure stands at the edge of the steep southern slope, overlooking the sea far below. Large windows facing the village’s main thoroughfare suggest a shop in at least one portion of the building, but the windows have been hastily boarded over. Several corpses lay near the outer walls of the building, obviously a source of interest for the circling turkey vultures above. As some of the sunlight pours into the building, there are several inhuman screehches from inside.

Round One ...

R1T22: Tsyra, what do you do?

[rypt]

Seeing the nearby corpses and hearing the strange sounds echoing from within the building, Tsyra immediately moves to stand in front of Sol, a length of shifting stone growing from her hand and taking the form of a narrow blade. "Goldhammer warned of a sickness that animated the bodies of those it infected. I suspect some of the Cyphermages may have succumbed to the same affliction." Drawing then upon her connection to elemental earth, grains of sand begin to seep from her pores, giving her skin a strange flowing texture.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move action: Move to the square to the south of Sol.

Free action: Form a Kinetic Blade.

Standard action: Accept 2 burn via Flesh of Stone to increase her damage reduction by 2.

Swift action: Adopt the Scarlet Einhander stance.

[lostsole31]

R1T22: Seeing the nearby corpses and hearing the strange sounds echoing from within the building, Tsyra immediately moves to stand in front of Sol, a length of shifting stone growing from her hand and taking the form of a narrow blade. "Goldhammer warned of a sickness that animated the bodies of those it infected. I suspect some of the Cyphermages may have succumbed to the same affliction." Drawing then upon her connection to elemental earth, grains of sand begin to seep from her pores, giving her skin a strange flowing texture.

R1T21: Kwava says, "I see....something." He moves while taking out his bow and getting between Ago and Ozzy. Looking due south he says, "I don't know what it is, but it isn't friendly," as he lets off a shot that hits it in the right hand where the brachial artery begins to diffuse into the smaller capillaries in the hand. It should have nicked its artery, but unable to bleed, the creature only takes 19.

He looks to his hawk and in Elven orders an attack.

R1T20: Ganmeed flies in with an attempt to attack, but when it gets to close it veers away and flies farther into the building with a terrified screech.

R1T19: Ago sees another one of these creatures come into his field of view, see Ganmeed and close on him. It swings a ruined fist to slap against feathers but not hurt Kwava's friend.

R1T18: Sol concentrates on his hand, bringing forth a mote of flame that sits in his palm and he moves into the building and immediately roll right out of the building and to the back. "Uh, there are four of those things in there! They're some kind of variant zombie, I think. They look fast, and they're tongues are share biological design with some animals that lance the skin and drain blood."

R1T17: Ozzy, what do you do? What do you have Ginny do?

[bcool999]

Ozzy

Ozzy quickly reinvests his essence to prepare for combat causing Ago and Tsyra to lose the benefit of their loaned veils. The gauntlets on Ozzy’s hands flairs to life with miniature storms appearing in them and growing larger as essence fills them. A crown also appears atop Ozzy’s head formed of fire, ice, electricity, acid and sonic forces entwined with one another.

Preparations completed, Ozzy gathers the power of storms from the gauntlets and launches it forth at the visible undead. Then he cries out, ”Hold them at the doorway. Don’t give them a chance to surround anyone.”

He then sends instructions to Ginny,

Spoiler: Ozzy >>>> Ginny

Show

”Harry them if you can, but stay safe.”

Spoiler: OOC

Show

SwA: Move 2 essence from akashic army to Storm Gauntlets, move 1 uninvested Essence into Aura of the Adaptable which is emulating Crown of Elemental Mastery.

Standard Action: RTA with Storm Gauntlets vs visible foe.

Attack: (1d20+10)[14] v Touch
Damage: (1d3)[3] Cold (1d3)[1] Electricity (1d3)[1] Sonic.
The above energy damage ignores up to 10 Energy Resistance due to the emulated Crown of Elemental Mastery.

FA: Speak and Telepathy.

[lostsole31]

R1T17: Ozzy quickly reinvests his essence to prepare for combat causing Ago and Tsyra to lose the benefit of their loaned veils. The gauntlets on Ozzy’s hands flairs to life with miniature storms appearing in them and growing larger as essence fills them. A crown also appears atop Ozzy’s head formed of fire, ice, electricity, acid and sonic forces entwined with one another.

Preparations completed, Ozzy gathers the power of storms from the gauntlets and launches it forth at the visible undead, but not being any type of ranged combatant, he completely misses. He cries out, ”Hold them at the doorway. Don’t give them a chance to surround anyone.”

He then sends instructions to Ginny:

Spoiler: Ozzy >>> Ginny

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”Harry them if you can, but stay safe.”

Ginny responds ...

Spoiler: Ginny >>> Ozzy

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"That 'hold at doorway' is only good while Kwava doesn't care about his bird, but I will give it a go to protect my fellow avian! Let's see if I can't make that first one as slow as a normal zombie."

...as she flies in and pecks the thing in the belly while affecting the flow of time around the creature ... even as it turns to dust.

Spoiler: Ginny >>> Ozzy

Show

"I didn't hit it that hard! They do not have zombie-tough skin."

Outside, a pall of gloom surrounds Ozzy, as Ginny continues flying to the southern wall next to Ganmeed.

R1T15: Ago, what do you do?

[AggressiveBread]

Watching the two birds fly into the house, Ago gives Ozzy a half shrug before turning to follow them. He calls,”These foul wretches won’t get past me!” He moves to the square north of red, using his flail to try and bring the zombie to the ground.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

MA: move to the square north of the red zombie
SWA: activate a sweeping gambit
SA: use sweeping tail on the red zombie.
Trip attack:(1d20+14)[24]
Maneuver damage: (2d6+5)[10]
AOO from sweeping gambit: (1d20+9)[24]
AOO damage: (1d8+7)[13] plus the extra 5 from sweeping gambit.

[lostsole31]

R1T15: Watching the two birds fly into the house, Ago gives Ozzy a half shrug before turning to follow them. He calls,”These foul wretches won’t get past me!” He moves to the square north of Red, but in doing so he realizes another of these things, and getting to his desired spot opens him up to an AOO from his intended target. He puts himself into flank position from Blue, but also flanking his enemy with Ganmeed, and uses his flail to slam the target to the ground for 10. He recovers and does a moulinet with his flail to then slam the zombie in the belly hard enough to dust him.

R1T14: Lev, what do you do?

[Kvard51]

Lev, hearing the conversation between Ozzy and Ago, begins to recite the tale of an ancient battle he heard often as a boy in the inn. He follows that up by falling into a fighting stance with his shoulders loose and his feet set wide, which provides a solid foundation from which to launch attacks in melee and with thrown weapons.

Spoiler: Actions

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SA: Start Raging Song.
MA: Move into Accurate Stance as part of his Raging Song.

[lostsole31]

R1T14: Lev, hearing the conversation between Ozzy and Ago, begins to recite the tale of an ancient battle he heard often as a boy in the inn. He follows that up by falling into a fighting stance with his shoulders loose and his feet set wide, which provides a solid foundation from which to launch attacks in melee and with thrown weapons.

R1T12: Two powerful fists slam against Ago's impenetrable armor. What Ago didn't expect, however, was a long, rotted tongue getting inside the joints of his armor to strike him in the chest for a soft critical of 7. Worse, blood drains from the tongue into the zombie (2 STR damage), before the engorged tongue detaches and thwaps to the floor, splashing open with blood!

R1T5: Visto, do you accept the raging song? What do you do?

[meemaas]

Visto ignores the raging song, keeping his position, he will ready himself for action, but does not wish to rush into danger otherwise.

Spoiler

Show

Nonaction: Generate 1TE and invest it into Soothing Rain
Otherwise, Visto will delay his turn.

[lostsole31]

R1T5: Visto ignores the raging song, keeping his position, but does not wish to rush into danger otherwise. He allows his energy to build quietly inside of him, ready for when an ally needs healing.

R1T2: Another of these creepy zombies comes to Ago from the east, clawing at him from a whole in the wall.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T22: Tsyra, do you accept the raging song? A kinetic blade is formed.

Kwava/ Ganmeed on deck and in the hole ...

[rypt]

Guarding closely the integrity of her own mind, Tsyra rejects the influence of Lev's song as she moves to assist Santiago and the avian duo within the building.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Move action: Tsyra will move inside the building, prioritizing a path and position as follows:

(A) Without knowingly provoking, ending in a position in which she flanks at least one enemy and threatens at least two adjacent enemies.

(B) Without knowingly provoking, ending in a position in which she threatens at least two adjacent enemies.

(C) Without knowingly provoking, ending in a position in which she flanks one enemy.

(D) Without knowingly provoking, ending in a position in which she threatens one enemy.

(E) - (H) are, in order, as (A) - (D) above, ignoring "without knowingly provoking".

Standard action: If one (A), (B), (E) and (F) are satisfied above, she will use scything strike to attack two adjacent enemies with her kinetic blade.

If one of (B), (C), (G) and (H) are satisfied, she will use devastating rush to attack the adjacent enemy with her kinetic blade.

Attack:(d20+9)[12]
Damage:(2d6+5)[10] (plus (2d6)[7] in the event devastating rush is used)

Note on bonuses: I have not included the +1d6 bonus damage from scarlet einhander, nor the +1 bonus to attack from Elemental Overflow, though I believe both are applicable.

[lostsole31]

R2T22: Guarding closely the integrity of her own mind, Tsyra rejects the influence of Lev's song as she moves to assist Santiago and the avian duo within the building. As soon as she enters, she realizes that the best she can do is attack an enemy without special positioning, but that's better than nothing as she steps up to Blue. She realizes, this being her first mortal confrontation that the concentration required to activate a maneuver and the concentration needed to maintain her kinetic blade are mutually exclusive. The incredible thought processes with which she has distracted herself fails her physically as she cannot bludgeon past the creature's thick skin. The sequence complete, and the avians at least safe for now, her mind fills with the knowledge of how to help the injured should it come to that.

R2T21: Kwava moves into the building and turns to fire at Blue, hitting the monster in the upper left arm for 15. Tsyra notes with detached scholarly interest that while there was the initial resistance against the arrow as if the zombie was like any creature with a tough hide, yet its undead nature did not ablate the power of the arrow as some corporeal are wont to do.

R2T20: Ganmeed flies forth and does a terrible job nipping at Blue, and then tries to fly away, but gets hit for 8 for her troubles as she gets out of the building, with Kwava telling her to back down in Elven.

R2T18: Sol's turn to head in, and he rolls right in next to Tsyra and Ago. He swishes clumsily with the fire in his hand but still somehow manages to catch the unimpressive monster with a burning slap to the face for 4 fire.

R2T17: Ozzy, the gloom around you ends. Do you accept the raging song? What do you do?

Ginny's simultaneous turn, Ago in the hole ...

[bcool999]

Ozlech

Surprised by Ginny’s report, Ozzy thinks for a moment on what these undead could be, but proceeds to press the attack. Entering his stance, Ozzy moves next to Kwava. Once in position and able to see Ozzy fires his storm blast at the nearest foe.

”They’re not as hardy as I thought! Press the attack!” Ozzy says.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Raging song is denied.

SwA: Enter Aura of Misfortune stance.

Move Action: move 4 squares South.

Standard Action: Use Storm Guantlets Bind to fire a blast at nearest foe.

RTA: (1d20+10)[19]
Damage: (1d3)[1] Cold (1d3)[3] Electricity (1d3)[2] sonic damage.

If it is a free action Ozzy will also attempt a Knowledge check against these to see if he has an inkling of what they are.

[lostsole31]

R2T17: Surprised by Ginny’s report, Ozzy thinks for a moment on what these undead could be, but proceeds to press the attack. Entering his stance, Ozzy moves next to Kwava. Once in position and able to see, Ozzy fires his storm blast at the nearest foe, hitting Blue in the hand for a total of 6 energy damage. ”They’re not as hardy as I thought! Press the attack!” Ozzy says.

Ginny disappears from her spot, reappearing in flank with Tsyra and attacks, but misses, clacking her beak into the crumbling stone of the buidling. Again a pall surrounds Ozzy.

R2T15: Ago, what do you do? Do you take Lev's raging song?

Lev on deck, Blue in the hole ...

[AggressiveBread]

Accepting the raging song, Ago lets out a bellowing war cry.”These wretches will fall before us comrades!” Emboldened by his allies, Ago let’s loose a storm of attacks with his flail, his shield, and even a vicious bite.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

FA: Accept raging song
SWA: activate encouraging roar boost. (+2 attack and damage to Allies in 30 ft)
Full round: full attack, attacking blue first, but if he goes down the remaining attacks will be on green.
Flail (1d20+8)[17]
Damage:(1d8+6)[14]
Spiked shield (1d20+8)[21]
Damage (1d4+3)[6]
Bite: (1d20+4)[20]
Damage(1d6+3)[8]
(Boost is included in all rolls, but raging song is not.)

[lostsole31]

R2T15: Accepting the raging song, Ago lets out a bellowing war cry, ”These wretches will fall before us, comrades!” Emboldened by his allies, Ago let’s loose a storm of attacks with his flail, his shield, and even a vicious bite. He swings his flail up into Blue's groin, destroying him and leaving a hideous scorch mark on the ground. He then pushes the spike on his shield through the gap in the wall to stab green in the upper arm for for 7, then bites low to mack on the zombie's knee for 9. The taste of the zombie is truly hideous, gut-wrenching, but Ago ignores the taste.

R2T14: Lev, you are currently using inspired rage. You should probably get closer to at least see the fight. What do you do?

Visto on deck, Green in the hole ...

[Kvard51]

Continuing his tale, Lev cast a spell and disappears as his intonation ends, and walks into the building while drawing his two-hander. He moves to his left upon entering, looking at what is left to kill.

Spoiler: Actions

Show

FA: continue Raging Song.
SA: Cast Vanish
MA: Walk S 10', SW 5', S 5', E 10'

[lostsole31]

R2T14: Continuing his tale, Lev cast a spell and disappears as his intonation ends, and walks into the building while drawing his two-hander. He moves to his left upon entering, looking at what is left to kill (again).

R2T5: Visto, what do you do?

Green on deck, Tsyra in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Visto follows the rest of the party into the building. He doesn't feel much like his friends need him though, especially since they seem to be downing the foes with relative ease.

Spoiler

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Nonaction: Generate and invest 1TE into Soothing Rain.
Move action: Move into the room.
Standard action: Survey the party for any obviously badly injured. I know that it's only Ago and Ganmeed, but Visto doesn't know for sure that none of his friends are dying in here.

[lostsole31]

R2T5: Visto follows the rest of the party into the building. He doesn't feel much like his friends need him though, especially since they seem to be downing the foes with relative ease.

R2T2: Green steps away from the painful guy to attack the big bird, with one fist landing against Ginny for 5.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T22: Tsyra, what do you do?

Kwava on deck, Sol in the hole ...