Your Heroes
- Aramil Dunskar
HP: 68/80 [86/98 during stance]
Initiative: +7
AC*: 26 (+3 Dex, +4 armor, +2 proficiency, +3 defense, +1 Dodge), -6 touch/-7 flat-footed
* When Aramil is not flat-footed, he may add a +4 bonus his AC vs. giants. He may also add an additional +4 bonus vs. anyone while maintaining his stance.
Damage Conversion: 2 (+1 breastplate)
BAB: +9 (apply modifiers of +4 to melee or +3 to ranged attacks)
Atk:
¤ +1 dwarven waraxe +17/+12 (1d10+8, 19-20/x3 crit)
¤ dwarven waraxe +16/+11 (1d10+7, 19-20/x3 crit)
¤ warhammer +13/+8 (1d8+4, x3 crit)
¤ +1 longbow +13/+8 (1d8+1, x3 crit, 100' range increment)
Saves*: Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +4
* Add +2 to all saving throws vs. poison, spells, and spell-like effects. Add an additional +2 resistance bonus to all saving throws during defensive stance.
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills (modified for armor, climber's kit, masterwork tools, and ring of jumping): Climb +13, Craft (armorer) +15, Craft (weaponsmith) +15, Jump +7
Feats: Dodge, Endurance, Improved Critical (dwarven waraxe), Improved Initiative, Leadership, Quick Draw, Toughness, Weapon Focus (dwarven waraxe), Weapon Specialization (dwarven waraxe)
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Gnome
Special: darkvision 60 ft, defensive stance 1/day (7 rounds), stonecunning, +1 attack bonus vs. goblinoids and orcs, +2 on Appraise checks for stone or metal items, +4 stability bonus vs. bull-rush/trip attempts
¨ - Boirin, son of Naerin
HP: 34/34
Initiative: +7
AC: 19 (+3 Dex, +2 armor, +1 proficiency, +2 defense, +1 Dodge), -3 touch/-6 flat-footed
Damage Conversion: 1 (studded leather armor)
BAB: +5 (apply modifiers of +1 to melee and +3 to ranged attacks)
Atk:
¤ short sword +6 (1d6+1, 19-20/x2 crit)
¤ dagger +6 melee or +8 ranged (1d4+1, 19-20/x2 crit, 10' range increment)
¤ hand crossbow +8 (1d4, 19-20/x2 crit, 30' range increment)
¤ light crossbow +8 (1d8, 19-20/x2 crit, 80' range increment)
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +1[/color]
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 9, Cha 14
Skills (modified for armor and MW thieves' tools): Balance +4, Bluff +12, Climb +9, Diplomacy +4, Disable Device +13, Disguise +9 (or +11 acting), Escape Artist +9, Hide +11, Intimidate +4, Jump +8, Move Silently +11, Open Lock +18, Profession (bartender) +3, Search +11, Sleight of Hand +14, Tumble +14
Feats: Dodge, Improved Initative, Quick Draw, Skill Focus (Open Lock)
Languages: Common, Dwarven, Orc
Special: evasion, sneak attack +4d6, trapfinding, trap sense +2, uncanny dodge (retains Dex bonus to AC when flat-footed or struck by invisible attacker)
¨ - Kywyn
HP: 32/32 (modified by Hex) +20 hp from false life
Initiative: +3
AC: 17 (+3 Dex, +1 bracers, + 3 defense), -1 touch/-6 flat-footed
Damage Conversion: 1 (bracers)
BAB: +6/+1 (apply modifiers of -1 to melee or +3 to ranged/finessed attacks)
Atk:
¤ unarmed strike +10 (1d3-1, x2 crit)
¤ gauntlets +10 (1d3-1, x2 crit)
¤ silvered dagger +9 (1d4-2, 19-20/x2 critical, 10' range increment)
¤ light crossbow +9 (1d8, 19-20/x2 critical, 80' range increment)
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +11
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 16
Skills: Balance +11, Bluff +9, Concentration +13, Craft (drawing) +13, Diplomacy +5, Disguise +3 (or +5 acting), Escape Artist +5, Intimidate +7, Jump +1, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Listen +2 (or +4 with Hex), Spellcraft +3, Spot +5 (or +7 with Hex), Tumble +11
Feats: Agile, Deflect Arrows, Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike)
Languages: Common
Special: darkvision 60 ft, +1 to save DC of any spells cast from the school of necromancy, spell-like abilities (at will -- arcane mark; 1/day --vampiric touch)
¨ - Oskar Dunskar
HP: 32/42
Initiative: +4
AC: 23 (+4 armor, +4 proficiency, +2 defense, +3 shield) or 26 (+3 deflection) with shield of faith, -11 touch/- 2 flat-footed
Damage Conversion: 3 (banded mail)
BAB: +4 (add +2 modifier to melee attacks)
Atk:
¤ battle axe +8 (1d8, x3 crit)
Saves*: Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +8
* Add +2 to all saving throws vs. poison, spells, and spell-like effects.
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 10
Skills: Concentration +11, Craft (Armorer) +11, Craft (Weaponsmithing) +11, Knowledge (religion) +11
Feats: Craft Magical Arms and Armor, Improved Initiative, Quick Draw, Weapon Proficiency/Focus (battle axe)
Languages: Celestial, Common, Dwarven, Gnome
Special: +6 to Str (free action 1 round/day), moderate aura of good/law, spontaneous casting of cure/domain spells, turn undead (2/3 uses per day, 1d20+2 check, 1d20+6 damage)
¨ - Ulerian
HP: 12/12 (+2 nonlethal)
Initiative: +2
AC: 13 (+2 Dex, + 1 defense) or 15 with mage armor, - 3 flat-footed
Damage Conversion: 0 or 2 with mage armor
BAB: +1 (apply modifiers of -1 to melee or +2 to ranged attacks)
Atk:
¤ quarterstaff +0 or -4/-8 (1d6-1, x2 crit)
¤ dagger +3 (1d4-1, 19-20/x2 crit, 10' range increment)
¤ light crossbow +3 (1d8, 19-20/x2 crit, 80' range increment)
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +6
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 10
Skills: Concentration +7, Decipher Script +9, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Knowledge (religion) +9, Knowledge (the planes) +9, Spellcraft +11, Survival +3 (or +5 on other planes)
Feats: Spell Focus, Scribe Scroll, Weapon Finesse
Languages: Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Infernal
¨ - Hex
HP: 14/14 (add +2 hp within a mile of Kywyn and +20 hp from false life as long as he remains in contact with Kywyn)
Initiative: +1
AC: 20 (+4 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural), -5 touch/-1 flat-footed
Damage Conversion: 1
BAB/Grapple: +5/-12 (apply modifier of -5 to melee or +1 to ranged attacks)
Atk: +4 touch (0, deliver touch spell)
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +9
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 4
Skills: Hide +19, Listen +4, Move Silently +3, Spot +4
Feats: Diehard, Endurance, Stealthy
Languages: none (may speak with master and other amphibians)
Special: amphibious, deliver touch spells, empathic link, improved evasion, low-light vision, share spells, speak with master and other amphibians, spell resistance 16
Spell Use (spells in red have been cast)
Kywyn (save DC = 13 + spell level)
Level 0 (6/7): daze, dancing lights, detect magic, detect poison, disrupt undead, ray of frost, read magic, resistance, touch of fatigue
Level 1 (6/8): chill touch, endure elements, protection from evil, shield, true strike
Level 2 (5/8): cat's grace, command undead, false life, ghoul touch, spectral hand
Level 3 (8/8): displacement, explosive runes, illusory script, vampiric touch
Level 4 (7/7): bestow curse, contagion, shadow conjuration
Level 5 (4/4): Bigby's interposing hand, waves of fatigue
Oskar (save DC = 13 + spell level)
Level 0 (5/5): detect magic (x2), guidance (x2), read magic (spontaneous: cure minor wounds)
Level 1 (4/4): detect undead, divine favor (x2), hide from undead (spontaneous: cure light wounds, enlarge person, magic weapon)
Level 2 (4/4): bear's endurance, silence, sound burst, sound burst (spontaneous: bull's strength, cure moderate wounds, spiritual weapon)
Level 3 (3/3): daylight, searing light (x2) (spontaneous: cure serious wounds, magic vestment)
Ulerian (save DC = 13 + spell level +1 necromancy)
Level 0 (3/4): dancing lights, disrupt undead*, disrupt undead*, mage hand
Level 1 (3/3): detect secret doors, mage armor, shocking grasp
Level 2 (2/2): shocking grasp, spectral hand
* Necromantic spell.
Special Items:
Aramil:
¤ arrows (40)
¤ +1 arrows (6)
¤ masterwork arrows (13)
¤ silvered arrows (10)
¤ silvered arrows (10)
¤ two 50 ft long coils of rope (one each of silk and hemp)
¤ torches (3), plus flint & steel
Boirin:
¤ crossbow bolts (19)
¤ 50 ft of rope (silk)
¤ hooded lantern and two flasks of oil
¤ large scorpion venom (2 vials)
¤ sunrod (1)
¤ five potions (invisibility, shield of faith +2, three unidentified)
Kywyn:
¤ crossbow bolts (?)
¤ 50 ft of rope (hemp)
¤ one flask of oil
¤ hand of the mage
¤ potions (2x resist cold 10, 2 x resist electricity 10, nondetection)
¤ scrolls (ray of enfeeblement, 2x shield [3rd level caster])
¤ wand of expeditious retreat (36 charges)
¤ wand of invisibility (14 charges)
¤ wand of summon monster I (9 charges)
Oskar:
¤ scrolls (shield of faith [cast at 6th lvl] x2, lesser restoration x2)
¤ wand of cure light wounds (40 charges)
¤ silk rope (50 ft)
¤ flint and steel
Ulerian:
¤ crossbow bolts (20)
¤ sunrod (in use)
¤ scrolls (detect undead x2, hide from undead, light)
"Remeber this, you have all made a pact with me, and I will hold you to it, hopefully, your honesty and integrity will earn you a reward...
There are a few things I want you all to not forget. First, we are not leaving the city. There are ways out of the sewers all throughout the city. Should you seperated, perhaps finding one of these and returning to this spot on the surface so you can backtrack to where you last saw us would be beneficial. Also, as you know if you have ever hunted the undead, they are stronger at night. If a strong negative presence is felt and we are still beneath the streets, we may very well return to our warm bunks before venturing any further. Good luck to us all, do not act like fools and you will not be beset with the fates of fools."
"Good."
Kywyn slips a piece of chalk from his satchel and draws a cross rune on his gauntlet, chanting a jumbled phrase. The powdered symbol of both union and rejection blows away as Kywyn strengthens his resolve. He puts the chalk away, nudging Hex inside the satchel. The frog does not seem to mind the smell.
With a final look around, Kywyn raises his black bandana around his nose and mouth and prepares to follow the group down the grate.
---
[Cast false life]
"Aye, I will make sure that me brudder keep's his promise and ye have me word that I will."
*Aramil bows his head to Ulerian and then waits for them to head into the sewers.
.oO(Remember what you're in this for Boirin, treasure, honor, treasure, gold, um treasure? Right maybe don't think too hard about it.)
Boirin shakes his head but keeps his face blank.
"So who is going to be casting this light spell. I know some mages have control over the color of their spells so can we keep the light red? It won't destroy our nightvision as bad as others and I can still sort of work in it if its bright enough."
"Follow me..."he adds in a quiet, intense whisper
.oO(So far so good)
[OOC: Some sort of marching order would be good.]
They begin down the path with Kywyn, and the two dwarves in tow.
{How's this? Objections B+U, K, A+O= Marching Order}
"Glad these old clothes can be thrown out after..." Kywyn thinks to himself.
"Tunnels keep on going all the way it seems," he says.
---
[Order works for me]
"Bah! This smell is unbearing."
"Shut yer trap, how do ye know that someone ain't listenin ter us right now?"
*Aramil gives his brother a confused look then he sighs and nods his head. Oskar just nods his head back and thinks to himself.
.oO(He still has a lot ter learn afore he can master his technique.)
[ooc:Marchin order is fine by me.]
As Boirin enters the stinking tunells he wrinkles his nose. Its like being in cell down here, only theres no bucket and the guards haven't been around in a couple years. Makes sense though its a sewer. Out of his pocket he extracts one of the short towels he uses in the bar. He ties it around his face, obscuring his nose and mouth to hopefully provide a little protection from the oders of the sewer. As the light from Ulerians staff lights up the chamber Boirin focuses on his surroundings
[ooc: search +11, spot -1, listen -1]
Kywyn traces a rune on the tunnel wall near where they made their entrance. The invisible symbol matches his hidden facial tattoo, his Avowed mark of a narrowed tear bisected by a curving horn.
---
[arcane mark (invisible) spell-like ability]
[OOC: You move at half speed as the 2 feet of sewage doubles the cost of moving.]
Ulerian keeps them moving forward. He guides them along the tunnel toward where he believes their destination lies with accordance to the crude map.
Few moments later they've arrived to the intersection, Ulerian's second light spell expires.
Kywyn readies to mark the path they choose with another unseen rune.
"Can you keep it up?" Kywyn asks Ulerian of his illumination, "I could also call some lights, but they would only last a minute."
[dwarven]"We better get movin soon, er' I'll start ter smell like a troll....."
*Oskar lets out a quiet chuckle and pats his brother on the back. Aramil just looks at him and laughs along. Then they shut their mouths when they realize where they are and what they are doing. They continue to keep an eye down that way and wait for further orders.
"I can light out path a little longer, but we need to move faster.. This way now."he says pointing to a tunnel leading in the direction of their destination.
"The next grate we come to that can be opened.. Borin might should get retreave his lanturn.. "He Lights his staff once again, and pushes them onward down the filth, at an increased speed
"I have a small lamp with me, but it won't provide very strong light down here," Kywyn mentions quietly to avoid an echo.
"Where are we headed? Maybe we should slow down. I have a way of making us move faster if light is a problem in the end."
[dwarven]"I tell ye what ever happened ter some old fashion stuff like a latern er somethin, why do we always have ter talk aboot magic! Bah!"
*Oskar gives his brother a confused look, he heard what he said, though he was probably the only one to understand Aramil's grumbled speech. He sighs then reply's to his brother in a very quiet, calm tone.
[dwarven]"But I too can cast magic, though more divine then arcanic."
[dwarven]"Well that magic I can understand, and ter me that magic is more important then that magy stuff their doin over there"
*Aramil finishes his low, harsh whispered reply to his brother by taking his axe and pointint it in the direction of the two mages. He lowers it quickly then waits around for some direction as to where they are going, letting out a long sigh as he does so.
"What can you do Kywyn? We are going to this place on the map, the place that the halforc said it was 'scarey' I see no other better option than there, I doubt it is to much furthur now."
He conitunes onward.
Kywyn starts walking again.
"If it takes us too long, we can always backtrack to the nearest hole to the surface and try again."
The man pauses.
"Actually, now I remember... the wand can only affect the person using it. So that would limit it to you and me probably."
"No problem, just want ter get outa this stinkin filth and kill some durned undead."
*Aramil slaps the head of his waraxe and waits for the group to decide where to go.
Studying his map, Ulerian is quite sure that the "scarey" area is down the right-hand tunnel. Left tunnel should have an area where torches are dangerous. As Ulerian is looking at the map, Boirin spots some small metal object stuck to a wall by them.
Ulerian begins moving down the 'scarey' corridor with new vigor. His voice gave a hint of intense eagerness as he spoke to them.
"I have none," Kywyn replies to Ulerian.
The grey outfitted man proceeds more cautiously, readying to raise his defensive auras if the situation becomes dangerous.
Boirin digs out his lantern and lights it.
"I have a lantern so theres no worrie about the light. Hold it for me."
[i]Boirin cautiously approaches the object and inspects in without touching for any sign of a trap. If he finds one he disables it.[/color]
[search +11, disable device +13]
Ulerian whipsers a few words and holds his hand, palm out, towards the metal object, and then the rest of the corridor.
{Casts Detect Magic}
Ulerian steps forward and extends his detection furthur to simply get all he can out of the spell during its duration
"Like the ones at the guardhouse..."
He looks to each of the others in turn.
"A guard's marker maybe? If they ever have to patrol or repair something down here."
"Or... it could be a warning."
"Are there any words on it?"
He continues to peer down the corridor.
"There's something here."
"It's someone's badge..."
"Come Boirin, your lantern will help greatly. Perhaps this is a foul sign we are getting close. Thisway!"he adds in excited haste.
Ulerian waits for Boirin and then continues forward, guiding them with the map.
He lingers a moment to see what else he can make out on the metal badge.
A few of minutes after they've continued onwards, Ulerian's light spell winks out and they are in dark again.
While they rest, Kywyn rubs at the badge, wondering what it means, if anything. He tucks it away for now. Perhaps the guards would have more information if he wished to pursue it.
Most likely, the emblem was lost while some guard was on patrol, either down here or near a grate, Kywyn thinks. Though if it was down here, and there are hidden dangers as Ulerian professes... maybe the guard was lost with the medal.
"Number 1..."
Hex pokes his rounded head out from his master's satchel, lending his eyes and ears to the watch.
"Good thing its not a trap is all I've got to say. Lets press on."
“There’s something floating up ahead,” he calls for Boirin and Ulerian, “Looks kind of big.”
“Careful... maybe fifteen or twenty paces ahead.”
The pair is now 30 feet away from the object.
A map of the situation, the object is signified by the red X. You are six large squares away from it, or in other words, just at the lower edge of the map.
"Be quick all.."
Both are oblong, thin forms of semi decayed flesh... snakes of some time, mouths still filled with sharp teeth. Mouths now open as they lunge, one for Ulerian's throat, other one at Boirin.
Map
Boirin, while he cannot notice the attacker before it lunges, manages to avoid being hit thanks to his senses. Ulerian then, gets to feel the teeth, on his shoulder.
Ulerian takes 6 points of damage.
Initiative as follows:
Snake2 22
Snake2 16
Aramil 15
Oskar 15
Boirin 11
Ulerian 5
Kywyn 4
Garbled words escape the grey-clad man's mouth as his outstretched fingers tremble. In a squeezing gesture, Kywyn displaces the negative charge in the air with his own, sending a wavering pulse out toward the snake-thing harrassing Ulerian.
---
[if snakes are still a threat on my turn, cast disrupt undead]
*Oskar sees Aramil go over to get close to the snake, so he decides that he'll join in the fray but first he needs to give him more of an edge. He closes his eyes and concentrates hard to find the words to a spell that will make him harder to hit. He finds the words, but first he moves in place to protect the two mages (basically right behind Boirin) and then reciets the words as quickly as possible. Once he is done he feels the the waves of good energy flow throw him and form a barrier around his body. He too smiles and waits to attack the beast near him.
(Shield of Faith on Oskar caster level = 6)
"If your dead allready than by Thalos I'll make ya deader!"
[ooc: quick draw sword, attack snake that attacked him +5]
{+2 to hit, 1D6-1}
"They are resistant to attacks that slash and pierce!"
His attack is in vain, and he nearly drops his sword to the sewage. Ulerian then swings his staff at the retreating bony head, but he can't affect good swing and the head of the staff just bounces off. After this he steps backwards, while Aramil moves forward and Kywyn leans backwards to let them pass.
Bit of jostling ensues for Aramil to move couple of steps, but eventually he's in the front row to swing his axe at the snake in front of him.
Piece of snake is clipped off, by the strike. But that's not enough to destroy the creature.
Kywyn then says the arcane phrase he's been holding in his mind for past moments, and unleashes a ray of somewhat funky colour at the snake in front Boirin. The ray almost nips Boirin's hand, instead, but doesn't and hits the snake. The spell then, though, doesn't seem to have other effect than cause the tiniest piece of bone to drop from the snake.
Snakes then, both attack. One Boirin and one at Aramil. This time Boirin's wrist is on the line and snake's teeth pierce his skin. No such fear for Aramil, cased in armor as he is.
Boirin takes 5 points of damage +1 subdual.
Map of current situation.
New Initiative order:
Snake2 22
Snake2 16
Oskar 15
Boirin 11
Ulerian 5
Aramil 5
Kywyn 4
"Wait... Ulerian said it won't work well."
He watches as Boirin contends with his serpent.
"I can't get to him," Kywyn mumbles in an indecipherable way.
[color=olive]"I can! Pass it through me."[/color] a chirp comes from Kywyn’s shoulder bag.
"Right. Haven't tried this before... be careful, keep behind Boirin and swim back right away."
Kywyn sticks his hand into his satchel and, after a bit of rummaging, comes up with Hex and a vial of black ink containing silvery specks. Popping the attached lid, the man dips his index finger into the ink. Hex stays on Kywyn’s palm as he quickly draws a simple skull rune on Hex’s back and then a thin circle around the frog. The symbol is meant to ward off evil spirits.
After uttering some muddled words, the silver flecks in the ink glimmer, and the whole marking dissolves away.
Kywyn tells his familiar, “Go.”
Hex dives into the water at the party’s feet and strokes his way to the space between Oskar and Boirin.
When the amphibian is in position, Kywyn speaks to Boirin, “Boirin, if you can, hold your feet still for just a second.”
Hex takes the earliest opportunity to stick to the back of Boirin’s boot and transfer Kywyn’s protections over. When the frog gets the chance, he drops back into the water to return to Kywyn.
---
[cast protection from evil, Hex moves to deliver touch spell to Boirin]
[dwarven]"Bloody Ashes, may you fall into a deep pit from which there is no lift out!"[/dwarven]
It seems to have lost someting in translation to common though. He lashes out again at the snake, hoping for a second try. When he hears Kywywn's request he manuvers only with his left foot. Leaving his other firmly on the ground and in the muck.
All corrections have been made. I've noted that Kywyn has extra hp from casting false life, but I don't know how many he received at this time.
"Borin, hand me your lantern.."
Cast Mage Armor
(Quick draw with Warhammer, +13/+8 melee, 1d8+4, 20/x3)
*Oskar smirks as he sees his brother go into action with his warhammer, then he turns to the snake that Boirin and himself are facing. He quickly recalls the words to a spell that he knows by heart, but first he wants to get infront of Boirin, for he will be able to dodge better then the thief will, thanks to his sturdy armor and his extra shield from Agathalos. He quickly shouts to Boirin.
[dwarven]"Get behind me! That thing won't be able ter hit me with me spell on me!"
*Oskar waits for Boirin to move behind him so that he will be able to get in range with his axe and with his deadly spells against the undead.
[ooc: Move back tumble if necessary +13, sheath sword and draw crossbow, load crossbow]
Ulerian moves himself through the motions of casting the spell, and soon feels the energy spreading to shield him. Meanwhile Aramil drops his axe to the muck, where it without delay sinks down under, and yanks out his warhammer. First of dwarf's strikes hit the snake, but once again only piece of bone drops off.
As by Kywyn's instructions, Hex moves forward and touches Boirin. The rogue feels suddenly that there is something intangible protecting him now.
Snakes attacks are now seemingly useless, both lunging for dwarves, but only denting their teeth at armors, shields and what-not protections.
Updated map
Modified Initiative order:
Snake2 22
Snake2 16
Boirin 11
Oskar 11
Ulerian 5
Aramil 5
Kywyn 4
Deciding to test the serpent's putative properties, Kywyn fires his crossbow by the lambent glow of Boirin's lantern. Kywyn leans to find a line of sight around his companions.
Hex swims back to Kywyn's boot and climbs up the shin guard.
---
[fire at serpent in front of Oskar]
Ulerian says as he takes cover behind the dwarves.
[Turn/Rebuke Undead]
*Aramil watches his brother with delight, he hasn't seen him do something like that for a long long long time. He smiles and looks to the serpant he is facing. Then with a loud battle cry he surges forth with his own warhammer and attemtps to destroy the serpant.
(+13/+8 melee, Warhammer, 1d8+3, 20/x3)
The snakes flinch the light of Thalos and turn to slither away. Fast they swim, away from the characters and the light. While they flee, after them flies Kywyn's bolt. It stucks between other snakes bones but doesn't seem to slow it down. Then after them surges the brother of Oskar.
Aramil pursues the snakes, sloshing through the water and dodging the mangled floater. He manages to put in a glancing strike on one snake. Then snkaes just continue swimming away, faster now.
Map.
“I guess we have to let them go,” he watches their rate of departure.
He walks calmly forward, hoping they could examine the floating object without further interruption. Some part of Kywyn knows the sight of the decaying serpents should have shaken him up a little at least, but the whole group seems desensitized to the grotesque. Is that what this adventuring thing does to you? Kywyn feels detached, some filter between the stimulus and the receiver.
“Will they be back?” Kywyn quietly asks Oskar and Ulerian, “Have to keep looking out.”
Ulerian hands the lantern back to borin and refers to the map. He continues with short delay..
“Was a man,” he tells the others while trying to get a peek at the face without touching the body.
“The wounds make sense… But he’s been burnt.”
Kywyn pauses.
“Should we… I don’t know, take the body back up on our way back?”
The mage prods them on hastely
He looks top Oskar for a moment.
"He actually repelled the creatures with his faith," Kywyn muses.
He wonders if the dwarven cleric has any requests on how to handle the dead body. When everyone is ready, Kywyn walks forward again, resuming formation.
Map.
Aramil going to leave that axe there, under sewage?
Kywyn remains cautious as they approach the second object.
[dwarven]"Ye did splendid me brother. But why were ye holding back yer powers?"
"Cause I didn't know if we were going ter be stayin down here fer a day, or a month. I wanted ter use me powers wisely."[/dwarven]
*Aramil looks at his brother and smiles. He pats his brother on the back in acknowledgement of his wise action. Then when Oskar understands what it is for, he nods his head back and then the two continue truding along.
*As they pass the bodies floating in the water, Oskar blesses them and offers a prayer to Agathalos the Lightbringer to keep their souls safe whereever they are.
"Not from here, um Ulerian can I borrow your staff? Oh and Oz, get that glower ready [dwarven]Father.[/dwarven] If everyone else would take a step back, please."
With Ulerian's staff in hand he prods the corpse. If nothing happens he trys to turn it over with the staff. He does this as ffar from the corpse as possible.
"The burns... would it have been from a light that was brought too close to an area of flammable fumes? The map shows an area like that, doesn't it?"
As Boirin is examining the corpse, Ulerian standing few feet away, notices a large black area on a wall near the corpse. A large circle few feet in diameter covers the wall, like something had burned the surface.
Ulerian moves to inspect the Circle
"Search for a trap on this spot.. or possible across the way from here.."he indicates to the opposite wall.
"Kywyn, check the clothing on this poor woman.. Unucky pesant or adventurer?"
If the space is clear then Ulerian checks for markings, or writings, or with Boirin's help the source of the flame.
She is in pretty much similar get up than the dead man few dozen feet away, at least based on what can be seen past the grime, burns, and other crud. The clothes, and some sort of leather armor, are now then thoroughly ruined. She has taken most of the fire to her hands and her face. The face is especially garish to look at as most of the skin has melted blistered off and empty eye-sockets stare back at Kywyn.
As Kywyn is taking the look at the corpse, Ulerian notices lantern's light dimly glinting off at something under the water. Some small object, or two.
Boirin conducts his search off the wall without finding a trap on that wall, and moves to take a look at the other wall.
Ulerian comments in a mocking tone. He looks up and down the tunnels and back to the map while he awaits something from Boirin's search.
"Same as the other body. Same wounds. I wonder if the badge belonged to one of them."
"Maybe the fire is something we should ready ourselves for," his voice drifts off.
"Yes, We likely should, if we are able.."he adds somewhat absent mindedly.
Boirin turns back to the first wall and looks over it intently, handing the staff back to the mage. He scrutinizes the wall with a great intensity, carefully going over it inch by inch, taking as much time as necessary.
[Search +11, take 20]
"I can take a look," Kywyn remarks softly.
"Doesn't seem too suspicious here, does it?"
With a sweeping gesture and arcane syllables, Kywyn lets his vision sink to search for auras.
---
[cast detect magic]
"Ye are going ter be doing that a lot down here huh?"
*Oskar looks at his brother with a stern yet compassionate face.
"Aye.... I'm afraid so me brudder."
*Oskar goes back to praying to the dead girl. Aramil notices that Oskar's look grows sadder with each moment as he realizes how many dead just might be in here. So he goes over to his brother and pats him on the back for comfort.
Kywyn keeps his aura sight active for now, checking ahead of and behind them and moving back to look toward the bodies the party has found.
"So, do we move on?" he asks Boirin.
If the party agrees Boirin reaches into the muck and pulls the lever.
"Alright... but does it sound like there's any water behind it?"
Boirin looks to the mage.
In the dim light, they can see a short narrow passage which open to larger more or less rectangular room. Inside the room stands a heavy-set corpse with desiccated and whithered look, it's clothes are long strips of cloth with ends hanging about. It is clearly a humanoid, but much taller and heavier than any man would be.
When they see the creature, all four craning for a look are beset by fear that frozes them put. Aramil and Kywyn are able to fight against the despair but Boirin and Oskar just look at the creature with looks ultimate dread on their faces.
Map.
Boirin is paralyzed for 1 round, Oskar for 2. You can move past the "statues" or move them out of the way (costs an action).
Initiative:
Boirin 25
Aramil 19
Kywyn 18
Oskar 13
Creature 11
Ulerian 6
"Is that what it looks like it is?..." he manages in his head.
"Can you close it?" he whispers sharply to Boirin.
Realizing some of the others aren't moving, he says to Aramil and Ulerian, "Get them back. I might be able to slow it down first."
Turning his left hand, Kywyn grasps his wrist as his already increased heartbeat pulses harder in his ears.
"Falling a step behind..." he intones.
A shadow grows from his heart, like ink released into a stream. It flows into his shaking hand and is channeled through his gauntlet. Kywyn's eyes glow golden in the tunnel as the blossom of ghostly black bursts from his wrist. The tendrils twist into a single tentacle, and the Hex Tongue fires ahead, twisting through the passage to form a tangle at the creature.
With measured steps, Kywyn starts moving back down the way they came, not wanting to be sandwiched between surprises. He figures they could use some distance to clear their heads.
---
[cast interposing hand and move a few spaces down the hall they came]
[ooc: Pick up Oskar, move him 20 feet away, then use Quick draw to get out axe and shield.]
Meanwhile Kywyn says words of the spell and thick, black tentacle of ghostly appearance springs forth of his palm, to block the progress of their foe. As he does that, he notices that the creature has a number of runes carved to its skin and wrappings.
And their meaning comes clear to him when the creature completes the movement it started earlier and the area where the group is, fills in a heartbeat with noxious fumes that makes everyone gag. Aramil is unaffected by the fumes but Kywyn and Ulerian retch. Members of the party can barely see each other in the fog, enemy is in there somewhere.
While expelling his guts through his mouth, Ulerian moves couple feet away from Aramil.
Map where the smudged area means the area of the fog.
Boirin becomes unparalyzed now, after Ulerian has acted. Kywyn is nauseated for 4 rounds, Ulerian for 5 rounds. Nauseated characters can take only one move action per round, and free actions - no attacks, spellcasting, concentrating on spells or anything else requiring attention.
"Can't... can't... breathe."
Trying to keep his shadow tendril on the creature despite his nausea, Kywyn reflexively stumbles back a couple of steps through the knee-deep muck, hoping for clear air.
"Runes... on the thing. Did the others... die like this? Is this... stuff flammable?" the possibilities struggle to play out in his mind.
[drop Oskar, move infront of him, full defensive]
*Meanwhile Oskar can't take his eyes off the thing, he stares directly at him and he can't understand why. All that is going through his mind is to take his eyes off of the monster, yet with all his will power he can't. His face turns chalk white and he hopes that he will be able to take his eyes off. For if he can't, then maybe they will all die right then and there...
.oO(Agathalos the Lightbringer, if there was ever a time I needed ye more, it would be right now.)
"But thats not the way it was."
With that thought he claws his way back to the world. Seeing the situation, Boirin steps back behind Aramil and loads the light crossbow. When he can he fires.
[ooc: back 5 feet from aramil but blocking the path of the creature so the two retching mages won't get killed. +7 light crossbow, 1d8
A smack of some sorts can be heard from the room where the creature is but nothing more, aside from two mages heaving all the time. Neither Boirin or Aramil succumbs to the fog, even while they have hard time breathing normally. Soon after that Oskar feels motion returning to his limbs, slowly, very slowly.
Map
The fog is dense enough to curb everybody's vision down to 5 ft. It affects even Darkvision.
Oskar can act on the next round.
He turns away, wanting to heave, though he is pretty sure he is empty already.
"Is it still there?" Kywyn asks quickly between forced breaths.
"I do not know, both of ye, come over ter me voice, it is better if we are closer if we are ter defeat this foul being!"
*Aramil again defends himself to the best he can while he waits the arrival of the two mages.
*Oskar looks around very carefully, even though he cannot yet gain all the will power he once had he is still able to feel his limbs come back under his own motion. He continues to pray to Agathalos to protect them in battle and allow them to survive.
[ooc: fire if the creature is visible]
Regardless, Kywyn moves forward until he spots Boirin through the noxious fumes. The tenebrous tentacle from Kywyn's wrist is still threading through the mist, but he can't tell if there is anything on the other side anymore.
Map.
"I think... it's gone... through the next door," he tells the others.
*Oskar nods his head in agreement, which brings a smile to his face, seeing that he has gained control of all of his limbs again. He smiles and then waits to see what they are going to do.
"Maybe I could help get rid of this stuff..."
"If I could just breathe..."
Kywyn's tentacle is a black line in the air, marking his path. When he is clear of the fumes, the tendril coils loosely once again around his arm.
"Get rid of the cloud and we will kill it!"he exclaims with much trouble
Inside the fog, the trio squints their eyes to see something. Oskar feels bile rising in his throat, but is able to swallow it back down. Aramil suddenly sees something looming by him in the smoke, and then he is jolted by a slam. Boirin notices the attacking hand, but can't see it's owner and thus his bolt goes just clattering down the passage.
Once outside the fog, Ulerian is readily able to gather his wits enough (despite the continuing retching) that the undead has dangerous touch, which can inflict victims with horrid desiccating disease and that the effect that froze both Oskar and Boirin was from that creature, as mere sight of that kind of undead can cause such thing. On his side, Kywyn realizes that his coil of tentacle went slack back then because it's been badly pummeled.
Map
Correcting small earlier mistake; now once outside the fog, it'll take Ulerian and Kywyn some time to regain ability to act properly again. 3 rounds for Kywyn, 4 for Ulerian.
Aramil takes 14 points of damage +2 subdual
Ulerian struggles to gain his composer.
"I will aid when I can."
His mind struggles to channel the energy to use his powers, but he is still sick from the cloud.
[+17/+12 melee, 1d10+8, 19-20/x3, slashing]
*Oskar nods his head to Ulerian... he recalls the mind of a certain spell that will give Aramil a boost to his ability to remain in battle. He chants the spell loudly and when he is done, he reaches his glowing hand out and touches Aramil on the back, when he is done a glowing light surrounds Aramil. Then with a snap of Oskar's fingers the light shoots inside of Aramil, boosting his Stamina.
[Bear's Endurence on Aramil]
Kywyn continues struggling to clear his head, as does Ulerian. Ulerian manages though to think a bit about the cloud.
Oskar places the spell on Aramil, but that action makes his attention slip with the fog and this time he is not able to avoid throwing up.
The creature slams its hand again at Aramil. Again the dwarf is jolted by the impact, but unlike previous time now he also feels some sort of unnatural condition seeping into him. It doesn't hinder him, he just feels something did happen there. Something more than just an impact of a wrapped hand.
Oskar becomes nauseated and will be so until he gets out of it and then few rounds. Aramil takes 13 points of damage plus 2 subdual, and an extra with 1 minute activation time.
Kywyn's stomach will settle in 2 rounds, Ulerian's in 3. Ulerian knows that the fog is effect of a spell Stinking Cloud
"Dammit... That thing has the advantage," he thinks as the fog limits what he can see.
Several tears streak from his eyes due to the irritation of the gas. He frowns slightly when he finally notices his defending tentacle has faded and retracted back into his hand.
[Activate Dwarven Stance, attack, +18/+13 melee, Waraxe +1, 1d10+9, 19-20/x3, slashing.]
*Oskar can only look on his brother as he gets away from the fog to stop the nausia, never before has he felt so sick in his life. He bends over after he gets out of the fog and takes a couple of deep breaths. But he cannot stop from throwing up a couple times. He tries to steady himself as fast as possible, because without the aid of himself and the other spellcasters, Aramil's fate is surly doomed. When he looks at his brother a second time his eyes widen as he sees his muscle's buldge out and a slimer of glowing light escapes from Aramil's body. Oskar has only heard of this before, but he has never actually seen it. He looks down at Aramil's belt and sees the belt of Clan Ungart, and his jaw drops open in amazement.
.oO(Me brudder is a Dwarven Defender?!?!?!?!?!?!)
*Oskar's amazement at his brother is short lived since he looks over and sees the monster there, standing so close to him. He gets back to fighting against the nausia and pain and tries to help his brother as fast as he can.
Oskar moves 10 feet in the muck, but can't get yet out of the nauseating fog. Ulerian and Kywyn continue their gagging.
Creature's slam doesn't cause any harm to the dwarf this time.
Before Boirin can load his crossbow again, he has to flee the cloud to throw up as well. Aramil's left alone to the gloomy fog to fight the creature. He is sure of his strength and hacks away happily. Axe bites and then not. One more hit, that doesn't seem to concern too much the creature.
A slam of wrapped hand hits this time. The dwarf grunts. But stands unfazed.
Map
As of now, with two rounds passed, Oskar will be nauseated for next 3, Boirin for next 4. Kywyn's nausea ends on this turn and he can act. Ulerian is still nauseated.
Aramil takes 16 points of damage +2 subdual. His current state 73/116 +6 subdual.
He stares at the stone and steel wall. With a finger he sets to work tracing out a design in the ubiquitous layer of filth. Kywyn draws the shape of a spiraling tornado.
”I think I can do this… We need a wind,” he thinks as his hand races, “A spirit of the air.”
He finds himself speaking at the lines, bringing them to life. Shadowstuff exudes from his touch to replicates the image, and a small, twisting cyclone flies from the wall.
“The fog, suck it down that way,” Kywyn orders, and he hopes the quasi-real illusion can obey.
---
[cast shadow conjuration (summon monster III), summon small air elemental, try to get it to move to the tip of the fog on Ulerian’s side and turn in to a whirlwind to expel the fog down the tunnel and disperse it]
[Attack: +18/+13, 1d10+9 slashing, 19-20/x3]
*Oskar is glad that he finally gets out of the fog and is also happy that Kywyn can act again. He smiles as he sees the powerful sorcerer cast a spell to get the fog away. He then tries to clear his head as it keeps spinning everything he sees around and around. He holds fast though and the spinning begins to lessen with each passing moment. He just hopes that it will pass in time so that he can help Aramil.
Springing to action Kywyn conjures up the shadowy elemental form which then ripples through the fog in a whirlwind. It causes winds strong enough to disperse quite a bit of the noxious fog.
Aramil's enemy slams it large hand to Aramil, jolting yet another bit of vitality away from the dwarf.
It takes 1 full round for elemental to disperse the cloud, so that will completed by the end of Kywyn's next turn. After that it returns to it's normal form.
Ulerian can act on the next round as well.
Aramil takes 15 points of damage +2 subdual.
"These are my dreams... that I've never lived before."
The right tentacle burst forth, marking its path like a trail of transparent paint in the air. With a golden hue in his eyes again, the black-haired man looks for the target.
---
[cast spectral hand]
However in a few secound he has regained his compsure. He stands, resting his shoulder along the wall as he gets to his feet. He wipes his hands on his pants and turns his head to better hear Kywyn's words. They are are familiar, yet strange.
.oO(The dwarf is near death...)he thinks to himself.
After sharp, closed words a glowing hand forms in from of him as well. He smiles slightly at the pain is causes him, but guides it forward, with a neew though on his lips.
Casts Spectral Hand
Kywyn's tentacle springs to life, and coils in the air. The shadowy elemental completes blowing the fog away.
Enemy's slam jolts dwarf once again, and he feels bit weaker.
Ulerian mimics Kywyn's casting in his own way.
Oskar and Boirin do their best to add more content to the sewer's filth.
Updated map.
Aramil takes 16 points of damage +2 subdual. His current situation: 42/116 -10 subdual.
Mages cast their spells.
"Osker your brother will die if he has been cursed.."he adds smoothly as he guides the hand
{Casts Shocking Grasp attck with hand is at +6 I believe, 3D6 damage, no save or SR}
"Help Aramil, distract the undead," he tells the wind spirit.
A few options play out in his mind, but he knows the longer this goes on, the worse it is for them, especially for the dwarf who has valiantly been absorbing the blows.
With a steadying breath, Kywyn gently pushes out his arms and holds his palms facing each other horizontally. He focuses to find that dark spot within, the place of unluckiness and doubt. There is a wavering in the air around his hands that travels down the length of his diaphanous black tentacle.
"All you faults are in me," Kywyn takes a step toward the doorway leading to the creature.
Kywyn turns his arms in a pattern and thrusts out his right hand to send the tentacle forawrd. With the right spin on the forces of probability, his hopes to jinx the mummy-thing.
---
[cast bestow curse (-4 to everything curse), touch attack, ask elemental to aid another for Aramil (+2 AC)]
]*Aramil tries his best to take in the damage lightly, but he knows that he is going to die soon, that or pass out from the foul stentch of this monster. He shakes his head to clear his thoughts, grits his teeth and then hacks away at the monster yet again.
[Attack: +18/+13, 1d10+9 slashing, 19-20/x3]
*Oskar moves closer to his brother even though his head is still spinning from the foul stentch. He keeps moving though, for when his head stops spinning he will need to heal his brother as fast as he can.
[ooc: If he can heal him this round... then do so by getting rid of MCoE and replacing it with Cure Serious Wounds for 3d8+6]
Oskar moves bit closer to his brother, but he's still too sick to get right next to him. Boirin's sickness continues.
The creature manages to home in one last slam before Ulerian's ghostly hand takes a grip of its neck and shocks it to dead. Smell of burnt flesh is mixed to the foul air of the corridor.
As it slumps down, nearly hacked to pieces and then shocked to demise, Oskar wades forward and is feeling weel enough to cast the spell on his brother. When he places his hands on Aramil's back, he is stunned to notice that something is resisting the power of his spell and his brother feels no ease.
Map.
Aramil takes one more hit, 13 points of damage +2 subdual. As the combat ends, his situation is: 29/116 +12 subdual. The defensive stance will last for 3 more rounds..
Everyone can act now normally. (Well, except Aramil who will lose 18 temporary hps given by the stance as soon as it ends or is ended.)
Most of the damage was done by Aramil, but the kill was stolen by Ulerian.
"I missed?" he rebukes himself.
The worry is short-lived, however, and Kywyn relaxes his stance after Ulerian's spell succeeds.
Kywyn retrieves his tentacle with a sweep of his hand, and the whip-like appendage hovers in a pattern near him. He holds the hexing charge for now, anticipating more obstacles.
Stepping closer to Aramil, Kywyn looks to Oskar, not sure how to help.
---
[Small note, I believe bestow curse DC = 18 with spell focus (necromancy). And for the first post, one 5th lvl slot was used with interposing hand. Thanks for update.
Also, do we have 1 min. incubation time to help Aramil normally, or is he considered diseased once touched?]
*Oskar looks on at his brother and can't imagine how much pain he must be feeling. He still wonders why his spell wouldn't get through, but he just shrugs and tries it again.
.oO(Agathalos the Lightbringer, help me heal me brudder, fer I der not want him ter join yer hall's just yet.)
[Convert 3rd level spell to cure serious wounds. 3d8+6]
After reviewing available sources (all Core books) and discussing it in length with ST, the decision was that it was on from the moment he failed the save.
All non-lethal removed from Aramil and 16 points of damage healed.
*Meanwhile Oskar smiles slightly as he sees his healing power work on his brother. His smile does not diminish one bit even though he realizes that the disease is going to take place soon. He looks to the others to talk to them before he heals Aramil some more.
"Search the body fer any type of antidote, then make camp cause I'm going ter need ter look after me brudder fer a while till I can prepare a spell ter get rid of the disease."
*With that Oskar converts some of the spells that he has memorized for this day to other spells to heal his brother.
[ooc: Convert both 2nd level spells into 2 Cure Moderate Wounds, cast them on Aramil, 2d8+6]
He prays for Agathalos' healing flow for three more times, and of those none work on his brother.
I will assume you will spend that one 3rd level spell as well, Searing Light. Then all three memorized 2nd level spells.
Aramil takes -3 to Con and -1 to Cha. He loses 18 hp in that. Current situation for Aramil: 9/80, will decrease by 18 when Bear's Endurance ends.
"We should go back topside... get him to the temple," Kywyn suggests solemnly as he looks to the others, "Better yet, to Natala's shop."
When he can catch Aramil's gaze, Kywyn nods slightly to the dwarf in respect of his stalwartness.
"If...if it looks like he is fading, I have something that might be able to put him in a... sort of suspended state."
Kywyn considers the sigil that he has never actually put to use, not certain of where the knowledge came from. He has never been trained by a mortal mage, just the whispers in his blood.
"It could last many days, and Aramil's condition shouldn't worsen while he is frozen."
---
[Thinking of trying to use the shadow conjuration (sepia snake sigil) put in Kywyn's sketchbook (LINK)]
Spitting and then wiping his mouth, Boirin staggers up the corridor and looks at his companions, not sure what is happening.
He asks in a raspy voice,"Is it dead? Whats wrong with Aramil?"
Kywyn wipes off his gloves on his pant legs, getting them marginally cleaner. He tugs at the bandana around his neck to loosen it. His tentacle marks the path of his hand.
From his satchel, the artist extracts a rough, leather bound cover. He opens it to the first page.
"Aramil... While you're still awake, I have a page here for you to read. Don't fight what it makes you feel. Let the serpent take you."
Holding the sketchbook against his chest so that no one will see the page, Kywyn stands near Aramil and waits for Oskar to give his analysis.
"Let me know when. We can carry him back out to the Mystic Shop."
Kywyn glances to Ulerian, who Kywyn knows wants to keep notice of this expedition low.
[search +11]
His search of the room is as fruitless. It's just a room with a door on the opposite wall from the passage to it.
Meanwhile Aramil looks at the page Kywyn handed him and reads the short bit on it. He doesn't fight against the inability to move that comes then, as unnatural as it is for him to let a spell of unknown nature to work on him. Soon the dwarf is completely motionless, frozen in midbreath.
"Are ye sure that he'll be alright?"
"He'll be no better or worse," Kywyn remarks to the priest, "Until we get him some help."
"Help me get him up," he says to the party.
"She's the best... she'll know what to do, and she'll help without all the judgement and hidden strings that the church may have," he says of Natala.
"No offense," he adds to Oskar.
Kywyn commands the small air elemental he created to come from the doorway and help with the lifting while it is still here.
Boirin says pointing to the portal.
"None taken, fer I know that yer church's and temple's may run a little different from ours."
*Oskar's mood changes though when he looks back at his brother, with a frozen look on his face. He shakes his head to clear his thoughts and helps the other lift him up. He grunts with the weight of the stiff and rigid Aramil, then with the help of the others they begin the process of bringing him out of the foul place and to Natala's store. All the while praying to Agathalos to not let Aramil die.
.oO(Just ye wait ye fould dead, when I come back I'll be ready fer ye, and I'll make sure that me brother and meself will kill ye all... again...)
Walking in step with the others, Kywyn looks forward in the gloom to the nearest manhole where they may resurface.
When Kywyn’s conjured elemental fades from underneath Aramil, the armored warrior gets heavier. Hunger and thirst start gnawing in Kywyn’s stomach, but he pushes the craving aside for the time being. There is no telling what kind of ailments one could pick up down here.
“Just need the last manhole we passed…” the drab-dressed man reasons.
“It’ll be nice to get cleaned up.”
"How long have we been down here?" Kywyn questions.
It is hard for him to tell.
.oO(Agathalos the Lightbringer, bring me yer light in these me dark times....)
"I don't know maybe an hour or two... I used to have a judge of such things but its been awhile since I've been underground so I'm not sure if I'm still any good."
Boirin remains alert for any danger in case they are attacked while they are distracted by carrying there burden.
Thus, it's ten minutes or so when they find a grille that might be large enough for them to hoist the dwarf back up, without needing to hack the hole larger. They gently prop Aramil against one wall as they are standing in the beam of light coming down.
"This is a foul happening... I hope the three of you see now the severity of the danger presented to the city... I will not ask any of you to return, however I will welcome volunteers. Please refrain from giving anymore information than you have to when concerning what we've been doing. Boirin, see if you can tie a rope to something on the surface."
"Doesn't change what's down there."
Kywyn climbs up after Boirin to see if he can aid in opening the grill and securing a rope so that they can tie it to Aramil.
"Don't ye worry bout me brudder and meself, once he's cured all he'll be able ter think aboot is ter get revenge on these foul beings. I'm sure that me brudder and meself will be with ye again when ye want ter come back down here."
"Well first we must get him healed. If the priestess is as powerful as Kywyn believes, then purhaps it will fare well for your borther. I will return tomorrow, or the next day..."
Up at the grille Boirin finds it stuck fast as no one has opened it in few years. From what he can see from his position, the grille in a narrow alley somewhere in the slums. He sees a couple of rats scurry by, and then a mangy dog chasing them.
He turns to the others, lingering on their remaining sturdy dwarf, "Does anyone think they can open it?"
Folding his bandana hoping to find a relatively clean spot, Kywyn wipes the sludge off his face.
"Definitely need to find some water on the way to Natala's."
"I'll give it a try, though I'm not as strong as me brudder.... Lemme see if I can get up there first...
*With that Oskar takes the rope in his hands then tries to get up to the grill. If he gets up there he prays to Agathalos to give him the strength he needs to open this and then he attempts to open it.
(If i can reach the grill I'll use my strength domain to give him +6 to str then attempt to open the grill.)
Then he sends the incredibly muscled appendage to strike the grille. He grunts slightly from the impact, but the grille... it goes flying up and slams to something solid in the alley. A moment later there is a groaning sound and then a very loud crash.
Turning his head, Oskar can see that he managed to break a lean-to into splinters with the grille. As the small cloud of dust recedes, he also sees that the grating and pieces of wood made a short work of a mangy dog... or some other animal of that size, as now there is only something greyish-brownish furry-bloody substance.
Swallowing his growing need to get to the fresh air, Kywyn waits to see if he can help secure the dwarf. When it is his turn, Kywyn takes it slow to climb up the footholds. He seeks to climb last so he won't knock anyone else down if he slips again.
[ready Bull's strength, 2nd level domain spell]
Ulerian, helps out as he can, but does not tie the rope as he is not skilled in the matter.
"I cannot tie the rope"
He helps and takes his time, all that is need to be safe, to climb out after Aramil is pulled up.
There's rats squirring all around. A mob of six fat ones attack the squishy-pile-formetly-known-as-a-dog and start digging into it.
Oskar waits while Kywyn and Boirin climb out to the alley, and then casts his spell. A rat carrying a piece of dog's ear stops to look as he casts the spell, but then moves on whiskers trembling in the air. The first try to haul Aramil out of the hole is not too succesful as the knot made by Boirin unravels right after the inert dwarf is hauled above sewage. This causes one additional dousage for Aramil.
They try again and then they get Aramil out of the hole. And it was a good thing that Ulerian stayed behind, because otherwise they'd probably had to force Aramil through the chute as one of his weapons snagged to the side. Now Ulerian was there to slap it free.
Ulerian looks even paler than the norm in this dark alley. He shows some signs of light fatigue, but presses on with the rest of the group.
[6 min right for bull's strength?]
"Here," the calm man points.
Directing the group and they struggle with Aramil's weight, Kywyn leads them to Natala's Mystic Shop. Glancing to Ulerian, they move to the back alley door so as not to soil Natala's threshold.
---
[To Natala's Mystic Store]
[to Natala's Mystic Store]
.oO(Agathalos the Lightbringer, help Natala cure me brudder, and give him the strength ter pull through this thing.)
*Oskar begins to feel the onset of fatigue by the time they get to Natala's back door. He sighs when they get there and waits until someone comes to help them before he sits down.
“Was it this way?” he asks quietly.
---
[cast false life]
*Oskar pats his brother on the shoulder and he smiles, he knows that he'll have the right spells prepared this time to fight the undead, and this time he won't waste anything fighting against them.
"This should be fun!"
"Me sentiment's exactly brudder"
“Don’t lose sight of the objective.”
"Don't ye worry, we were talkin about revenge, we will still help ye reach the goal. Ye have our word."
*The two brothers bow to Kywyn and Ulerian and then wait for Boirin to show up so they can get moving.
"We should move quickly, Daylight is still our friend."
{Casts mage armor}
Kywyn follows Ulerian down after the wizard is completely clear of the space below, clinging tightly to the rungs and taking his time so as not to fall.
“Are we exploring the hidden passage rather than continuing down the main tunnel?”
"Yes of course.. The steps going into the other room are encouraging. I just wonder if this was the front door, or perhaps a small side one, escape plan, etc.. The snakes may have returned."he adds as he awaits the others.
Once they are all down, he points with his cross bow.
"This way.. get that lantern going Boirin."
Along with Boirin's help he leads them back to where they faced the beast.
Just posting a big cover all post. Not trying to rush things
Kywyn tosses the sunrod he has to the scout. He would probably need it more than Kywyn.
]They rig a rope to help them to descend into the sewer, and soon they are back in the familiar muck. They move towards the place where they found the hidden door and the undead creature behind that door.
Familiar smells, familiar surroundings, familiar two feet of stale sewage - and familiar two undead snakes lunging out of the water to attack Boirin and Ulerian.
Boirin is able to avoid the attack, but due to being surprised, Ulerian is not so lucky and once again a snake is able to bite him. Like three days earlier. Not to the same spot though.
Ulerian takes 4 points of damage +2 nonlethal.
Map
Initiative:
Boirin 26
Snake1 26
Oskar 24
Snake2 23
Ulerian 12
Aramil 10
Kywyn 8
Now happy?
*Oskar rolls his eyes as he sees the two familar snakes attack Boirin and Ulerian. He quickly gets a spell formed in his head that he might use later. Then he calls out to Ulerian.
"Get behind me Ulerian ye'll be able ter cast yer spells better without the snake brotherin ye."
*With that Oskar moves in position to switch with Ulerian, his axe and shield at the ready.
*Meanwhile Aramil lick's his lips and gets ready to get revenge on the undead beasts. He moves in position to switch with Boirin and then gets ready to hack at the beasts.
"Boirin, not ter displease ye, but would ye mind switchin places with me?"
It is unlike the cool, mystic dark of the Avowed place. Down here, it is more of a base, malevolent dark. Kywyn briefly wonders if the dead necromancer’s essence has polluted this locale, or if it is just imagination.
Kywyn remembers hearing the whisper of his other name from a sewer grate. He feels the chill stroke within: a single, complete impression. And in a flash, he knows just what to do.
The grey clothed man reaches into his bag and pulls out a unique drawing tool, a splinter of bone. In the blood, in the bone, in the flesh, he thinks. Wisdom begins in the flesh.
Through the bone, Kywyn feels the negative spark infuse his aura.
In the dark, we can talk.
With manila sliver in hand, Kywyn draws a horizontal line through the air and speaks to the serpent furthest away.
“You’re gone, and you don’t even remember… Let me be your memory,” he intones to the undead creature.
The human raises his hands in a pacifying gesture.
“If a snake stops, leave it alone,” Kywyn directs the others in a distant voice.
---
[cast command undead]
Boirin hears what Kywyn says but it seems distant to him.
[ooc: Sorry for not being around, RL strikes back. 5' step to switch with Aramil (move), draw crossbow (free), load (move?)]
”What.. are you.. doing?”he says through his clinched teeth with much trouble.
Ulerian observes Kywyn's casting and identifies the spell as one that can be used to command undead creatures to do caster's bidding.
[Ulerian knows that Kywyn cast Command Undead.
Snake 2 stays put.
Map
Initiative (as all those movements required Boirin to delay a bit to be able to change places with Aramil):
Snake1 26
Oskar 24
Snake2 23
Ulerian 12
Boirin 10
Aramil 10
Kywyn 8
"Restrain the other snake," he bids.
Kywyn's speech funnels into another series of muddled words.
Pushing forward a palm, Kywyn prepares to shove a pulse at the remaining, attacking serpent.
---
[command snake 2 to attempt grapple on snake 1, cast disrupt undead on snake 2 if it's still a threat]
"Erm... I do hope that is ye Kywyn, if we can attack them, let us know, if not just don't say anything."
[ooc: Oskar tries to see if he also can tell that it was a command undead spell, while Aramil goes on the defensive.]
Kywyn looks at the snakes for any distinguishing features that would help in telling them apart.
Kywyn finally manages to make the commanded snake to do something - to turn about and try to do something that looks almost like trying to bite its own tail. Maybe that was an attempt at grapple, or then perhaps the sorcerer told it to dance. The snake Kywyn's spell took over is possibly in slightly better condition than the other, but it's difficult to tell.
And now the snakes are both ajumble.
Map
"A snake would be useful to us," Kywyn takes stock of potential assets.
"We should secure this exit," he states softly as he points, "Take your time to line up your shots. The snake I'm not controlling is a bit more beat up, though it's hard to tell. If you strike the charmed snake, it will break the hold."
Kywyn follows through with his ranged spell, crouching down and aiming as carefully as he can past Boirin and Aramil.
---
[cast disrupt undead on uncontrolled snake]
[Casts Disrupt Undead]
"Oskar, hold teh line, I can't tell a difference between teh two snakes here. Unless ye can and cast one of yer spells...."
*Oskar looks at the two snakes rolling around and shakes his head, he can't tell which on is which so he decides to let the mages and the rogue take care of this.
"Yer right brudder, I can't tell the difference either. Let the mages handle this."
[ooc: Full defense for both of them.]
Boirin's bolt strikes one snake without effect whatsoever, other than to make that snake to turn at him for a blink.
Ulerian's and Kywyn's rays just stab water without hitting either snake.
"Kywyn do you have enough spells to afford using another on the other snake?"
With another fragment of bone, Kywyn repeats his casting. The aura of the sewer seeps into his own, and he asks both snakes to stop and be still.
---
[command undead on other snake]
[dwarven]"Ye shoulda turned em' when ye had the chance me brudder."
"Aye, but this is a group effort Aramil, ye can't rely on one person ter do everythin."[/dwarven]
*Aramil looks to his brother and smiles, then he mutters something under his breath that sounds something like "I hate it when he's right", and goes back to watching the snakes battle it out.
"Raise you heads," Kywyn tells the snakes as he examines them.
Slowly, he reaches out a gauntleted hand to gently touch the head of the closest serpent. Kywyn looks to the others.
"Should we proceed?"
Moving back toward the secret panel, Kywyn mentions quietly, "We should check more carefully when we open the next door."
Boirin moves himself to the front of the group and leads the party back through the muck and slime to the chamber that held the thing.
.oO(I certainly hope there isn't any more of the bloody bandaged buggers)
"I will detect if I can.. How thick was the door?"
He gets out a scroll case and shuffles through until he finds the one he wants.
"I think we should open the door first, so I can detect what lies ahead. The walls may be to thick for the spell to pass through. Either way, be on your guard, the undead do not always need to hear the living, they can feel our presence and sense our warm blood. They always mean only to kill us, lest we can control them... "
He pauses his pep talk and rubs his chin in thought.
"Boirin, you get the door, Aramil you guard him. Okser of course help when and where needed. Kywyn, command number one he points to the first snake. to sit right where the door will open. It needs only to be opened a crack. I will have to concentrate in order to tell what lies on the other side. Hopefully it cannot pass through stone."
He pauses and reflects once again
"I will see if I can tell what is on the other side of the entrance first.. I may keep my concentration regardless so I can continue to use the spell once the door is opened.."
[Casts Detect Undead before Boirin opens Door #1]
Adjusting the straps of his gauntlets, Kywyn waits to see what the others can find. Hex peers out through the opening in Kywyn's shoulder bag, keeping aware in this strange environment.
Map
"Would the panel have closed on its own, Boirin?" he asks.
"Can you open it again?"
Moving back further, he adds, "We should give Boirin some room like last time."
"More room, in fact. Last time didn't turn out well."
.oO(This is interesting, part of me wants something to come through that door, yet the other part wants nothing to come through that door.)
*Aramil just shrugs his shoulders at that notion and gets ready none the less.
*Meanwhile Oskar does likewise and moves into position, and prepares by getting a spell ready in his head. He sees his brother have a confused look on his face, but when he just shrugs his shoulders, he scatches his beard and wonders what is going on with his younger brother. But he soon realizes that there are more pressing matters at hand and gets ready for anything that might come through the door.
Kywyn calls the two snakes to his side.
"Remember the burned bodies and the cloud of gas last time."
"Most secret doors open from both sides. Except for exits, sometimes they only open on the way out. I've never heard of an entrance that only opens in."
Boirin goes and checks if the first door can be both opened and shut. When all is in readiness he positions himself to open the door so that he won't be in front of it, allowing a direct view of Aramil.
"Aramil I'm going to open the door so that it will see you but I can step behind it, Okay?"
Ulerian steps across the entrance and waits on the other side. He holds the lantern out so that it will shine light inside the small room, as well as the passage they came down.
"Too close to the potential danger source..." he considers of their spacing with masterminding speculation, "Nonessential assets being risked."
"But they are willing to risk, it seems."
"Oskar, back here," Kywyn says, playing on what he has read in the dwarves' relationship, "If something goes wrong, you'll be able to help your brother best if you are safe yourself."
"I don't like how this feels," he adds of the closed panel.
*Oskar also nods his head to the wise mage and retreats back towards where he is standing, then when they are about to open the door he gets a spell ready in his head incase that something does decide to pop out of there.
.oO(I hate this feeling.... the calm moment before the axe falls.....)
[ooc: ready attack vs. approach, shortsword +6, 1d6+1]
The grey man’s hands rest on his covered knees, and he circulates the thought of a spell power in his mind. With the undead snakes by Oskar and himself, Kywyn feels slightly more secure at the (hopefully) safe distance.
Boirin yanks the hidden catch to open the door. As he does that, he instinctively ducks a bit aside and is thus saved from the blast of fire that catches Aramil squarely. Dwarf is seared by the hot explosion and perhaps half of his beard vanishes in a puff of smoke. Oh, and same with eyebrows.
The door rolls open, and Aramil can see a creature which is like a thick-bodied reptile, but with some extra helping on leg department. It's back is lined with bony ridges. Sharp-looking. Its flesh looks bit shaggy, maybe bit rotten and eyes are dim.
There is also some other, smaller creature in the room, but it's out of sight behind the corner.
The second door ir cracked a-jar a bit and a shadow vanishes from beyond yonder portal in moments.
As the door is opened, Ulerian can feel there being Undeath about there.
Before Aramil can recover from the blast, the large reptilian ambles over to him and chomps on his axe hand.
Aramil takes first 12 point of Fire damage, then 4 points of normal and 2 of nonlethal.
Map.
Initiative:
Oskar 16
Creature2 14
Creature1 13
Boirin 11
Ulerian 11
Aramil 9
Kywyn (& snakeshow) 7
By Boirin and Aramil’s poses, Kywyn can tell there is something bad at the door. He talks to one snake.
“Go there,” he directs, “Dwarf’s other side and protect him.”
Kywyn looks to the other dead serpent, “Go behind that dwarf.”
The somber man shakes off the apprehension of seeing what threatens them and moves up behind Boirin. Around Kywyn’s finger is a leather smudging strip, but he turns the tool toward stranger tasks today.
Speaking in a monotone voice as if repeating some mantra, Kywyn closes one eyes and traces the edges of Aramil’s outline before touching the defender. In a trick of light, Kywyn casts his glamer to shift and exaggerate the dwarf’s body movements, making him a tougher target for anything that relies on sight.
Looking up at the misshapen lizard-monster, Kywyn keeps his breathing steady. He’s seen his share of morbid sights, but the things down here almost induce a recoiling reflex.
“Back up if you need to,” he says swiftly to Boirin.
---
[Send snake 1 to Aramil’s right side and aid another (+2 AC) for Aramil if it is capable of the action (if not, ‘attack’ might be closest command).
Command other snake to move ahead of Kywyn to behind Aramil (if Boirin has moved from his position, tell snake to move where Boirin was).
Kywyn then moves to space behind Boirin to cast displacement on Aramil.]
[ooc: move forward till i'm in range and sight of creature, then cast sound burst. When i move, move past where kywyn wants to move his snakes, also make the spell hit where it won't affect Aramil.]
*Aramil closes his eyes and shuts him tight as the fire engulfs him, then he opens them as he feels it passes. He feels his face and opens his mouth in horror as he can't feel his eyebrows. He gets angry and with his mouth clenched and his teeth grinding he takes his axe in one and and his shield in the other and attacks the beast.
[ooc: Waraxe +1, +16/+11, d10+8, 20/x3, slashing]
[ooc:Tumble +14 to flank, attack +6 1d6+1 going for sneak attack 4d6 points]
Boirin tries to jump out of the muck and run past the reptile, but he doesn't get enough power to his jump and can't complete his maneuver... or in other words, he jumps up and down, and gets bitten by the foe for his futile attempt. Ulerian squeezes by spellcasting dwarf priest and the fumbling thief to focus his spell to the room. He isn't yet able to discern particular auras of undeath, especially with the large reptile one being on the foreground.
Aramil strikes twice at enemy, hitting on both times but the thick skin seems dulls the effect of his strikes.
Kywyn's snake moves towards Aramil, but apparently the command was too complicated and it just slithers there and tries something that might have been attack at something. Other snake doesn't even get where he commanded it to go as there is a bundle of live objects in the path.
Kywyn himself can't get to cat the spell on Aramil either, as there everyone else is now blocking the tunnel.
Map.
Boirin takes 11 points of damage +1 nonlethal.
"You bloodly, little bugger I'll get you for that!
He half screams and then lashs out with his short sword.
[ooc: Well that didn't work, okay just the +6 attack with shortsword this time :D]
For all his talk of strategy, when the situation changes, they just had to react the best they could.
Taking a sidestep to try to find a favorable target, Kywyn brings his hand up to his shoulder. He readies to push out a disrupting pulse.
---
[cast disrupt undead if can get line of sight]
[OOC: Continues to Concentrate, duration 3 minutes. Assume this is his action each round unless attacked or something similar.]
"Kywyn, move yer snakes so that Aramil can move back. Ulerian move outa the way if yer doing nothin.... Aramil move back so we all can have a shot at the beast."
*Aramil hears his brother and nods his head in acceptance of the plan. Without taking one eye of the beast he shuffles backwards and hopes that the beast will follow him outside. Then when his back is getting to close to the wall he stops and waits and prepares for an attack against the beast.
[ooc: Oskar stays where he is, Aramil moves back to replace Ulerian when he moves, then Aramil goes on the full defensive.]
"Move," he calls to the serpent, "Against that wall."
---
[if up is north on map, ask snake to move southeast against the wall instead of standing still.]
The reptilian tries to snap at Boirin but the rogue is able to avoid that bite. His own attack hits but creature's body just soaks in the blade without any apparent harm to it.
Ulerian's mind starts to feel somewhat numb as he concentrates on the spell, the strength of the reptile's aura is immense to him. There is something weaker behind it, but the overwhelming presence is dominant.
There is much of sloshing as Aramil and Ulerian move, and they complete their moves easily though Ulerian's movements are bit lurchy. Kywyn's command to one snake is apparently bit too ambiguous, and as it moves away from the reptile it gets bitten to two pieces. Bony snake's pieces sinks below the surface of the muck.
Kywyn's ray hits the creature, burning a minuscule spot of flesh away.
Map.
"Keep on it, Aramil," Kywyn advises.
Glancing past his teammates and catching a glimpse of the lizard thing's snout in the doorway, he exhales to keep his focus.
"That doesn't look good."
Hoping the front-line fighters can hold the reptilian menace at bay, Kywyn backs up more to allow them any room to retreat they need.
"If we need to move back, there's space."
"Come," he tells his remaining snake.
He closes his eyes and twists his hand to allow the shadow tentacle to come forth.
"These are my dreams... that I've never lived before..."
The man's eyes are glowing softly gold when he opens them again.
---
[move back, cast spectral hand, Knowledge (arcana) check for any clue to what the thing is?]
[+16/+11 melee, 1d10+8, 20/x3]
*Oskar meanwhile saw the folly in Aramil's plan before it ever happened, he sighs then he gets a spell in his head that could help Aramil and prepares to cast it, but first he quickly moves behind his brother after he moves and then he casts the spell. Words flow out of his mouth in a smooth and divine chant, his hands glow white and when Oskar touches Aramil on the back, his shoulders buldge with new found strength. Oskar smiles satisfied with his action then waits to see if he can get a shot off at the monster.
[Bull's Stregnth, domain spell, on Aramil]
A little disturbing to find so many monsters just below the streets, this whole other place under our feet. Man-made but fallen through the cracks of our attention, this place bears the scars for the progress of the world above.
Kywyn imagines this was all fertile soil once. He imagines the earth being torn into against its will to implant these corridors. He imagines the forgotten tunnels shouting "why don't you care for me anymore?" while the city took shape. And the man imagines the disenchanted sewers eventually welcoming the darker elements to fill the void that was once the soft hum of roots and rodents and insects.
But Kywyn always had an active imagination. NaShae has said that he can't cut off the past, and this place reminds him of what that might mean.
He peers around his comrades in the gloom as he focuses his spell. The tunnels could go on forever. It's like the world is a shell, and there's a hole through it.
Somehow, it seems like he should have known.
Boirin stares blankly at his trusty sword that has cloven through flesh and bone before, but now its useless edge only aggrivated the creature. His face contorts into a knot of fury and he lashs out again hoping maybe to harm the creature.
[Attack +6, 1d6+1]
The reptile lunges at Boirin, and rends rogue's arm with its sharp teeth. Blood from the wound spatters on foe's visage and drips from there to the muck. Shaken by the wound, Boirin's own strike misses the creature with wide margin.
Ulerian backs away and fires his crossbow at the reptile. The bolt hits and sticks up from the scaly hide without effect whatsoever.
Aramil steps back into the fray and hacks two pieces of flesh off the creature. Just dead weight off it, apparently as the creature still stands.
Kywyn moves back and casts his spell.
Both Ulerian and Kywyn think that this kind of creature has a power to transform creatures into stone with its gaze.
Boirin takes 10 points of damage plus 1 nonlethal.
Ulerian didn't detect anything from beyond the other door, just the second creature in the immediate room.
Map.
"But... why haven't we been affected?"
"Careful," he warns the others, "It might have a dangerous gaze. Although it doesn't seem to do be doing anything."
Bringing his hands together, Kywyn calls upon his first power, the one that came before any others.
The book mages study, obsess even, over the details to unlock the latent energies in the world, working up from the smallest steps before learning to run, and even to fly. With innate ones, it is different. You are not given a choice; you open your eyes, and you are dashing downhill.
Having not called upon the original dark touch in some time, it pulls up some older feelings of angst for Kywyn.
"As a whole becomes a part..." he holds his palms out at different angles.
"I strike to burn."
Whipping his tentacle toward the multi-legged lizard, Kywyn sends the blue hue pulsing down the shadow thread.
"If it cowers back, take your free shots," he tells the battlers, "I'll keep trying to affect it."
---
[cast chill touch, ranged touch attack (+11 to hit, DC 15)]
[+16/+11 melee, 1d10+8, 20/x3]
*Oskar smiles as he sees Aramil score two good hits on the monster. Then he moves behind his brother and aid's him as best as he can by blocking the monsters attacks with his own shield and axe.
[ooc: Aid another, +2 AC to Aramil]
"I can't even get through to it..."
As the tenticle lashes out beside him, Boirin waits for his chance to strike.
[edit:ooc: +6, 1d6+1 shortsword]
"Boirin, get back you fool! It will have your life if you let it. The dwarf can contest its strenght... Back!"
Ulerian stands away and reloads his crossbow in case of a new threat.
"It likely lost its power when it was risen from death Kywyn.."
Ulerian takes a step back and Aramil continues to carve off pieces of stagnant meat off the creature. It still stands though and Kywyn's tentacle hits... it's still for a fraction of second and then continues as before.
[Boirin takes 11 points of damage plus 1 nonlethal. This drops him to 1/34 with 3 points nonlethal, which means he falls unconscious. He is stable, but helpless.
Map.]
Pulling both straight arms back behind him in a pose, Kywyn's tendril returns around him.
Like a swiveling windmill, the man rotates his arms in time with his torso to send the tentacle out again and again. His boots slosh the murky water circularly as he flows through his movements.
---
[10 touches left, full attack: chill touch +11/+6]
[Oskar picks up Boirin carefully and moves him 20ft away. If I can still cast a spell, I'll pull out my wand and use one charge on him.]
*Aramil sees his brother rush to Boirin's side and smiles. He knows that Boirin will be able to pull through it because he knows that his brother is a good and powerful cleric. He turns back to the reptile and smiles.
"It's just ye and me know ye filthly dog, and now it's time fer ye ter die!"
*Aramil picks up his axe and swings away again and again, hopeing to wear away the reptilian.
.oO(Wish I had some type of fire enchantment on this thing.... it would go well with the design I put on it....)
[[+16/+11 melee, 1d10+8, 20/x3]
Ulerian stays back, content with life, even if he is helpless at the moment...
"Keep on him Master dwarf, his doom is worse than that of poor Boirin!"
"Bloody deaders..."
With that he falls into the muck.
Deprived of the nice rogue to chew on, the reptile turns its attention to Aramil. It dents Aramil's shield and jars dwarf's hand. Aramil's own strikes hew once again pieces of dead flesh off it. And now it flops down, lifeless now.
Danger removed Oskar lowers Boirin gently to the muck and uses the wand on him. He stops the bleeding but the human remains unconscious and seems to be having some real trouble breathing.
[Boirin is now at -3 with Oskar's CLW. You can't prop him against wall, he's not petrified but unconscious.
Aramil takes 7 points of damage plus 2 nonlethal.
Map.]
Keeping his powers active as a precaution, his tendril forms a floating coil around his right arm. He is conscious not to touch anyone.
"Is he alright?" Kywyn asks Oskar.
"Are there any more there?" he questions Aramil and Ulerian.
He looks to the wizard with a number of question in his gaze. Do they proceed? What else could they expect? What next?
"Strategy could've been better, eh?" Kywyn considers as he looks at the large corpse.
He turns to his remaining undead snake with an empty stare.
"By all means Kywyn, if can think of a better way to do this, you may have the lead. Boirin made foolish choices staying so close to such a danger, but I believe the good dwarf here can bring him back to us.."
He turns his emotionless, cold voice from the sorceror and looks to Aramil.
"Be on your gaurd Aramil, there is another presence behind this on.. There.."he points in the direction he sensed the creature before.
"Go. Through the doorway, over the body and stay at the center of the room," he commands his serpent.
In reply to Ulerian, Kywyn simple nods.
"The formation we had is good for moving... We were just caught at the wrong time. These dead things can take a lot of punishment. Boirin, you, and I should be on crossbows and ranged abilities... Aramil in front, hopefully blocking the way. Oskar right behind him to offer support," Kywyn thinks aloud.
"Tell the dwarf that.."he adds with a cynical tone.
"Well what happens if they surround us? What then? Do ye want me and me brudder ter split into a billion clones ter protect ye? Now I'm sorry fer burstin out like this, and I'm sorry fer lettin Boirin get hit so many times, but I won't be able ter protect ye at all times. Know this me friend."
*Aramil drops it at this and looks back towards the empty room in front of him. He takes his axe and pokes at the dead body hoping to find something in the creature while his brother heals Boirin. Then he waits for them to get ready to move again.
*Oskar on the other hand prays to Agathalos to give him the strength to heal Boirin. He puts his wand away and gets a powerful healing spell formed in his mind. Then he begins to chant the words, and as he does his hands shine off with white light. When he is done chanting he begins to press his hands on Boirin's cuts and when he does so the wounds close and the pain Boirin feels begins to lessen.
(Aramil searches the body while Oskar spontaneously casts a 3rd level Cure spell in place of daylight.)
"Not expecting you to protect everyone all the time," Kywyn offers quietly as he approaches the open doorway.
He keeps his distance from the lizard corpse.
"I wasn't taking about security... just how we could position ourselves so we could each contribute effectively," Kywyn shrugs it off.
"I get the feeling none of us is safe down here."
He stares darkly ahead, then smiles..
"But, after all we are here to 'safen' things up, right? After what we've, or I should say, Master Aramil has delt with thus far, things must be a bit safer for the children and old ladies above.. as well as those of us in the dark.."
"The credit is not mine alone Master Ulerian, if none of ye were here ter help carry me up ter the surface, then this monster would still be livin, though I am sure ye might have gotten someone like Gamis ter come down here ter help. None the less this is a group effort, and one that I am proud ter be apart of."
*Aramil bows his head again to the two mages, then he goes back to searching the body, always keeping an eye out for the other monster Ulerian was refering to.
(Aramil continues to search, he also prepares an action to attack any enemy that comes within 5 ft of him.)
Boirin's wounds visibly heal from Oskar's spell, but the three toes of his left foot are lost to the muck or insides of the reptile. The rogue draws deeply breath, but gags and twitches violently in the muck.
The room appears to be empty.
[Boirin is at -1.]
"Doesn't look good... Has he been poisoned or come down with some infection?" Kywyn asks their healer.
Turning to Ulerian to see if the mage has any ideas.
{OCC All knowledge skills checks}
"Aramil, watch that door!"
"I'll watch the door. Aramil's strength will help more than mine."
[Boirin's still at -1, but is not dying anymore.]
He looks back when he hears the squeezing and coughing.
"Almost drowned," Kywyn thinks, "We should've known when he went down in the water."
He questions, "Is he too weak to continue?"
Turning back to watch the door, he grows curious as to what exactly is behind.
Ulerian paces and looks down the hallway. He curses knowing the weakened Rogue cannot go on. He continues to stare down the hallway as he speaks.
"Aramil, what is your condition? If Osker can get him awake, we will ask Boirin what he wants to do.."
"Oh I'll live, just a couple burn marks and some scratches, nothing that some spells and rest can handle."
*Aramil smiles and nods his head to Ulerian. Then he helps his brother try to stabalize Boirin. He holds him above the water in hopes that his brother will be able to heal him.
*Oskar looks at his brother and smiles, thanking him for his help, he gets the sewage off his face so he can work properly. Then deciding that he'll save his more powerful spells for later on he takes his wand back out and utters the commnad word and touches Boirin on the head. As soon as he does a white light rushes out and heals Boirin.
[Oskar uses another charge of the CLW wand, so that brings it to 48. Just wondering how much damage did Aramil take?]
[Boirin's at 4 now, and Aramil has taken 23 points of damage +4 nonlethal.]
"Well.. still want to go on?"
He glances over to Boirin, "Only if Boirin's up for it though."
"I don't know if ye want ter continue er not, but I healed ye the best I can fer now, if we get some time later I'm sure I'll be able ter do a better job. But fer now we need ter get movin."
*Aramil nods to Oskar's statement. Then he takes the wand himself and taps it on his face to remove the burn marks and then at his shoulder where the lizard thing bit hm. He smiles feeling better and then hands the wand back to his brother. Then he helps with aiding in Boirin's recovery but helping his brother carry him.
(3 more charges used, 1 on Boirin, 2 on Aramil. I hope that we can find a resting place down here, it would be beneficial to all of us....)
"What in the hells is wrong with my foot?"
As Oskar works on his foot he stares in mild amazement.
"I"m missing three bloody toes!"
When the others start to talk about him like his not in the room, he gets mildly irritated.
"I go on, but I'll have to pull a page out of your book Ulerian, you know staying at the back.".oO(looking useless, what the hells where you thinking Boirin, your place is behind the monsters!)
"I'll bloodly well need to get a new pair of boots when we get back, maybe I can even get a special block placed in the toe of this one, so I might have something like normal balance."
Taking a wiff of his armor he have coughs with what might be a laugh and adds. "I think I'll be buying armor, too. I don't think I'll be able to get the smell out of this set. Wheres my sword? I think I dropped it, Paps will kill me if I loose that sword."
Ulerian looks to Kywyn, then with a nod of his head he motions for the next door.
{OOC We are still in the city.. Resting in not an issue.. It only takes a few moments to get from that alley grate to where we now stand, however, if we are going back.. I would advise doing away with the snake first.. Let's check door #2, shall we?}
"Once we see what's behind there, we can decide how much further we can go today," the man remarks evenly.
"Back me up.."
The mage walks over to the door and opens it, tossing the gold piece in a few feet from the door. He stpes back and readies the lantern and one hands the cross bow
{Casts light on the gold piece}
Meanwhile, Kywyn and Ulerian meander over to the second door and do their trick with the coin. To their view, after they've yanked the door open, open a straight corridor that terminates to another door. The corridor is empty, except for the sewage on the floor.
[Boirin is healed 5 points, bringing him to 9/34. Aramil is healed 4 points and same amount of nonlethal damage, leaving him thus at 61/80.
Map.
Aramil can't use the wand as he doesn't know the spell, Cure Light Wounds. DMG pg 213 has more information if needed. Nor is he a rogue who could try UMD check to use the wand.]
"Snake first, then the dwarves I assume..."
He turns to see them still fuddling about somewhat..
"When everyone is ready of course... "he says with a touch of mockery.. He waits beside the door, gazing into the hallway.
"Couldn't hurt to test it with the snake... Though it might get in the way again if we get into a fight in the tight space," says the young man as he flexes his hands.
Kywyn speaks to his undead asset, "Go to the next door."
After the snake proceeds, if nothing odd occurs, Kywyn commands it to return to them.
.oO(And when someone falls in a trap because I'm not in the front, I'll feel guilty... Great, a win win situation...)
Boirin looks around at his surroundings maybe hoping to catch sight of something.
[ooc: Search +11]
He keeps on guard as Boirin feels out their surroundings.
"Next door?" he asks Ulerian
Kywyn keeps an eye out behind them when they start exploring the new passage.
{OOC I assume that's what the search Boirin posted if for.}
[search +11]
*Oskar does likewise, exept that he focus's on Borin's health more then just waiting.
[Cast two 2nd level healing spells. Take out Sound Burst and Silence]
Somewhere inside, he gets the feeling they're being watched.
"If the second presence Ulerian mentioned ran away, it must have more sense than a simple zombie."
Kywyn looks up to inspect the ceiling of the chamber before the hall.
"What am I doing down here?" he thinks to himself wistfully.
Oskars spells make the rogue feel better, and he is in full shape, except for taste of sewage in his mouth and slight clumsiness from lacking three toes.
[Boirin is healed to full health.
Map.]
"Either the corridor is clear, or I am exceptionally lucky. Take your pick my vote is for choice number 1 though."
Returning to the backish of the group Boirin waits for somehting else to happen. Afterwards, Boirin speaks quietly to Oskar.
[dwarven]"Many thanks, Brother Dunskar... I beleive I owe you my life."[/dwarven]
"Ready to see what lies beyond when you are," he adds impassively.
He clasps his hands together in preparation, the faint indigo hue flares up slightly at the motion and his shadow tentacle wavers in the air behind him like a banner in the wind.
When Boirin shifts positions, Kywyn asks, "Probably no easy way to rig the last two doors to make sure they don't close up on us, is there?"
---
[Assuming spectral hand still active (11 minute duration minus time spent securing hallway).]
Ulerian provides light with the lantern and coin and awaits what lies ahead.
.oO(I just hope one of them stupid lizard things aren't there again... I want the rest of me hair....)
*Oskar looks on anxiously, ready to heal his brother if need be. He grips his own axe and gets a spell ready in his head to cast. He smiles to his brother and then pats his back to let him know that he is ready.
Desperately he hangs on to handle, while his brother is not as nimble as him and falls down to the pit. Down, he lands loudly with a great splash of sewage and the impact shakes him.
The dwarf recovers from the fall, only to be assaulted by a stench even worse than the sewers before. Source of this godawful smell is the somewhat humanoid creature of hairless mottled decaying flesh with a mouth full of sharp teeth. And that mouth is coming at him and takes a nip at his arm. He fights off the feeling of immobility caused by the bite.
[Oskar takes 10 points of damage plus 6 nonlethal. Aramil dangles from the doorhandle. The pit is 20 feet deep, and there's 3 feet of sewage at the bottom. The corridor is 5 feet wide.
Initiative:
Boirin
Aramil
Ulerian
Kywyn (and his snake)
Oskar
Creature
Map.]
"Damn," he tries to assess their options.
"What's happened?" he asks those in front of him, "We'll need something to get them up..."
From the splashes, Kywyn guesses Oskar might be in trouble.
"Let me through..." he says as an echoing whisper, "Careful, don't push."
---
[If possible, get to space where I can see thing below, then touch attack with spectral hand - chill touch]
"Hang on Aramil, try to get to the ledge! Hold this Boirin and watch the door.."
Handing Boirn the lantern Ulerian follows Kywyn, but does not get in his way. He takes the coins and tosses it in the pit.
"Unless down is the only way ahead..."
"Now would be a good fer ye ter use one of yer spells me brudder."
*With that Aramil lashes out with his axe against the beast.
[ooc: Waraxe +1, +16/+11, d10+8, 20x3]
*Oskar thanks Agathalos silently that his brother chose to come down to help him rather then try to get back across. Then he gets a spell in mind that his brother would like him to use. He begins chanting the words and within seconds his hands turn white again. He raises his hands up and the white light exploads and it hits the creature emitting a loud sound and possibly defening him.
[ooc: Sound Burst against the creature.]
"Where do you want the rope?"
"Can't do much until that thing is driven back."
Kywyn's eyes follow Aramil as he drops himself.
"Brave... or foolish..." Kywyn thinks to himself, "It won't be easy to get back up."
"Oskar and Aramil are pretty heavy... it'll be hard to just pull them up, and we risk slipping down."
He sees the unopened door.
"Maybe we can tie it to the door handle... though it's at least ten feet away over the pit... The old hand might be able to help," Kywyn considers the item he has, which could allow moving the rope over the space.
He keeps his hands crossed near his chest and turns away as he moves so as not to accidentally touch Ulerian or Boirin.
"Tight fit... This might be slower going than I thought."
Aramil tries to yank the door open, but wrestling the handle doesn't cause anything. And when he lets go of it to drop down to the pit, he almost squashes his brother, landing in an unglorious heap to the sewage. A mighty splash. He then struggles to stand up and attack the creature, but can't do anything effective. There's the stench to contend as well.
Oskar begins his spellcasting not minding the creature next to him. Lunging, the foe catches the priest but the wound to dwarf's hand is not enough to interrupt spellcasting.
The spell goes off with deafening noise at the back of the pit, but without apparent effect to anyone.
Ulerian's coin sails through the air and is disappears into sewage with small plop. Kywyn's tentacle gropes through the air but he can't really find a good angle to hit the opponent, with the dwarves being on the forefront.
The creature attacks with another bite and clawing with both of its hands. It aims one claw at Oskar and one at Aramil, but both of those attacks just scratch their armors. The bite, then, aimed at Oskar, draws blood. It also makes the priest to feel motion going out of his limbs and freezes to the place. The creature moves a bit then, sheltering partly behind the frozen dwarf.
[Aramil takes 2 points of damage +3 nonlethal from the fall. Oskar takes a total of 12 points of damage + 6 nonlethal and is paralyzed for 2 rounds.
Initiatives are altered a bit for Boirin and Ulerian, to accommodate the need of coordinated movements in the tight quarters and they both act now on the same initiative as Kywyn.
The duration of the Bull's Strength also ends.
The pit really is 20 feet deep, with 3 feet of sewage at the bottom. The walls are vertical and don't contain handy foot and hand holds.
Map.]
"You know.. if things go ill, there may be no need to pull them up.."
His mood is cold and his tone is dark.
"Is that the way forward I wonder.."
He freezes in place and then lowers his stance for balance.
"Boirin, I need you to back up a step."
Crouching down, Kywyn tries to bring his spectral tentacle around for another try while peering through the darkness below.
"It should be the way forward," Kywyn replies to Ulerian, "Or down there could be..."
Kywyn shakes his head slightly and concentrates on the matter at hand.
---
[Delay until Boirin is out of my space, then full attack attempt, spectral hand touch attack against creature]
*He sees that his brother is paralized and cannot move. He sighs and hopes that he will be able to snap out of it soon, so that he may heal himself. He knows that he will most likely have to. He grits hsi teeth and moves forward and lashes out at the creature, hopeing to draw his attention away from his brother and on to him.
Kywyn's tentacle lances through the air but he is not able to hit the foe who is trying to avoid Aramil's attacks.
The creature makes a half-hearted swing with one clawed hand at Aramil but mostly puts it's strength into moving away from the opening and dragging immobilised Oskar along as a meat shield.
Map.
[ooc: is that a grapple check? If so mine's +13 IIRC]
The creature would soon be out of his sight.
“Aramil, if it stops moving, don’t attack it,” Kywyn echoes into the abyss.
Letting the blue charge dissipate from his hands, the man in grey reaches for a bone splinter from his bag.
Making a soft gesture and clasping the sliver, Kywyn intones a repeated string of words down into the dark pit. He seeks to bind the ghastly creature’s mind before anyone gets hurt.
“Stop... Release the dwarf,” Kywyn instructs.
---
[cast command undead]
"Yell if you need me..."
Ulerian starts searching the walls, moving slowly and taking his time to examine the environment.
Down in the pit, the creature moves bit more backwards and takes a bite of Oskar's shoulder. Blood squirts from the jagged wound left by its sharp teeth. The pain is excruciating to the paralysed dwarf and he would at least gasp if he were only able to. Then the blood loss seeps in and the world blacks out.
[Oskar takes 8 points of damage +3 nonlethal. He is now at 12/42 with 15 points of nonlethal damage, this makes him unconscious.
Kywyn no longer has a line of sight to the creature.
Map.
*Aramil yells this out at the top of his lungs. With every ounce of strength he has in his body he wills himself forward as fast as he can move. He uses all of his strength to hack away at the creature with one powerful swoop of his axe. He knows that even if he is able to pull his brother away from the creature he will be hard pressed to keep him above the sewage. He grits his teeth and hopes to whatever god that may be up their to let him be done with the foul beast.
[ooc: Waraxe +1, +16 melee, 1d10+8, 20/x3]
"Not like the snakes," Kywyn gathers.
"Ulerian," Kywyn's voice echoes in the hall, "I can't see Oskar anymore. Any ideas?"
Kywyn slips past Boirin down the corridor, seeing the rogue has tied his silk rope around his waist.
"I don't think that's such a good idea..." Kywyn suggests.
"Here," Kywyn picks up the loose end of the rope, "Untie yourself while I try this. You any good with knots?"
Kywyn reaches into his shoulder bag, his tentacle tracing the path of his hand. He brings out a small mummified hand on a chain.
Concentrating, Kywyn stares at the end of rope. He visualizes it getting lighter; he pictures it floating. Kywyn's breathing grows deeper as he lifts the rope with his willpower.
"Catch it when it returns," the voice is a distant rumble of a storm cloud, "If you can tie some sort of noose, they’ll have a way up."
---
[Try to use hand of the mage to move the end of the rope across the pit to the door handle and loop it through to return to us (even if it takes 2 rounds).]
Ulerian nods to Kywyn, and makes his way around Boirin and the sorceror. He peers over into the pit, and sees very little.
"Secure me a way out Kywyn..."
He slides down the edge of the pit, twisting and holding onto the ledge. He dangles there a moment and then drops, trying his hardest to not fall very hard.
Boirin ties a noose for Kywyn.
"Not sure if this is any help.
Boirin tries to help Kywyn as much as he can in this task. As Ulerian jumps down the pit, Boirin mutters.
"Oh, well I'm not allowed to fight but the bloody mage who got killed the last time he took out a monster is going to jump down the bloody hole. If he dies again..."
"What is he doing?"
Staying focused until the task of securing the rope is done, Kywyn crouches down on guide the floating end.
The man asks Boirin, "Dies again?"
Boirin explains as Kywyn Deals with the rope.
He keeps moving the rope, holding the preserved hand in a firm handshake.
"Though he doesn't seem the religious or philosophical sort, I wonder if he remembers anything about it."
In his short time in this life, Kywyn has learned that being devoid of spirituality is just as dangerous as being fanatical about it.
"Shouldn't think about it now anyway... "
Ulerian wriggles his way past Kywyn and lowers himself to hang from the edge... and then drops down to the sewage. Though a shock jolts through him, he doesn't suffer too badly from the fall. Once down there, he realizes that he can't almost see anything as only lighting for him is the lantern in Boirin's hand dozen feet above him.
Ulerian's jostling past disturbs Kywyn's aim enough that he isn't yet able to get the loop of rope to the door handle.
The creature drops Oskar's limp body to the sewage and attacks Aramil. None of the strikes hits him.
Ulerian takes 2 points of nonlethal damage.
Map.
"Ulerian, thank the gods fer ye me friend, help me brudder, he's been knocked out by the beast. Don't worry bout the beast though, I'll take care of him."
*Aramil turns his attention back to the beast and raising his axe again he quickly flows into one of his many attack form's hacking away at the beast.
[+16/+11 melee, 1d10+8, 20/x3: Waraxe +1]
Kywyn takes a deep breath to steady himself. When he gets the rope near the handle, he holds his breath to avoid any shaking in his body that might be reflected in the rope's path. After hooking through the handle, Kywyn tries to guide the cord back to Boirin and himself.
"Won't do any good if we all end up stuck down there trying to help."
The slender man closes one eye as he tries to remotely thread the needle with the rope and handle.
"Aramil can take care of himself, and they can scout around down there while we get this ready... We'll hold the rope on this side so Ulerian can get up, then the others," says Kywyn restfully in mid-thought.
"Hope they aren't too heavy. It might help if they take off some pieces of armor and tie them to the end to be reeled up after them."
Aramil attacks and strikes down with furious anger that one who attempts to maim and destroy his brother. Grimy parts of dead flesh and bone dripping with noxious liquids fly in the air. Swing after swing. Reducing the creature into handy pocket-sized parts. The sewage churns with Aramil's efforts and Ulerian has tough time in keeping Oskar's face above the lapping filth. Shreds of the creature pellet them.
Soon there whole chamber and the persons within are spattered with pieces of the creature and sewage.
Above Kywyn slowly threads the rope around the handle and then back to himself.
Map.
Once the dwarf lends a hand, Ulerian searches Osker for his curing wand. He then touches the battered dwarf, many times, hopefully bring him bake nearer to the living. If this happens accordingly, the wizard also taps Aramil a couple of times.
{OCC 5 total charges used from Osker's CLW wand.}
"Here, Boirin, let me know how I can help," Kywyn presents the rogue with the rope tip quietly.
Stretching out his fingers and placing the mummy hand back in his bag, Kywyn holds the rope to aid Boirin in his slip knot.
"We'll probably have to cut the rope to retrieve it afterwards."
Kywyn looks to the edge and calls, "How is the situation down there?"
---
[aid another for Boirin's rope use]
"Give us a moment.."
"We're securing a rope," he tells Aramil, Oskar, and Ulerian.
"If you're up for it, might as well take a look around down there while we get this done."
"Do you think he counts me a fool?"
.oO(I'd give anything just to see that Oskar is safe again.)
It takes few moments for Ulerian to figure out how to use the wand and then he gets to using it. Soon the cleric groans his way back to wakefulness.
Boirin starts to tie the knot.
Oskar is brought to 32/42 and Aramil to 68/80.
"Kywyn, get Boirin down here to help search the chamber."He says loudly as he passes the pit
"At least he's honest..." Kywyn thinks with a sarcastic slant.
When Ulerian speaks again, Kywyn replies, "Working on it... But if we send too many people down without having someone strong up here, it'll be a challenge to get back to this ledge. The rope will be tied to the door handle on the other side and hanging there."
"What do Aramil and Oskar see?"
After Boirin secures the rope he uses it to climb down the slick wall.
[ooc: use rope +3 untrained, climb +9]
When he gets down into the sludge he looks around at his comrades. Then takes the sunrod from Ulerian and looks around for anything at all.
[ooc: search +11]
"I might not be able to hold the rope on this side for anyone to climb back up... you'll be stuck on the other side just like Aramil was before he fell."
"You sure you don't want to get someone up first?"
"That might be wise, say Osker or Aramil could you come up the rope, so you can give Kywyn a hand with pulling people up?"
"If you think you need to go down right away, I could probably draw something to help hold the rope as well..."
*Oskar thanks his brother after he gets up out of the sewage. He keeps a good grip on Aramil's armor to steady himself and waits until after the groggyness settles before he takes the wand back. He puts it neatly in his belt and then bow's lowly to Ulerain thanking him for saving his life.
"Thank ye Ulerain, without yer knowledge of wizardy I fear that me brudder would be brudderless."
*Oskar bows again, then when he sees Aramil go to get the rope and hears Boirin's shouts he nods his head. He doesn't even have to hear Aramil speak, he already knows what his brother wants. He also decides that it would probably be best for the both of them if he goes up there. He takes grab of the rope, and with a pat on Aramil's shoulders he begins to climb up the rope. Slowly to make sure that he won't fall down.
*Once Aramil sees that Oskar is topside again he smiles then with a pat on Ulerian's shoulders and a nod of his head in gratitude he begins to look around the place. He looks to see if he notices anything of value or an exit perhaps.
.oO(The sooner I can get outa this filth the better.... I'm starting to think that I will end up smellin nastier then that troll I killed a while back... and I don't want that.)
"Go slow first, Oskar. We'll see how well we hold."
As Oskar starts to climb, he almost yanks Kywyn and Boirin down to the pit but the pair is able to brace themselves. Dwarf's feet slip couple of times but eventually he hauls himself up.
Boirin slides the rope down without any effort and joins the pair down in pit. The space there is a 10 feet by 20 feet with the opening whence they came in being near the middle. The walls are grime covered. As Boirin goes around, he can't find any signs of doors or other openings.
Kywyn keeps glancing behind them, setting the undead snake facing the other way to act as an inanimate sentry.
"If we do need to get through that door, it'll be tough if we can't close the pit... Any ideas?" the man peers at the door acorss the gap.
"Well, I don't see any other openings, no secret doors. I think I'll have another look around for the trap mechanism, see if it can be unsprung, but I'm not sure what that will accomplish."
[ooc:search for the trap mechanism, investigate if it can be unsprung]
*Oskar looks to Kywyn and nods his head, then he turns his head back down to where the others are standing in the muck. He smiles as he sees that Aramil has taken some of the tension off his shoulders. He grips his axe and shield all the tighter and waits for the others to make a desion, all the time trying to figure out a way to get across.
*Aramil nods his head to Boirin.
"Aye, that may do some good. Say, Ulerian, ye wouldn't happen ter have any spells that may be able ter open the door would ye?"
*Aramil looks to Ulerain with a concerned look almost, though some may say that he looks as if he is pleeding with Ulerain for something, which is odd for any dwarf, especially the stubborn ones.
"I could use the shadow to try and eat a hole through the door. Maybe we could at least see if there's anything on the other side... Though we should get everyone back up first since the rope might not hold if the door is damaged," he says to Oskar.
"Aye, yer a wise one, I'll give ye that. Let them search for a couple more minutes, if they don't find a way out down there, then we'll get em' back up here."
*Oskar scratches his beard while saying this, he doesn't look to Kywyn, he just nods his head and continues to think.
"Still alright down there?" Kywyn lets his voice rebound down the hole.
It takes few minutes for him to figure it out, while hanging from the rope somewhat precariously, that the trap's trigger is something around the door and that while resetting it would be possible, they would need some really serious muscle to haul the stone slab back up. The slab is of solid stone, about foot thick.
"Next?" Kywyn asks Aramil and Ulerian.
As Kywyn takes his place to help brace the line, his dark tentacle twines around the silk rope as if trying to lend assistance.
"I don't think that we will be able to get the trap back up, unless of course one of you mages can lift that stone slab with magic. We'll have to be a little more clever than just unspringing the trap."
His assessment being emparted to the other party members he helps hold the rope.
"Ye'd better go now, they're going ter need all the strength they need ter lift me up... we dwarves tend to be thick muscled."
*Aramil winks at Ulerian then holds the rope steady so that Ulerian can climb back up.
"I think I have a way to make a hole in the door... maybe... depends how thick it is. But let's get everyone up first."
"Perhaps there is another way in further down the sewer. Let us look to that first..."
Pushing back his raven hair with both hands, Kywyn stares at the door across the pit as if assessing it. He is getting sick of the smell down here, though they were all probably getting used to it.
“What do you think?” he asks the others.
The man helps reel up the rope, readying it to be cut if Boirin chooses to do so.
I really wish to preserve the structures if at all possible.. There may be another way around.. If this is the only way in, and that our last option, then I would obviously have no objections.. It's just illogical to have this door, and it not open.. we are missing something."
“But…” Kywyn considers now, “It probably wouldn’t be enough now that I think about. Reality is shaped by belief, but the door won’t be as easy to convince.”
“Alright, if we can’t think of a way across, searching for another way makes sense.”
Kywyn scrutinizes the hall there are in, looking to the walls and the ceiling to see if there is any clue to this puzzle.
A thought occurs to Kywyn while he searches.
“Boirin, do you think you could try picking the lock on the door if that’s what is keeping it shut?”
“I could form a replica of a creature of earth that might be able to glide across the wall,” Kywyn touches a finger to the corridor to try to determine what material it is made of.
He is not sure if such a shadow drawing would work. He’s not even sure how he knows what he can bring to simulated life from his imagination or what they are capable of.
“If it held onto you, it could maybe bring you to the door and support you there. We’d test out the creature here where there is no danger of falling first, and attach the safety line to you if you want to try.”
Kywyn walks to the wall and starts drawing in the grime with a bone splinter from his pack. He illustrates a stout humanoid figure with blocky parts and rock-like facets. He starts talking to the image half-way through, persuading the lines to join with the shadow seeping from his hand down through his tentacle. The words don’t really make sense, even to Kywyn, but soon the lines shift subtly and a likeness appears in front of the party.
The shaded creature is small but looks like it is made of black onyx.
“Slide into the wall…” Kywyn directs and points, “See if you can hold Boirin up.”
"Gently," Kywyn adds.
He looks to Boirin, "You'll only have about a minute before we need to get you back on solid ground."
The man in grey hands Boirin the end of the rope to see if he wants to secure himself.
---
[cast shadow conjuration (summon monster III) for a small earth elemental (Str 17), try to get it use its earth glide ability]
"Ey' ye are fergettin someone down here!"
*Oskar laughs a little bit at his brother's comment, just remembering that he has been standing down their in the filth while they discuss how they will open the door. He takes the rope with both of his hands and gets ready to help his brother up.
"Damn, thought he was up already," he thinks absently.
He waits until Aramil has climbed up before proceeding as planned.
.oO(How could they ferget aboot me? I mean... how could they possible ferget one of their main fighters? HOW?)
How deep did this place go? If it was not part of the sewers, it must have taken much time and effort to build, Kywyn figures. Then again, the former master was not an ordinary man from the sounds of things.
Kywyn brings his mind back into focus on their current dillema. It'd be best to find out what they came to investigate and leave these deep passages.
"Grab the rope, Osker a hand please."
The two hold the rope for Brudder to get out of the hole.
{OOC Sorry mate, thought you were out.}
Then Boirin very carefully balances on the edge of the pit and makes his way to where the elemental is waiting. The position from where he will be working is somewhat daunting and he takes his time to get to work.
Perhaps half a minute passes as he works the lock, only to see that the bolt is stuck fast and force will be needed to open the door.
[The elemental will disappear in 3 rounds.]
"Come," he tells the shadow earth elemental before it fades away.
"I guess we go back to the main tunnel?" he scans the faces of his fellow explorers.
---
[OoC: Pretty sure you're up, Aramil]
"Let us try further down the main passage. If we find nothing, then we can go back to the surface and rest. Then we can decide what to do from there."
He holds the sun rod aloft, and makes his way back to the main entrance to the small passage they are in. There he awaits the rest of the group.
"Sounds reasonable to me," Kywyn says to Ulerian.
The brief trip through the sewers has already made him feel tired, but he stretches his arms and works it out for now.
Walking back down the corridor, Kywyn asks his snake to start moving as they do.
"Same walking order as before? The snake can stay at the front or back."
Feeling the pull back into his center, Kywyn lets his spectral tentacle retract back into his wrist.
"Snake in front, with Boirin, myself and Aramil behind, You, then Osker."
[ooc: Pick lock +18, use rope +3]
"Let's get going then."
"Boirin?" Kywyn turns toward the rogue, "You feel alright to lead the way with the snake in front?"
---
[OoC: I think the result of your locking picking is a few posts up (#394), Boirin]
"IF we find nothing, then we should rest and come back tomorrow."
"If we find nothing, maybe the rumors you heard were exaggerated," Kywyn suggests.
"Though there is definitely something back there."
*Aramil smiles as he finishes saying this, then he does and Boirin says and gets back into line again.
*Oskar smiles and lets out a soft chuckle when Aramil says this, but other then that he keeps his mouth shut and patiently waits for the group to get back to the main corrodor.
[ooc:search +11]
It takes them some five minutes to move 100 feet forward from where they started.
"Should have thought of that..." he thinks to himself.
"I should have sent the earth creature through the wall to the other side of the door..." he tells the others without turning his head, "Maybe it could have opened or broken whatever was barring it."
"If we decide to go back to the door, I can try it."
He looks back behind them for signs of trouble before continuing forward.
"Get the feeling someone or something lives down here... and doesn't want us in its home."
"Does your map tell you how much further this tunnel goes?" he asks Ulerian
He couldn't break the other door. It is confusing what he knows and what he doesn't know and why. The shadow was not strong enough to work in his plans, and it was a miracle that it even could follow his instructions the first time.
"If there's nothing..." Kywyn lets the sentence trail without a finishing thought.
He does not show it, but inside somewhere, he is scared for some reason he could not put his finger on. His powers have little meaning here, and he is reliant on others he does not know very well for survival. But still, this is not the only time those things were true. It is not an overwhelming panic, just some faint feeling of sleepy dread.
"There's something I can't see," Kywyn thinks, "Something different in the way this place makes me feel."
Facing our fears helps define us, he supposes. Even if you don't know exactly what you are fearing. Fear is a mirror that shows us who we are even if we don't want the reminder.
A casket! That's what this place is starting to remind Kywyn of. Why did that make him uneasy?
"It's the same damnable thing all the time! When are we going ter find the place. I'm getting sick of this muck!"
*Oskar beings to think along the same lines as his brother, except that with years of practice under the cleric studies, he manages to keep his temper and keep up his guard. He shakes off his brothers words about this place and with a stern look at him, he manages to calm him down when Aramil look's back to his brother.
"I know ye are beginnin ter get bored me brudder, ye always are anxious to get to the fightin. Well there will always be time fer that, but that isn't now, so just calm down, and we will be able ter smash some more undead skulls, ye have me word."
*Aramil seems to be pleased at this statement, but some of him doesn't believe him. He sighs, then goes back to walking with the rest of the group.
[dwarven]"I'm sorry Aramil but I don't want what happened last time you ended up in front of me when I should have been looking for traps. We both might not end up so lucky."[/dwarven]
[dwarven]"Oh ye don't have ter worry bout me, that's what big brudder's are fer. Now just get back ter doin yer job, and we won't have ter worry bout any more traps."
*Aramil pats him on the back again, and with a nod to his brother, he continues in line with the others, thinking about different things...
.oO(I need ter do somethin with all that money I got... maybe I can start up a smithy/temple or somethin...)
"It was made by some illiterate fool."replys the mage in response to Kywyn's question.
"The nearest grate. That is our objective now. Let's continue this way and exit as soon as possible, something may be found on the way, but I doubt it. In the morning we will return, at sunrise, and try again. We may perhaps need a more adiquate door knocker..."
He stops in his stride.
"Any of you may quit at any time of course.. Thus far we have destroyed all things we have faced, so revenge has been reached. I will, however, get through that door..."
He continues walking.
"No need for detailed searching now Boirin, if we pass something of note, then splendid. Otherwise, let us get out of this hole."
Kywyn keeps his eyes open as they go.
"Whatever is down here will have time to prepare... but I'd like to get out of here too," the raven-haired man says.
"But I am curious about what is so important behind that door. One more time... just to see what is there," he seems to be instructing himself.
His boot squishes in something soft.
"And then I don't think I want to come down here again."
"If we are leaving, I suppose this snake will have to go," he glances at Aramil who Kywyn supposes is getting hungry for something to hit.
"Are ye sure that ye want me ter kill it?"
*Oskar come's up behind Aramil and pats him on the shoulder, then he gets the words to a spell in his mind. Then when Aramil gets the answer he is going to use the spell after Aramil attacks the thing.
"Whoa, there," the man instructs.
"Let's wait until we are about to leave... and set up a good position because it will fight back."
*Oskar notices Aramil's reaction to this, he smiles, pats his brother on the shoulder and continues to follow the others in the back of hte group.
.oO(That brudder of mine is to ambitious aboot killin things... I wonder if that's a good er bad thing...)
(OOC: The assumption was correct.)
The group continues sloshing through the refuse of the city and as Boirin stops investigating every crack in the walls, they are able to move bit faster. After a dozen minutes of wading forth they come to a place where dim sun light is streaming down from a grate. As they are standing there, foot steps close the grate and a shadow appears to block the sunlight.
A few gallons of dirty water comes down from the grate and splashes on Boirin.
[Boirin is watered by water used to do laundry.]
"Well, I guess thats one step closer to being clean again. Shall we get out of this stink whole."
"Should we try to get up here?" he asks at the same time as the bearded rogue.
Kywyn nods and adds thinly, "Might need some force on the grate again."
He turns to Aramil to speak, "If you still want to dispatch the snake, maybe wait until whoever wants to go topside is up. You still feel up for it?"
"Killin the snake, er goin topside?"
Kywyn looks at the vertical exit.
"Let's see if we can even get out this way first."
"The climb can be slippery," he remembers his tumble the last time.
"Oskar, do you think you can open the grate?"
"Aye, but gettin up there might be a doozy... ye better let Aramil go up there, he's the better of the two of us at climbin."
*Aramil nods his head, then eyes the snake, he does not kill it yet, he wants to make sure that they can get out of here first. He gets out some climbing tools from his bag and goes over to the wall. He gives a final look around and begins to climb.
*Oskar sees Aramil begin his assent, but to make sure that he will be able to get the grate out he quickly goes over to his brother. He stops his assent, then with a few quick words, a flash of light, and a shiver of delight from Aramil, his strength grows faster then a blink of an eye. His muscle's become bigger now, and more defined. He smiles then goes back to climbing, after giveing an approving nod to Oskar.
[Climb +12]
When Aramil reaches the top, Kywyn asks, "Can you secure a rope?"
If the way is clear, he pauses until everyone is ready to try the climb. He waits so they can go one at a time to avoid knocking each other down should one of them slip. Despite the curious sights they have found down in the bowels of the city, or perhaps because of them, Kywyn looks forward to a breath of fresh air.
He needs the infinite sky above him now. The young man did not often think about it, but he needed it. He could dwell away from the sun in secret places others cannot reach, but being here in the sewers is like having all the worst elements of being underground compressed into a pungent block.
"IIIIEEE!!! SEWER MONSTERS!!!"
Several screams follow and dozens footsteps can be heard fleeing the area. One shadow approaches the grating, though. Pain flares in dwarf's hands when someone brings a shovel flatly on his hands, and he reflexively lets go and drops down.
"Stay down!"
[Aramil takes 1 point of nonlethal from the fall.[/i]
"Well we are either going to have to find another exit, keep moving forward, or camp in some dry place down here tonight."
Afterward, Kywyn looks up to the shadow at the grate.
"We are not staying down here overnight," Kywyn states.
It is starting to feel more like a coffin.
"There's the option of backtracking all the way to where we entered, I suppose."
He looks to Ulerian, "You wanted to keep this on the quiet side, right?"
"Yes Kywyn, certain ears my prick at the news of adventurers in the sewer. It will only take a few moment to go back to our grate, and there little danger of attack. We will not stay overnight here, no... This way.."
The mages turns slowly and leads the group back to the entrance grate they used before, unless something prevents this along the way...
He sends the snake ahead of them as they backtrack all the way to the entry grate.
"If you have the urge to destroy the snake, it's still down there," he says to Aramil, "Otherwise I guess it'll just wander around the tunnel."
"When do you want to try that door again?" Kywyn inquires with Ulerian.
"I need to get home and clean up," he adds quietly to himself.
"I will return at sunrise, two days from now. I must gather supplies. Any of you that wish to return, meet me as you did before, at Nobody's Inn.. Fare thee well."
The mage gives a casual half wave and turns away from the group, walking slowly with obvious thought on his mind.
To the Hightower
*To the SSAG*
"See you in two days, then," the voice is a ghost of his thoughts, his mind already moving on.
The grey-clad man stalks off out of the slums, keeping his eyes and ears receptive to potential hazards to avoid in this area of town.
"Must be a better way of getting past that door..."
---
[To Elsewhere]
and some new boots.
[to Elsewhere]
He picks out a piece of chalk from his bag and casts his aura protection. With syllables that seem made of whispers twisted into words against their wills, he draws his rune upon his old gloves.
---
[cast false life]
After the grate has been opened, Ulerian follows down into the sewer.
"We should be cautious around the door, something be have come to guard it."
"But if there are others, it'll be an option."
Back in the slums, Kywyn keeps his eyes casually searching for trouble as they prepare to descend.
"No surprise.. it'll be messy again," he thinks to himself.
"Same formation as before? And back to the hallway with the door?" Kywyn seeks to confirm.
When Boirin descends he keeps his eyes open for any signs of trouble.
*Aramil nods his head to Kywyn, then he turns to his brother and nods his head to him, clasping arms before they turn and settle into their formations.
*Oskar begins to head to the back, but when he passes Kywyn he gets a thought in his head.
"Just wondering, but did you figure out how you are going to open that door?"
"Ulerian doesn't want to break it, so we'll see what we can do," he says softly.
He mutters something into his collar.
"Keep alert."
A faint ranine croak replies.
[color=olive]"Be ready to jump."[/color]
The mage speaks his request as they slosh along. He has gotten a sunrod out and strikes it, luminating the tunnel.
.oO(Ulerian is hiding something, if there is really something that bad down here, do we really want to go stirring it? Maybe this necromancer will be more than anyone in town can handle. Damn, these deaders, I don't like things that don't mind when you stab 'em through the spleen and neck and heart.)
The slender man in grey clenches and unclenches his hands a few times.
"Any reason it's open this time when it closed itself the last time we came back?"
Ulerian follows the scout and strong arm with the sunrod held aloft.
The pit is still open.
Ulerian begins chanting and casts a spell. He surveys everything they have discovered so far aside from the bottom of the pit.
{Casts Detect Secret Doors}
"Same problem, then," he says quietly.
The young man watches as Ulerian casts his spell.
*Aramil adds this and winks at Kywyn once he is done. Oskar smiles at his brother's comment, but something in the back of his mind stirrs and he gets ride of the smile. He puts on a stern expression and looks around for any signs of any monsters or more of the undead creatures.
Boirin considers the pit and draws the same conclusions as last time.
As Ulerian is doing concentrating on detecting, Boirin hears someone casting somewhere a spell. He can't say from what direction the voice comes from, but it isn't anywhere near them.
"Guys someone is casting a spell. Its nowhere near us! What is happening mages!"
"What do you mean no where near us? It'll be hard to see any auras then."
He checks with Ulerian to see if the wizard has found anything.
"If we still have no way to breach the pit, this is a dead end for now..." Kywyn looks to his companions.
"If there is someone working enchantments down here, I think we'd better move... back closer to the entry or to check the sounds, depending on our goals."
Kywyn strains his ears in vain, attempting to hear what their scout has detected.
"Can you follow the sounds, Boirin? Whichever way we go, it'd be good to know where this other source is."
"I agree with Kywyn, we either need ter find this mage er high tail it outa here."
*Aramil nods his head to his brother's reaction.
"Aye, though I'd rather go and hunt the little brat down right now that run away like a sissy gnome."
*Aramil winks at his brother and pats him on the shoulder. They exchange looks and then wait for the others to decide their next plan of action.
”I found something…”
"Otherwise, we should go."
Kywyn glances at the others, seeing if and how they want to move out.
"Think you'll hear it any better in the tunnel?" he questions Boirin, "Maybe if it's echoing in the passages. A direction would really help."
The mages tone is absent, but hinting of annoyed. He continues his scan of the second room.
"Can you repeat what you're hearing, Boirin? Maybe it'll mean something to Ulerian or I?"
Kywyn starts to edge toward the door that opens into the sewers, stopping at the side.
"We should go carefully... I could use my aura sight when we are in the tunnel to check for any new magics."
"I'd say we head in the direction of the exit grate but keep an eye out for anything suspicious. If we find something, we can investigate, if not, we'll be closer to the exit."
He looks back to the corridor where Ulerian is searching.
"Unless there's anything promising left here."
The mage says as he turns and walks slowly back to his companions. He walks over to the hidden latch and opens/turn/activates it if possible.
"First I want to see the effect."
"If we stay here, whatever's out there has time to block us in. This is its territory."
He observes the wizard in adventurer's garb toy with the device, a feeling of suspicion for this place settling into Kywyn's mind. Too many unknown factors, others are at work as they speak, and they need to secure a position other than this dead-end catacomb.
"We can check for things while we move, but there isn't much incentive to stay here if we can't bypass the obstacles."
The dull-garbed man's gaze is briefly drawn back to toward the mysterious locked door blocked by the pit. It occurs to Kywyn that maybe some doors weren't meant to be opened, though it is natural to him to seek to open them, to make connections where there may none. Maybe this one is locked from the inside for a reason. The whispers in the dark have put Kywyn on edge, though his face is hard to read.
"I'd say we need to find a way forward or bloody well get out and stay out. Moving to the exit with the intention of going forward seems counter-productive to me."
"Yes, if this proves to do nothing, then we shall leave.. for good."
He waits to see if the others are actually moving before following.
"Perhaps this will reset the latch to the trap door?"
After the door opens he inspects the next door/trap
The door separating the first room from the corridor appears to be plain door with such unusual means of opening it as a handle. Inspection of the open pit and its surroundings doesn't reveal any special catches or levers.
While Ulerian is doing his inspection, Boirin thinks he hears someone talking somewhere far away.
"I found nothing.. Shall we?"
He keeps his hand on the old bag hanging from his shoulder, feeling for the small vials which hold some components for focusing his powers.
He tries to move closer to the sound and listens carefully.
Boirin is caught as well by the fog, as it spreads out of the corridor, and also starts to retch.
Kywyn recognizes the effect of the spell to be of similar to the earlier fog.
[Ulerian and Boirin are nauseated. (Can't attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or anything requiring attention. Only action they can take is single move action per round.)
Map. The greenish area represents the spread of the fog. (Sorry for the bad quality of the map, but currently I can't access the earlier maps as they are on the other computer.)
Initiative
Oskar 23
Aramil 22
Kywyn 21
Boirin 8
Ulerian 7
"Move to one side if you can, Boirin," Kywyn says to the coughing man.
Delaying to give Boirin time to move, the raven-haired man swiftly skips back to the corner of the room so he can keep an eye on the situation.
He turns to draw lines on the stone wall with his finger. Sweeping markes describe a whirlwind. It seems logical enough, a wind to blow away the noxious fog as before. Kywyn just hopes it works again, unsure of the mercurial of the shadowstuff.
A thought creeps into his mind through the concentration, "Where is the caster?"
"Watch the door," Kywyn mentions to the dwarves.
---
[Move back to corner behind Aramil's square, cast shadow conjuration (summon monster III) for small air elemental - try to get it to blow away fog out of room as before (not sure if fog counts as an object and only has 20% chance of being affected)]
[ooc:Take a five foot move out of the way, puke]
OOC: do not wait for my actions, unless something changes they will remain the same for how every many rounds he is sick.
"Do ye have any way of gettin ride o' this stuff?"
He looks around the chamber as if remembering bits of a half-forgotten memory, as if he is about to speak to someone he knew long ago. But the face and hands of the figure he imagines are nothing but the shadows in the corner of the room and the sharp angle of the light against the stone. Two golden points of glitter mark Hex's eyes spying from Kywyn's satchel. The black frog chirps once.
Out of the darkness rises Kywyn's shadowy elemental.
"Watch for the caster... he might be invisible or..." the gauntleted human runs through the options, "Maybe he's in the tunnel or even down in the pit. More harmful spells may follow."
Kywyn and dwarven duo delay until they've seen Boirin to stumble out of the fog and then take their places at the corner. The fog is solid and they can see only couple of feet into it.
The small shadowy elemental appears in front of the dwarves and Oskar sees that it is only an illusion of shadows. Kywyn tries to get the elemental to blow the fog away but his commands seem to fall to deaf ears.
In the corridor Ulerian crawls forward and has only progressed few feet when a pair of thin feet covered with scraps of cloth appear to his view. He is seized by terrible fear and finds himself unable to move any more. He faintly hears a dry old voice say nearby. (Others don't hear this speech.)
"Oh, looky what we have here. Tee hee hee."
Then the person casts a spell and Ulerian is engulfed in searing flames that burn his skin and set aflame most of his clothes and whatever flammable possessions he has. With a pair of steps the person walks over Ulerian.
[Boirin is nauseated for 5 more rounds. Ulerian is still nauseated and now in addition paralyzed for 3 rounds. He also takes 14 points of Fire damage and has his clothes set aflame.
Map. The 'C' represents the Shadow Elemental.
Revised Initiative due to delayings etc.
Boirin 8
Kywyn 8
Elemental 8
Aramil 8
Oskar 8
Ulerian 7
Enemy 7
]
He makes circles with his hand, trying to get the wind being to spin before turning to Aramil.
"Not so lucky this time, We'll have to deal with the fog while it lasts. We can back out into the tunnel at least..."
Peering at the grotesque fumes, Kywyn sees Boirin but not their chief explorer.
"Ulerian still not out? What's going on?"
Expecting the enemy to make itself known sooner or later, Kywyn reaches into his satchel, fingering for one of the wands within in case more illusions can help them out.
---
[Try to gesture to the elemental]
"Not much, but lemme give it another try. Oskar will help out too."
*With that Oskar turns his head to his brother and nods it. Then together they peer down the corridor to see if they can see anything or anyone.
Kywyn motions wildly to the elemental but all he gets is to make the elemental to turn 180 degrees and then back and move a bit towards Kywyn. Meanwhile the dwarven bros peer into the fog but it's as solid as before.
In the corridor Ulerian can't do anything as the person snickers and then with great force slams something to mage's back. For fleeting moment, before his consciousness fades away, Ulerian feels perhaps a hand thrusting through his clothes and skin and pulverize his internal organs.
Others can hear some faint laughter from the corridor.
[Boirin is still nauseated, 4 rounds to recovery. Ulerian's removed from the fight and needs attention of a powerful cleric to come back to this world.
Map.
"Ulerian?" he ponders.
How long has the mage been alone in the fog? Half a minute? Why hasn't he stumbled out yet?
"We got to think of a way to get him out of there," he mentions to the dwarfs.
Kywyn thinks back to the last time they encountered this miasma, "I know that mist is too much for me."
He frowns slightly.
"Any good at holding your breath? We should grab him and get back into the tunnel."
"Why laughter?... Not his? Something's wrong."
Kywyn's gloved hand grasps the air at his side as he utters words and his eyes take on a golden hue for a moment. The dark tentacle curls up his right arm, a precaution.
---
[cast spectral hand]
*With that Aramil takes a couple deap breaths to get used to it, then he calms himself down. He grips his axe and shield, and with the last deep breath he plunges into the smog and moves forward, hoping to find Ulerian, through the dense smog.
"Can't help you if we can't see you."
The human's eyes scan from one end of the subterranean chamber to the other, wondering who is doing this conjuring.
A searing lightning stabs out of fog and burns him. He is able to avoid most of the lightning, though, and so isn't too shaken by it. The same lightning also flashes to the room where Kywyn, Boirin and Oskar are. Of them, the lightning catches Oskar and the elemental Kywyn had summoned.
Oskar isn't as quick as his brother in jumping away from lightning's path and is almost thrown to his back by it. The elemental seems to just fade away with the lightning strike.
Recovering from the lightning, Aramil hears snickering and footsteps from the fog. He hasn't seen any sign of Ulerian yet.
[Aramil takes 9 points of Electric damage, Oskar takes 19 points of Electric damage and the elemental is killed.
Map.]
Kywyn backs up against the corner as he sees his summoned creature disappear. He figures the attack finally reveals the direction of at least one spellcaster.
"In the fog," Kywyn takes a more defensive stance.
"Back up, Aramil..." the black-haired man thinks to himself, not wanting to give anything away to their harrier.
Without a target, Kywyn holds out his open hands into a catching pose, the Hex Tongue tracing the path of his hand. Other syllables spill over from his mouth, whispers turning into sound. He tightens the perimeter of his body's energy field, creating a stronger aura.
Kywyn does a quick visual check to see if Oskar is still standing.
"Be ready to fall back," he whispers to the cleric, "We can't do much with the fog there."
---
[cast shield]
"Are ye alright me brudder?"
"What do ye think, I just got me butt kicked by a durned lightnin bolt.... of course I'm hurtin....."
*Oskar gives his brother a stern look, but reluctantly sits down to regroup. After a moment's time he clears his thoughts and forgives his brother for being angry at him. He takes out his wand and uses it 3 times to heal his wounds, then waits for Kywyn to unveal his plan on saving Ulerian.
[ooc: Use 3 charges from the CLW wand on Oskar]
[Oskar is healed 15 points of damage. (Previous damage was edited before this, so he's quite well now.) 3 rounds passes while Oskar heals himself.
Map.
As they notice the figure, they are all beset by utter despair and all but Oskar find themselves unable to move. The figure has wrappings covering his skin wherever anything is visible beyond threadbare robes of dark color. A dry voice speaks.
"Oh, here's a whole troupe of you. How quiant."
[False Life, Shield and Spectral Hand are dispelled from Kywyn. Kywyn is paralysed for 4 rounds, Boirin for 1 round and Aramil for 4 rounds.
Same initiative as before.
Map.
"Ye aren't going ter hurt any more of us now, cause ye are going ter die by me hand, I can promise ye that. I shall do everything in me power ter smite ye down fer what yer doin, ye probably killed Ulerian to didn't ye? Well if ye did then I'm goin ter have ter pay ye back fer that. Now prepare ter die ye scum!"
*With that Oskar's eyes glow white and his hands start to glow and give off a shiny white light. He takes his axe in his hand and with a few quick gestures and some celestial words he makes an exact duplicate of his axe, except this one takes on a more celestial and magic form. He lets it float out in front of him, willing it to attack the beast.
[ooc: Cast Spiritual Weapon, and then have it attack if possible]
"Kheh. Go home, dwarf. Why, I am he of whom you speak."
In response he concentrates for a moment and aims his fist to Aramil's face. The frail looks like there wouldn't be anything in it to deliver a punch. There is a sickening crunch of bone and the dwarf warrior slowly keels over from the force of the strike - his nose brutally mutilated. Aramil feels the awful force of the blow and then everything goes black for him.
[Aramil is removed from the combat. Boirin can act again.
Map. The 'S' signifies the position of Oskar's spiritual weapon.
"Oh now yer askin fer it, ye just did that ter me brudder. Prepare to meet Agathalos's servant, me...."
*With that Oskar punches his fist up in the air and starts mumbling some words, he closes his eyes and continues chanting. As he does so his hand starts to pulse white, and the pulseing continues gaining speed until eventually it becomes so bright that it hurts the eyes to look upon. Oskar opens his eyes and yells the final word, throwing the white light directly at the mage, hitting him in the chest. Then after that he wills his spiritual weapon to attack the mage again.
[ooc: Attack with Spiritual Weapon, and cast Searing Light on the mage.]
Kywyn can only barely think as he spies the form step out of the mist. The image defied logic; something like that should be confined to the nightmares of madmen. He should know... He thinks he’s probably touched upon that track once or twice.
The scene struck him like a lead weight.
And it isn’t the disturbing yet soothing sound of the sewer water in the tunnel right behind him, taunting with a possible escape. It isn’t the fact that he can no longer move his legs or arms. It isn’t the bitter smell that wafted up to burn his nostrils.
It’s the throbbing behind his eyes. It’s the inkling that he let it pass him by, though he tried not to, and the realization that he won’t have another chance to tell her something simple and receive a knowing smile in reply. Or the little one, to tell him to find a way to continue, to convince him this isn’t the end. It is finally understanding you’ll always be in the middle of something when your time comes...
“I want you to be free,” the human finds himself needing to speak to someone, “I’ll see you again... In that quiet house with the forgotten key... It’s a dream I’ve had…”
Despair like an oldest friend wraps her gaunt fingers around Kywyn’s heart. It is an artist’s hand unable to reach for the vision. And in a way, it seeks to give Kywyn peace, or at least nepenthe, it asks him to let go.
He doesn’t know. He doesn’t feel finished, but who’s to say?
He pictures his truelove and child first, then all the shadowy loose threads of the future disintegrating into darkness.
For a second, the gray-clad man believes he can hear the noiseless cries. It sounds like children trying not to weep. It sounds like a nod and a smile when what you need is an embrace. It sounds like sadness. Kywyn realizes it’s the bubble of noise fighting to escape his own throat.
Only fear can hold you back. Fear will be your end. Guess they were right.
Damn.
[dwarven]"Friends pull back if you can if I can get behind him while you distract him maybe I can put me sword through his heart..."
then muttering,
"...that'll work great if hes alive."
[ooc: Boirin waits to get into a position where he can flank the bad-boy. While he waits he loads a the light crossbow.]
Boirin starts to load his small crossbow and disregards the enemy by him. For this distraction he earns an ineffectual swing from the enemy that doesn't connect anything.
This, though, makes the enemy to take notice of Boirin and saying words of a spell, he places his hand on Boirin's arm and suddenly the rogue feels himself clumsier and weaker.
[Boirin takes -4 penalty to attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks.
Because of the popular demand, their status:
Boirin - 34/34 - somewhat clumsier now
Kywyn - 32/32 - paralysed for 2 more rounds
Oskar - 38/42 - quite fine otherwise
Same map as before as no one moved.]
*Oskar looks down at his hands and notice something, his axe. He shrugs and mutters something to himself, "couldn't hurt...". So he recalls the words of yet another spell and recites those words. Soon enough the faint glow emits from his body this time as a divine blessing washes over him. Oskar smirks now, feeling more in tune with Agathalos than before. Yet again he orders the axe to attack the mage, hoping that it just might work this time.
[ooc: Attack with the Spiritual Weapon, cast Divine Favor on Oskar]
[attack with shortsword, +2 to hit (+6-4)]
Somewhere inside, his will is trying hard to break free of his deep depression. His mind prods him in bursts, pushing to get him to wake up.
"They still need you..."
"Need to form an escape..."
"If we can't out fight, at least need a way to out run..."
"The sewer muck will slow us down... keep us in range of his casting"
"Think..."
On the background the fog from the corridor slowly starts to dissipate.
The dwarf casts his spell and feels the power to flow in him.
The opponent strides forward not caring of either Boirin or Oskar, and while both of them try to swing at him their strikes don't score hits. Stopping in front of Kywyn, the sorcerer can't but stare at the withered face of the enemy.
"Bit of stiff, isn't it."
And then he seemingly somewhat half-heartedly punches Kywyn to stomach. He snickers a bit at the immobile sorcerer.
[Kywyn takes 1 point of damage.
Map.
"Oskar can you use Aramil's axe? Maybe that will work better."
Kywyn instinctively wills his Avowed tattoo into presence over his eye. The symbol is the only way his body has left of communicating. The curved horn joined with a pointed tear is a black arcane mark desperately endeavoring to convey something.
“Wonder what I’m trying to say…” Kywyn thinks as he observes the incident.
Fear has either left him or consumed him, he cannot tell which.
“I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid…” the throbbing in his head tries to say, and for the time being, he believes it.
Meanwhile, Hex crawls forth from his hiding place in Kywyn’s satchel, feeling the dread gloom through their link. Knowing they are finished here anyway, the ebony frog attempts to launch forward, trying to surprise or distract the evil thing, trying to tell it the group has something to impart if the slaughter is halted. Of course, for a frog spirit, this message is most probably lost in the motion.
---
[Will Avowed tattoo on as mental action if possible. If Hex can act, tries to distract the enemy.]
"Now.... Kywyn.... help.... us...."
[ooc: Grapple the mage and tackle him to the ground.]
Boirin shoots his bolt but it goes wide of the target, hitting just a wall. Hex's efforts to hop around go unnoticed by all.
The floating axe swings again, but remains ineffective. Oskar charges forward his arms wide and tries to hug the enemy. The opponent swats at the dwarf but can't interrupt the rush. Oskar wraps his arms around the enemy but is unable to find good handholds and just slides down.
"Fool."
The enemy takes a moment to concentrate and then slams his fist to Kywyn's chest. The strike doesn't look so much, but Kywyn feels something to give inside him, cracking to pieces. Something breaks inside him and his heart falters. The horribly grinning face looms at his sight. And then there is nothing more.
A fraction of a second later, Kywyn goes limp and drops.
[Kywyn is removed from the fight.
Map.]
There's the splotch of black where he decided to leave his northern homeland to seek out others like him. And there's the slight branch in the line when he was almost too afraid to tell NaShae how he felt. And there is a beautiful little spot of ink where he found a real family of his own, a son, the thought still amazes Kywyn.
"Oh."
"I see..."
"You'll be..."
Never again here and now, but still... it's there. Get lost in the details until you are finished and can step back to see the whole page.
"Perfect."
He releases his parting thoughts into the ether, through the communion link with NaShae so she would understand. There is nothing but love in the pulse, he'll always be with her and him. They would all understand, sooner or later.
He almost smiles.
---
Dejected, Hex jumps to the safety of the tunnel and the sewer water to watch the rest of the battle unfold. Two gold eyes blink in the darkness. Two brown and sometimes gold eyes close for good.
Then it hits him. So dry, such old crackling dryness. Pulling out a vial of oil he rushes the mage. He trys to spill the oil over the thing. His lantern picked up he prepairs to light him aflame.
"Oskar get out of here. Get help, come back with the light of Thalos and save us from the dark."
His words directed towards the mage he curses him.
"If I cannot die under the sun than I will make you my candle."
[ooc: Use the oil to cover the lich. Use lantern unhooded to light him]
[dwarven]"I'm sorry me friend, but ye know as well as I do that I would never let ye down here ter face yer death by yerself. Now, let us as one, fight as dwarven brethern and take revenge upon this evil man who killed our friends."
*Oskar smiles at Boirin. He knows that this will probably be his last action ever in his life, but it does not matter any more.... There is nothing left to fight for in his life. He failed defending someone else, he failed defending his brother. He failed at not being powerful enough to raise his brother from the dead, in his eyes, he has become a failure. He just hopes, with possibly his last breath that perhaps he will be able to see his brother once again in the light of Agathalos...
*Oskar takes his axe in hand and charges at the mage, hoping to end this all right now, for him or for the rest of the party.
"Agathalos the Lightbringer, if ever there was a time I could need ye more, it would be right now! Grant me yer strength!"
*With that Oskar rushes axe first at the mage giving into the ultimate sacrifice any dwarf would be honored to make.
He hits.
The axe sinks into enemy's thigh.
Perhaps an inch and half.
And the enemy shakes his head.
"You really are useless, dwarf."
Then he casts a spell, but paying also some attention to the pair. A flashing and sparkling ray springs forth and hits Oskar to chest. The dwarf feels his limbs strength to fade away.
[Oskar takes -7 to Strength.]
[ooc: Can I try that now?]
[ooc: Searing light targeted at the mage]
This indeed get's the enemy's and he quickly rattles off his own spell which causes five small bolts of energy to hammer into Oskar's chest.
[Oskar takes 18 points of damage.]
[dwarven]"Oskar do it again!"[/dwarven]
For his own part he pulls out another vial of oil and proceeds to try and drench the lich in it again.
[ooc:If I could quick draw the vial that would be nice then cover in oil.]
Oskar growls at the monster that took his brother:"Thalos is my god and he has not abandoned me!"
Oskar calls on his bestowed power and most of the weariness from earier is washed away. He brings for a light glow to his hand via a spell and attemps to slap the monster with a positively charged jolt.
{ OOC posting for Aramil by request.Free Action +6 Strength, Spont-Casts 3rd level cure spell and will touch attack. BTW, do we get AoO when it casts spells, like it does on us?}
Feeling his strength to return for a moment, Oskar says the prayer to call Agathalos' power and grabs enemy's left wrist. The opponent hisses as his hand blackens and steams from spell's power.
He yanks his hand free and with some shielding of his movements rattles off another spell. This results 5 more small bolts of force hammering themselves to Oskar's chest.
[Oskar takes 13 points of damage.
Situation
Boirin - 34/34, but clumsy and shaky as before
Oskar 7/42, and weak
Yes, of course. They have been rolled whenever there's been need to.]
"Boirin, yee know he's gettin' weak. Light him!"Oksar shows deterimation and confidence in his voice and even winks at the creature.
"Yeh've got little time left old one, and Thalos is gonna burn you soon enough!"
{2nd Lvl Cure on Oskar}
The enemy says words of a spell and throws a pinch of powder to air. Immediately after that Boirin and Oskar are covered by a cloud of glittering particles which makes seeing difficult. Boirin retains his vision but Oskar can't see anymore.
[Oskar is healed 11 points and Blinded.]
He turns around, the sword isn't working. How is he going to hurt the thing? Aramil's Axe! Boirin backs away from the lich, and rushes over to Aramil's corpse. Dropping his shortsword in the muck, he picks up Aramil's Waraxe. Then looking at the lich he, the fear begins to well up inside of him, the terror. The walls start to close, he becomes light headed, the scars that lace his back ache dully. To Boirin the enemy he fights now and those he fought years ago begin to merge together, not only is the lich old a withering in its flames, but it is also Taskmaster Grath, the orc with the wip. Hefting the axe he charges the lich swing wildly with the enchanted axe, hoping to distract the mage. He whispers to the axe.
[dwarven]"You master fell, but now you have a chance to sate your thirst for vengance, strike true."[/dwarven]
[OoC: Feignt with the axe, +11 to bluff. For AoO Boirin's bonus is -1 (+5 BAB, +1 Str, +1 magic, -4 cursed, -4 proficiency penelty)]
Oskar rattles off his spell and feels his pain to subside.
The enemy then slams his fist to Oskar, jolting the dwarf but there is not enough power in the strike to cause actual damage to him.
Boirin moves over to get the axe, but can't do more than get it in this turn. He takes 6 points of damage and 1 of nonlethal. Oskar is healed 11 points and then takes 2 points of nonlethal damage.
Oh, and updated Map.
"Yer to close to miss, I know it! Boirin where is he?"
{2md lvl cure again, touch attack.}
.oO(Damn that thing packs a punch.)
Shruging his shoulders against the hurt, he feignts with the axe.
[dwarven]"He's right in front of you Oskar, just reach out!"[/dwarven]
The dwarf thrusts out his hand but doesn't connect anything.
For his part the enemy rattles of a spell and is wreathed in green flames.
[The sewage hinders your movements so it takes more to move, and thus all you could achieve last round was to get the axe. Feinting happened on this round then. And Quick Draw helps with drawing weapons you have on your person, not groping around in muck to find an axe and pick it up.
Oskar takes first 3 points of damage and 3 nonlethal. This leaves him at 26/42 with 5 points of nonlethal.
[OoC: Swing -1, 1d10+2]
[Oskar takes 12 points of Cold damage.]
But there is no effect. No healing.
In response to Boirin's swing, the enemy tries to swipe him but the rogue is able to dodge it.
[Map, again.]
"Boirin, get the magic arrows, Aramil has magic arrows! I'm done for. Get the arrows and use them until I fall, then run!"
{Highest Level Cure}
"Arrhh..."
The enemy hisses but then grins as the dwarf falls down unconscious. Turning on the rogue he swings but misses.
[Oskar takes 14 points of Cold damage, this drops him to 0/42 with 5 points of nonlethal damage, this in turn drops him unconscious.]
"I will return."
[Run away, as fast as posible heading for the entrance.]
[Boirin takes 3 points of Con damage and 5 points of Cha damage. this drops him to 14/20. The -4 to Attack, saces, etc. stays. You're free to run where you want.]
“I-I don’t get it. I… can’t feel you… Guo-guo.”
Tiny gold eyes watch on as the bearded man flees through the muck.
“I didn’t see this.”
The frog familiar floats somewhere among the murky waters. What becomes of an orphaned shadow when its caster vanishes?
The black amphibian strokes around in a circle, not seeing in the dark.
It only took him a moment to sense the danger. He was fast enough, he saved him… He had the insight, he always has the insight.
No, the frog is in shock.
What is it that binds a man to his destiny? Ignorance? Fear? Hope? Or is it something else – something deeper? If you break that bond, are you free to choose your own path, or are you just floating without a lifeline?
Only questions now.
Will he just become a mundane beast, Hex wonders, slowly dulled in wit until he is caught by a hungry bird or snake?
Hex swims. It doesn’t matter much at the moment.
The eyes are positioned atop the frog’s head so that its peripheral vision covers a wide angle, allowing them to the side as well behind. However, a frog’s visual world, both in hunting and escaping, is based on motion. One could possibly starve to death surrounded by food if the sustenance is not moving.