Even though the Professor has no idea what the creature is, or how to speak its language, he is able to magically reduce the thing to gales and fits of howling laughter as it drops to the floor, racked by merciless mirth. Its creepy laugh will likely haunt your dreams for years to come...
Mus'ad is surprised when he sees the creature fall into fits of dusty laughter... but recovers to discard his shield and attempt a two handed powersmash with his warhammer...
Flanking vs Prone Hammer: for
Pherenike plunges her spear into the prone monster, which does nothing to diminish its ghastly laughing. Just as Myron did, she finds the flesh tough and extremely sticky and her weapon lacks its usual deadliness against it.
Mindful of what spells she still has prepared, and how useful they may be against the undead, the musetouched elf repeats the same short arcane phrase and flicks her wrist, sending another glob of acid at the prone mummy-thing.
Not keen on losing any more weapons, Myron steps back and pulls out one of his borrowed fire flasks.
"Stand clear, Mus'ad! Let's see how well those bandages burn."
Kheled casts Guidance on Pherenike again.
I hope to be or real assistance at some point...
Mus'ad follows through with his attack before stepping backwards.
Myron calls for everyone to stand clear as he readies a fiery gift for the creature.
Elrisiel splashes the monster with acid as Mus'ad tries to quiet the monster's incessant laughter permanently. His hammer fails to connect though, as the creature flips and flops upon the ground, caught in the throes of the laughter spell. He then steps back to give Myron the space he needs to hurl his flask as Kheled bolster's Pherenike once more.
Myron throws his flask, but his aim is off...
... and he misses right, engulfing the steps of the altar in fire. A few droplets of burning liquid splash upon the thrashing monster.
Just after Myron's throw, the creature gets itself together and shakes off the magic compelling it to laugh.
It growls at you in the mysterious language but none of you can understand it...
Happy that his enchantment had at least, bought his allies time to press the attack; and to put the monster on its back, Ahkenaten was inspired. A conservative man by nature, he put to work an even more primitive enchantment spell, hoping to buy more time for his trusted partners to slay the dangerous, mummy-like monster.
Stepping back into the position he just momentarily vacated, Mus'ad tries to bring his hammer down in a crude swipe...
2H Hammer vs Prone: for
Reflex:
Myron steps back up, and slashes with his remaining kukri.
The creature shakes off Aristedes attempt to stupefy it.
Pherenike steps down and smashes the thing with her newly acquired flail but it was now obvious that the creatures sticky and tough hide is resistant to blows of any kind.
And just like her spear, the flail is stuck fast after the blow lands.
El flings another blob of acid at the now-prone mummy-thing.
Kheled casts Guidance on Pherenike again.
Elrisiel lands another blob of acid upon the monster from her position on the stairs.
Mus'ad steps in a brings his hammer down but as before the blow is less effective than one would hope.
Kheled places another blessing upon Pherenike as Myron slashes at the thing. Although his weapon makes contact, he deals no wound to the creature.
Confidant in its own durability, the Adherer scrambles to its feet in spite of being surrounded. It then swings a fist at Pherenike...
...catching her squarely in the jaw. The solid blow almost enough to dislodge some of her teeth.
The Adherer then uses its sticky hand to grab Pherenike by the throat and laugh again, this time in a sinister way, as it tightens its grip upon her.
Flanking AoO: for
Reflex:
Flanking Hammer: for
Reflex:
Mus'ad thumps the adherer ineffectually as it rises, before a more powerful strike manages to at least damage the thing as it grips Pherenike... even if it does swallow his hammer as it does. Letting go, Mus'ad draws his dwarfish waraxe to replace it.
Moving to get a clear shot while the thing was clutching his protector, Aristedes levelled his crossbow directly at the back of the monster's head and loosed a bolt.
Aristedes attempts to get around the melee and into position to fire his crossbow, assuming the monster to have its hands full with Pherenike, but is surprised when the creature swings a fist at him as he moves past Mus'ad...
...but the blow is late and fails to connect. Climbing the side of the altar area, he lets his bolt go. Once again the monster shrugs off the attack and seems to be unhindered by its grip upon Pherenike.
Pherenike struggles against the sticky grip of the thing, but cannot wrench herself clear.
The musetouched elf incants a short phrase and her signet ring briefly takes on a faint glimmer. She jabs her hand at the mummy-like creature and a jade dart of magical force cuts into him ().
Kheled shifts up 5' near Pherenike and casts a healing spell upon her.
Don't worry, I won't let this thing really hurt you!
Myron grabs his sling staff and jabs at the monster, intent on helping Pherenike break free.
Elrisiel's spell fizzles against the durable creature but Mus'ad pummels it with his hammer while Kheled pours divine healing into the stricken Pherenike. Mus'ad's hammer sticks fast like so many of your other weapons, drawing his ax to replace it. Myron does his best to help Pherenike break free of the monster's grip.
Your foe hesitates for a moment, clearly hurting now. Howling in anger it releases Pherenike and bolts up the stairs, weaving past those in its way and makes for the surface, taking your numerous weapons with it.
Elrisiel is caught off-guard as the adherer charges past her. Staff in hand, she attempts to trip it (or at least smack it in the leg) but was too slow, and the staff only caught air in the creature's wake.
As the creature makes to flee, Mus'ad buries his axe in it's back...
AoO: for
Reflex:
Mus'ad stops the creature from fleeing, dropping it with an axe in the back before it even reaches the second step.
Moving to the fallen creature, Mus'ad puts his foot on it's back to wrench free his axe... managing to do so but unfortunately losing his balance as his boot adheres to the dead one. He collapses in a heap of dwarvish expletives.
Aristedes spent a few minutes taking notes and inspecting the creature's corpse in detail.
"Whatever it was... I do not wish to face such a thing once again without knowing more about it. I will research it and have an answer for us before our next delve."
After retriving his own weapons, Myron scribbles down an account of the battle in his journal, comparing notes with the professor. He then moves on to inspecting the chamber closer.
Weapons are retrieved, the corpse is examined and notes made while the group catches their breathe once more.
The shrine itself seems perfectly normal, although the stench of death hangs over the room. Not ancient death mind you, but more recent death. Although you find no remains, you suspect more than a few have met a grisly fate here at the hands of the Adherer.
Another staircase, this one much narrower, requiring single file, descends further down into darkness on the other side of the room.
Standing at the top of the stairs, Mus'ad can see they descend for roughly 20' before entering another chamber. He can make out a long stone table resting against the western wall, flanked by two large brass urns.
Mus'ad carefully moves forward with shield and hammer to hand, having stowed his axe.
The halo over her head still radiating light, Elrisiel examines the shrine cursorily, then follows after Mus'ad down the stairs.
Myron follows close behind Mus'ad down the stairs.
As the party descends the stairs behind Mus'ad, he abruptly halts as he begins to place his foot on the bottom step. Trap! is all he says as he waves the rest of you back up the stairs a few steps. Crouching down he examines the stair in question, and satisfied he has not triggered it, he lets everyone know to step over the last tread.
Skipping the bottom step reveal the chamber. The air here is cool. The walls and ceilings are tiled with stone, but the floor is hard-packed earth, giving the area an unfinished quality. A long stone table rests against the western wall, flanked by two large brass urns. Two passages, lead north and east out of the room.
Moving as a group, you make your way around the crypt. An earthy scent fills the large room. The ceiling and walls are tiled with stone, but the ground is bare earth. Stone benches are set against the east and west walls, and torch holders are mounted in the corners and on either side of a wide doorway. The beginnings of several shallow, rough passages have been started along the eastern wall and in the southwest corner, but the excavations are incomplete, ending in earth and rubble after only a few feet. At the south end of the room, a short, wide flight of steps descends to a set of stone double doors.
Mus'ad checks the doors and finds them unlocked and without trap. Pushing open the doors reveals a stone sarcophagus resting atop a stone platform occupying the southern end of this room. The lid of the sarcophagus bears the likeness of a man and is inlaid with gemstones and trimmed in gold. Two lacquered benches run parallel to the east and west walls just north of the platform. Hieroglyphs line the walls of the chamber, and stone torch holders are set in all four corners.
Grimacing at the confines of the tomb, Mus'ad wonders if the Pharasmites really understood what they were getting themselves into. To send out the sort of explorers that would think little of prising each and every gemstone set in the sarcophagus' face for profit. He looks to the heiroglyphs before turning expectantly to those of academic bent... waiting to see if they are able to decipher their meanings.