Addie nods in agreement with Morghrim's assessment, and keeps a wary eye on the glaive as Valeron inspects it.
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Valeron studies the glaive for a bit, but is still unable to provide more information than Addie.
As the group moves down the hall, you see numerous other closed cell doors. Peering inside the cells through the small barred windows, you see the mortal remains of prisoners of the past.
One cell door remains open . Unlike the other cells there is no occupant or remains present. The thought comes to your mind of the elven man's remains you saw upon first entering the knot.
Approximately halfway down the hall, other hallways branch off to the right and left. The hallway turns to the right at the far end.
The Iomedan returns to the rest of the group swiftly once he discovers the hallway has no practical purpose that he can discern.
"Well, Morghrim. It looks like there's one way left, unless we want to leap back across the silo."
I wonder if what we seek would really be hidden behind a cell block. It feels unlikely, but whoever designed The Knot probably didn't operate with the same sensibilities we do.
Valeron offers to lead the way down the other hallway if the dwarf doesn't wish to.
Morghrim leads on.
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Morghrim leads the way down the hallway, occasionally stepping aside for Kevorin to check a door or two for traps. Satisfied by the half-orc's appraisal of the trap situation, the party moves on, arriving at the entrance of a large chamber.
The domed ceiling above this large chamber sags, with long mildewy strips of wood paneling hanging down from above like drooping branches. A large pool of churning muddy water fills much of the room, flowing down a trough further into the room between a pair of slippery stairs to gather in a smaller pool beyond. Dozens of bones lie scattered along the five-foot-wide ledge that surrounds the pool.
Valeron stands on his toes to peer past the others, his eyes taking in the bones around the muddy pool.
"Well, you just know something big and bad is lurking ahead..."
Valeron quickly casts Shield of Faith on Kevorin, followed by Protection from Evil on himself.
"Shall we?"
Morghrim's own spell mirrors Valerons as he applies his own divine shield, clutching Shelyn's Kiss tightly.
Morghrim's own spell mirrors Valerons as he applies his own divine shield, clutching Shelyn's Kiss tightly and feeling nervous even encased in his full platemail armour...
"There is always that other branch of the corridor..."
"It seems we're living lives like those told in fables... in we walk into the monster's lair riddled with bones, no doubt to find out prize."
Valeron's words almost seem to be himself working to muster up his own personal courage to delve deeper into the room.
He keeps his back to the outer wall, stays facing the middle pool at all times and cautiously moves ahead with his sword's tip pointing at the room's center.
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As Valeron enters the room, four bloated, foul smelling bodies rise from the muddy water to greet him.
(?1)L:
(?2)DJ:
V:
A:
M:
K:
Initiative:
Kevorin - 22
?2 - 21
Valeron - 20
Morghrim - 16
?1 - 11
Addie - 4
Kno: Religion
Kev moves to AC16, enters his rage, and slashes at the one in AB17.
Raging Attack:
Damage:
Current AC is 17, with the shield of faith partially compensating for his rage penalty to AC.
Know Religion:
"Ghouls... disease-ridden filth!" Valeron could be heard exclaiming
Valeron quickly grabs his hold symbol before directing it at the oncoming undead.
"Back! To the sludge from which you rose!"
Will DC 17 (for half):
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Seeing the foul creatures rise from the muck, Kevorin rushes in promptly sinks his axe deep into the chest of one of the, upon closer inspection, female lacedons.
The larger obviously male foul creature rushes out of the pool of muck toward Valeron, causing the Iomeadian priest to gag from stench of the creature. The wretched smelling beast tries to bite the priest, but Valeron is able to get his shield up in time to repel the creature's jaws.
Then Valeron calls forth the power of the Inheritor to smite the undead creatures that plague the group, causing the one Kevorin had struck to fall back into the sludge, motionless.
DJ Bite:
Damage:
WL1:
WL2:
WL3:
WDJ:
Valeron brings his hand to his mouth as he turns away momentarily to gag.
Fort DC15:
He then swallows quickly, grits his teeth and summons his courage.
"Don't let them touch you!" Addie calls out.
"Don't let them touch you!" Addie calls out.
"No, really?" Kev growls, the strain of effort on his weakened frame showing, "I thought me and that one would have a quick shag before we were done!" He watches it fall back into the mud and prepares to head after the other two.
Figuring Addie's basic advice had essentially covered what the rest needed to know, Morghrim moves to X15 and hacks at the more powerful undead with his trusty Glaive, coughing as he suffers under the effect of his aura. Sickened by the aura, Morghrim struggles to connect with his Glaive.
Fortitude failure
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Morghrim moves failing to strike the undead, at least partially due to the vile creature's stench.
Meanwhile, the two remaining lacedons launch attacks at Valeron and Kevorin. Fortunately for the two adventurers, the attacks are awkward and ineffectual.
On Valeron
Claw:
Damage:
Claw:
Damage:
Bite:
Damage:
On Kevorin:
Bite:
Damage:
Round One:
Addie follows Morghrim through the doorway and pauses in the entrance to take in the scene of battle. Focusing her attention on the larger lacedon, she hexes the creature's luck for the next few seconds.
Kev attempts to feint on the lacedon.
Bluff:
If that works, it loses it's Dex bonus to AC.
Attack:
Damage: no sneak attack if the Bluff failed.
He then takes a five-foot step backwards.
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Kevorin feints left, but fails to fool the ghoul, as he take a heavy swing at the lacedon, but fails to connect.
The larger lacedon steps toward Morghrim and into a flanking position with one of its undead brethern, biting and clawing at Valeron. The foul creature's clawst fail to penetrate the priest's armor, but the bite an exposed bit of flesh, tearing into the Iomedean.
Bite: (flank)
Bite: (flank)
Damage:
Claw: (flank)
Claw: (flank)
Damage:
Claw: (flank)
Claw: (flank)
Damage:
Fort vs DC15:
Fort vs DC14:
Valeron's teeth grind as he wills himself to stand strong against the bites of the lacedons.
"Two can play at that game..." Valeron offers aloud with a nod to Morghrim, referencing the lacedon's coordinated attacks and not their disease-ridden biting.
Realizing he has gotten the focus of most of the undead creatures, the Iomedean focuses more on defending himself then a devastating strike, trusting Morghrim and Kevorin to inflict the more severe wounds.
.
Attack (longsword, defensively): for damage
HP: 31/37
Effects: Protection from Evil, Fighting Defensively
Morghrim swings for the thing in Z16, still struggling with the Ghast's foul smell.
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Morghrim drives Sheyln's Kiss into the skull of one of the unfortunate creatures. With a slight twist and the loud sound of breaking bone, the inquisitor is able to dislodge the blade from the creature's skull, as the ghoul's no longer animated body slumps slowly back into the muddy water.
The remaining smaller lacedon lurches forward sending a flurry of claws and teeth in the direction of Kevorin, as a claw and a bite manage to find their way past the half-orc's defenses.
Claw:
Damage:
Claw:
Damage:
Bite:
Damage:
[spoiler if Fort Save DC 13 #1 Fails]Paralyzed for rounds[/spoiler]
[spoiler if Fort Save DC 13 #2 Fails]Paralyzed for rounds[/spoiler]
[spoiler if Fort Save DC 12 Fails]You have contracted ghoul fever.[/spoiler]
Initiative Order:
Kevorin - 22
Lacedon Ghast - 21
Valeron - 20
Morghrim - 16
Lacedons - 11
Addie - 4 - Need Round 2 Action
Fort 1:
Fort 2:
Fort 3:
Round Two:
Addie quickly intones the words of a spell and disappears from view. She then retrieves the curative wand from her magical haversack.
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Addie vanishes with the completion of her spell, and Kevorin stands frozen in horror of the ravenous beast that stands before him.
Meanwhile, the Ghast shuffles ever so slightly to the south, and claws and bites at the priest who had done so much damage to its sisters, but unable to penetrate the Iomedean's defenses.
Claw:
Damage:
Claw:
Damage:
Bite:
Damage:
Realizing that Kevorin is paralyzed and possibly lacedon-food, Valeron grips his holy symbol and channels the divine power of Iomedae a second time, hoping to end the creature's life before it can strike at the vulnerable half-orc.
Will DC 17 (for half):
Too close to the Ghast to effectively bring Shelyn's kiss to bear, Morghrim drops it, drawing his enchanted mace and swinging it at the Ghast two-handed!
Round Three:
Unable to aid Kevorin and frustrated by the realization of how ineffective her abilities are against the undead, Addie prepares to attack the lacedon ghast with the curative magics of her wand when she pauses - struck by a new thought. The young witch's eyes dart about the chamber, taking in the large pool of churning muddy water and the presence of the aquatic undead creatures. She immediately recalls the tale of Drowned Jabe and his Miserable Brothers and Sisters that she studied the night before. In a mocking, sing-song voice she begins to recite a slightly modified version of the tale - one that paints Jabe as a drunken, inept thief who met his inglorious end in the Asmodean Knot after a particularly humorous and embarassing encounter with a female otyugh. As she does so, she withdraws another wand from her haversack.
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The mention of Drowned Jabe causes the ghast to pause for a moment, as if it was looking for the cause of the story it is hearing, before turning back to bite at the priest, again tearing into Valeron's flesh.
Bite:
Damage:
Round 4 Initiative Order:
Kevorin - 22 - Paralyzed until Rnd 7
Lacedon Ghast - 21 (acted)
Valeron - 20 - Need 2 saves
Morghrim - 16
Addie - 4 - Invisible
Morghrim roars in fury as he bashes his heavy mace across the back of the creatures skull.
Fort vs DC15:
Fort vs DC14:
Once gain, Valeron grits his teeth as he almost reflexively reaches for his injuries.
I must focus.. concentrate. My faith will keep it's disease-ridden venom from doing harm.
Valeron continues to press his attacks against the lacedon, working to coordinate a final blow with Morghrim.
for
HP: 27/37