Megan Robertson |
Apart from bats fluttering around, everything is silent and still. Looking to both left and right, the walls of each dusty chamber are decorated with mosaic scenes of hunting and battle. Six biers line the walls in each, the resting places of respected warriors. Ahead, the walls of the final chamber are adorned with a plethora of weapons, shields, armor, and tattered banners and standards. Interspersed among the displayed arms are carved scenes of battle, pillage, and conquest. The carvings are caked in flaking pigments that were once brightly colored, but many have been defaced, apparently by repeated blows from a weapon. At the far end of the room, a withered corpse lies in state atop a stone catafalque, its bony hands clutching a sword across its chest.
Lothar Narda |
Lothar readied himself for potential conflict, assuming a ready stance in the event that the skeleton was lying in wait to attack them.
Assumes Dragon Stance in anticipation of battle.
Megan Robertson |
Here's a map for you.
Where do you want to go? What do you want to do?
Rhasadilara Goldenbough |
Nice map, thank you.
Just to verify, I believe the sword with the magical aura is in the corpse's hands in the room to the far east. The skeleton with the aura is in the crossroads room - right?
Rhasadilara waits, sword readied, against the wall up and right of the skeleton where she can observe down the corridor to the corpse's resting place. I hope it's resting easily.
Megan Robertson |
Barnabus, the skeleton has a small item registering as magical, perhaps a ring or brooch. There is also a magical trap centred on it, which seems to be connected with the four faces on the walls. As for the corpse, it's holding what appears to be a magic sword... only it's broken. You are not sure, but from here you think it's a bastard sword.
Lothar Narda |
Nor do I, Golden Arm. I am strangely deficient in the area of traps, given my training. Lothar looked thoughtfully at the skeleton, the faces, and then finally the bats overhead.
Barnabus, you exit the cave with Rhasa. Once you two are clear, I'll see what I can do with this. It maybe that I can activate the trap without bringing harm to anyone else. Certainly not the best course of action, but better this than having someone else stumble in and fall victim to it.
Lothar Narda |
Yeah, I know... this not a smart move on his part, but Lothar is the least wise individual here. Common sense he does not have in abundance.
Once his fellow Wardens had retreated a safe distance, Lothar made his way to the skeleton and knelt beside it. Well, here goes everything.
And with those words, he took hold of the trapped item.
Megan Robertson |
As Lothar enters the 10-foot-square area in the centre of the room, he triggers the trap — the four faces on the walls seem to inhale deeply, then breathe out black tendrils of mist that sap his very strength.
In game mechanical terms, the effect is that of a ray of exhaustion - so Lothar needs to make a Fortitude save, DC19. If he succeeds, he is merely fatigued, otherwise he is exhausted for the next 3 minutes.
There's also a grating, grinding sound from the 2 chambers to the north and south...
Lothar Narda |
Of course it's a Fort save... sigh. Better him than the others.
Fort save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Before the magician could react, the stone faces exhaled a dark mist that flooded the chamber. Lothar tried to brush away the murky substance, but it clung to him, sapping his strength so quickly that he collapsed to the floor, his ability to stand denied him.
Megan Robertson |
Only constructs and unliving things are immune, alas.
Of more pressing interest may be the skeletons which are emerging from the rooms to the north and south...
Rhasadilara manages to grab the exhausted Lothar and pull him back to where the rest of you are, however.
Barnabus |
Barnabus leaves the lantern archon in the passageway and helps Rhasha with Lothar...
"Protect and wards, stay above, and out of the mist, and away from the undead."
The archon fires off two light rays at the Nearest undead
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 231d6 ⇒ 4
Ranged touch attack bypasses all DR
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 41d6 ⇒ 1
Ranged touch attack bypasses all DR
"I guess we might want to get outside."
Rhasadilara Goldenbough |
"Very well, but knowing that the dead are restless here means we must return to deal with them."
She clicks to Sunset, who turns to allow her the easiest angle for a quick mount. This time, however, it's not for her. Helping the weakened man put his foot in the near stirrup, she boosts him into the saddle. "Not your preferred transport, my friend, but it's better than throwing you across your mule like a sack of vegetables."
Jumping astride the stricken man's mule, she gives it a little kick to get it moving, grabs up Sunset's reins, and leads him along. "Just hold on, Lothar. Maybe this will pass soon."
Glancing back at Sunset, she adds, "Don't look at me like that. It had to be done. You're still my favorite." She grins at Barnabus, "Marauding undead and jealous horses. The days' challenges keep coming."
Lothar Narda |
I'm not completely out of this.
After being dragged outside to safety, Lothar managed a tired smile while reaching into his pouch of components to produce a square pat of butter, which he then hurled with as much effort as he could manage at the incoming skeletons while reciting breathlessly a string of arcane syllables that seemed to tumble clumsily from his lips. As it flew through the air, his utterance manifested as glowing sigils that encircled the greasy missile before landing within the entrance, where it spread apart to form a slick layer that he hoped would prove to be a hindrance to the undead. He then allowed himself to be boosted up onto Sunset's back.
Rolling for initiative just in case it needed to be done. Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Casting grease to bottle-neck the skeletons within the entrance. Reflex DC 13 for the skeletons to avoid it's effect. Lasts for 2 minutes.
Megan Robertson |
Barnabas deals with one skeleton, and the rest slither around on Lothar's grease - even the lantern archon seems to be laughing. They don't attempt to follow you out of the barrow, however, so you are able to mount up and move away without hinderance. Sunset gives Rhasadilara a rather strange look as she perches on the mule. The mule doesn't seem bothered, though.
Rhasadilara Goldenbough |
I think it makes little sense for our primary arcane caster to stray from his core class. Rhasa would be a better candidate as the skill set is closer to that of the ranger - she can always use the extra skill points, anyway. However, Lothar's the best choice from a background point of view - I just don't think it meshes with his concept of the character.
I'm much more concerned about our lack of divine casters than rogues, to be honest.
Lothar Narda |
Actually, I'm reviewing my rebuild and the one slayer talent I selected for Lothar is trapfinding, giving him both trapfinding and trap sense class abilities from the rogue as well as making Disable Device a class skill for the slayer. So, yeah, that's covered. I did discover that I may have to drop snakebite striker because I wouldn't be able to use the monk moves ability of the winding path renegade as martial familiarity is traded out. But, like Rhasa, I'm more concerned about our lack of divine healing.
Rhasadilara Goldenbough |
We are. It's high on the list of things to be dealt with, but we want to find a cleric (most likely) to aid in dealing with the skeletons and other potential undead.
I would suggest that we deal with the retraining topic now (returning to the town or to Oleg's) if Lothar has finalized his decisions and we use that time for in-game recruitment. Note that I'm not against using a hireling or a cohort if someone wants to go that way rather than adding another player.
Lothar Narda |
Figured I'd post something in the meantime...
Lothar had no clue what happened to him in the barrow. That black mist had left him feeling dead tired, his muscles trembling from any effort to move. Even Rhasadilara hadn't fully escaped its effects, it seemed, as her breathing seemed a little heavier than before as she got him onto Sunset's back. Barnabus, it seemed, had been totally unaffected
Whatever they had encountered back there, the three needed not only the opportunity to rest so as to get their strength back, but to figure out how best to handle the barrow. It was obvious that the three of them needed help in dealing with it.
Rhasadilara Goldenbough |
Once they had put some distance between themselves and the barrow, Rhasadilara called a halt. "Lothar, how are you feeling? Do we need to seek out a healer?" She helps him down from the taller horse so he can continue on his mule.
As it happens, while they are discussing his state, he suddenly feels energy return to his limbs and the effect is gone as quickly as it came. She begins the process of getting gear sorted
"My kin are much more familiar with such magic than I. Do know what this might be, Barnabus? I fear that continuing without someone with Calindar's skills might prove costly. He might have been able to dismiss this black mist, but more importantly, he might have been able to deal with those skeletons back there. I know you have some skills in that area, Barnabus, but I think someone with the touch of the divine would have an advantage."