| Music: Atrium Carceri | Void | Victorian Meltdown |
Azure velvet tapestries, depicting a pair of ghostly lovers chasing one another around a trident, dangle from the smooth grey stone walls of this large chamber. Ivy and violet flowers cling to the walls, lit by rays of smoky crimson light filtering down through skylights in the vaulted ceiling high above.
A 10-foot high tier inlaid with baroque patterns rises along the north and east walls, its golden-railed balcony overlooking a grove of dead trees in the center of the chamber from which shrunken heads grow like fruit.
Near, to your left, is a set of closed double doors bearing spiked pull rings. The doors are embossed with the image of a succubus embracing an armored tiefling skeleton wrapped in broken chainmail.Off to your right, you spy a tower-like structure ten feet in diameter rising from a pit in the center of the room. A glistening gold sarcophagus is visible at its peak.
The air is heavy with the stink of perfume and fornication.
Actions, crusaders...
OOC: You enter at C18 on the map. You may back out now if you wish, and go elsewhere, or you may investigate further.
ReplyDeleteThe areas at the top of the stairs are out of view due to the height of the balcony. What that thing is at W1, you don't know.
[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteGrumbling to himself, the dwarf narrows his shrewd eyes as he steps into the open courtyard. “T’stench o’ harlots be about… gird yer loins, lad, lest ye be afflicted by some foul an’ terrible itch.” He sniffs derisively as he adjusts his breastplate and slowly moves forward, scattering cold-iron across the tiled stone floor ahead of himself.
His axe and shield at the ready, curling threads of metal in his fist, the dwarf moves slowly towards the trees, peering keenly at the shriveled fruit that hang in the stagnant, perfumed air.
Move to G14, Perception +5, Nature +5, Religion +8, History +8 Do the fruit bear any particular resemblance? Do they appear alive?
[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteShrunken humanoid heads dangle from the bare black limbs of the trees. You do not see any resemblance to someone you know, nor do they appear to be alive.
A creature can enter a tree's space (difficult terrain) to gain cover.
Eating the heads: a creature adjacent to or in a tree's space can eat one of the shrunken heads as a minor action. Doing so grants that creature 5 temporary hit points until the next short rest (or until lost by combat).
[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteJumping slightly as the booming voice of the creator echoes out of the boiling crimson and black clouds above the crypt, the dwarf’s face tightens into a grimace of defiance. “Ah’ll no bend naer break tae th’ Heresarch, nae matter wha’ comes my way ah’ll stand th’ tide!” Hammering his shield with the haft of his axe, he lets out a roar of fury to the heavens above, the cold-iron shards in his beard jangling against each other.
His breath coming in heaving pants for a moment before he calms himself, the cavalier turns to his clerical companion as he glances back down the gloomy staircase. “Ah’ve got tae wonder wha’ is keeping our companions.” He sighs heavily and rolls his eyes, slinging his axe into its belt-loop. “Mare likely than no got thesselses intae a spot o’ trouble, seein’ as how we left them by their lonesome.”
Secretly more than a little relieved, the dwarf starts back down the staircase to find their comrades.
Return to Ambulatory and follow into the Prison of Frozen Gods
[Palim]
ReplyDelete"I agree, we should probably go find them. I wasn't, ah, hungry for the fruit anyhow."
Palim will head to the Prison of the Frozen Gods as well.
Shazi growls under her own breath out of frustration, then follows the others.
ReplyDelete======== RETURN TO THE PLEASURE CRYPTS START ========
ReplyDelete======== RETURN TO THE PLEASURE CRYPTS START ========
======== RETURN TO THE PLEASURE CRYPTS START ========
======== RETURN TO THE PLEASURE CRYPTS START ========
======== RETURN TO THE PLEASURE CRYPTS START ========
[Sciora]
ReplyDeleteMoving quietly into the room with arrow nocked, Sciora narrows her eyes at the strange grove. Before moving further, she listens carefully for any sound that would betray the presence of another creature. Then she begins to softly whisper the words that will reveal a magic auras in the area. Those who are close enough can tell that there is a melody to her spell, and that she is actually singing it rather than speaking.
Then, the bard moves forward and begins to search the grove for anything unusual. Is something hidden there among the trees and brances, she wonders?
Tech: Perception +11 to listen carefully to the room, Arcana +12 to detect any magical auras.
Then, Sciora will search (Perception +11) the grove to see if there's anything there the party hasn't noticed before.
Tech: Also, my passive perception is 21, if that matters.
DeletePleasantly refreshed from the bard's healing charms, Kallista drifts into the room, visibly fascinated by the trees, and heads towards the eastern stair, musing "Why didn't you mention this place earlier? It's charming..."
ReplyDeleteTech: Back up to 48(+1d6)HP, double move to M15 for now. Hope the d6 rolls anything other than a one, so she's perfect again...
[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteFollowing closely behind the bard, the dwarven cavalier sneaks up the staircase with all the stealth of a tin can skipping down a gravel road after just having finished a marathon. The sweetly sour smell of the shrunken head fruit and the out of place flowers assault his nose, almost blocking out the pungent aroma of lust that pervades the area.
With a sharp look at the eladrin he steps aside, sharing his attention between the fey-born and his surroundings, his axe brandished as he steps slowly out into the open courtyard. He nods towards the trees, cutting his eyes to Sciora. “Perhaps y’should nose aroun’ that copse, seems th’ kind o’ homey place a fey like y’ would enjoy…”
Turning towards the door, he uses his keen dwarven senses to check for any hidden mechanisms along its edges and hinges.
Tech: Dungeoneering +7, Perception +5, Religion +12, History +8, do the figures hold any significance outside of their outward appearance? Anything out of place in the mural?
[Sciora]
ReplyDeleteSciora examines the grove and the heads, and does spot humanoid footprints in the soft ground near the tree's roots. They are of bare feet, and slender, possibly of a woman.
Sciora listens, and for a brief moment she thought she picked up the drawing of a breath that wasn't of their own party... but the direction of the source is impossible to tell.
OOC: Natural 19 on the perception check!
[Kallista]
Kallista shrugs off all wounds, they are not as bad as they seemed. She moves to the eastern stair, quite a steep stairway indeed. Very tough to see what is on the top tier.
But wait, she catches the smell of perfume that isn't a part of the general aura of odors of this place. Instinct tells Kallista there is someone or something up on the top tier...
OOC: Natural 20 on the perception check!
[Gardain]
Two sets of heavy iron doors – one leading west and one leading north – bear spiked pull rings and are embossed with the image of a succubus embracing an armored tiefling skeleton wrapped in broken chainmail. The doors are not locked but are very heavy, requiring a standard action to open or close.
The succubus on the door is in fact a recent modification; there is evidence that the original image depicted a medusa. The succubus reminds him of the same one that was in the Bleak Seminary. Could be the same one, even.
Gardain also hears the familiar bone-click sounds of skeletons on the other side of the door. Perhaps a dozen or so...
OOC: Natural 20 on the perception check! Two in a row!
OOC: I recommend barring that door if we can! I feel like we're about to meet this succubus, and the fewer allies she can call on, the better.
Delete"I feel we are somehow surrounded by forces we cannot see. We may need to go through these doors, but one thing at a time... Stand ready!"
DeleteOOC: What exactly are our options for blocking the door? Tie them shut? Blockade them? Do the ol' "I do a Thievery check" ... "But what exactly are you d-" ... "I said THIEVERY CHECK!" ... *roll!* ? ;)
Those of you who fought in both the Death Wyverns' Crucible AND the Gauntlet of Walls gain 1 action point.
ReplyDelete[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteBacking quickly away from the door, the dwarf drops his pack and rummages around in it for a moment before pulling out a length of clinking chain with two thick rings of darkly glinting metal on either end. He looks wistfully from the manacles and then shoots a glance at Sciora, then sighs as he unclasps the locking bracers and closes one end onto one of the spiked ring-pulls attached to the face of the door, looping the short length of chain through the pair of rings and then locking it closed behind the other. He gives a good tug on the tightly wrapped chain, making sure the door is as secure as he can make it.
Tech:Dungeoneering [I guess?]+7, I want to use the chain and manacles to bar the door from opening.
[Sciora]
ReplyDeleteOnce Gardain has chained together the western doors and the rest of the group is in the room, Sciora backs out of the grove, her arrow still nocked in her bow. Looking up towards the ledges opposite the group, Sciora's eyes narrow. Digging into a pouch at her belt, she withdraws a palm-sized flat stone with something engraved onto its surface.
After contemplating whatever is on the stone's surface for a moment as if sounding a word out, she speaks a single, echoing syllable in supernal. The rune immediately flares to life and rises off the stone, moving towards her head. As it settles into a slow orbit around the crown of her head, glowing still, she tosses the spent stone aside and calls out towards the ledge.
"We can hear you, you know. You're not so quiet as you think. Why don't you quit playing hide-in-the-smelly-room and come down here."
Tech: Move to D14. Activate a syllable of grace as a minor action, which is a consumable that grants me a +3 to AC vs. OAs and a +3 item bonus to speed until the end of the encounter. My speed is now 8.
Hesitating a moment before she ascends, Kallista turns back and calls out "Gardain? Do you still have that perfume? If all the tiefling imagery in this place is to be believed, I seem to be on my way to a date with death; For which I feel positively underdressed"
ReplyDeleteTech: perfumed or not, Kallista ascends the stairs to S13 once the others have acted.
[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteDusting his hands off as he turns away from the heavy doors, he nods to his ruddy skinned companion. “Aye, th’ stuff has a stench y’ll no forget an’ it dinnae half leave a foul taste in th’ mouth.” He grimaces and makes a face as he rummages in his pack, producing the delicate bottle for her.
Tech:Pass off the perfume to Kallista, his Cha isn’t nearly as high.
OOC: You guys got, what, a little under 3 weeks to wrap this up, right?
ReplyDeleteBWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
OOC: Stranger things have happened, but you're right. If they want to win, they better haul ass.
DeleteSciora says, "We can hear you, you know. You're not so quiet as you think. Why don't you quit playing hide-in-the-smelly-room and come down here."
ReplyDeleteA lithe, young woman appears, coming close to the rail of the upper tier. Perfect auburn hair cascades down to her pure alabaster shoulders. Her glittering hazel eyes are full in color and deep in passion. Ruby red lips pucker and beckon. She wears shining obsidian plate armor, clinking and clanking as she moves, two horns delicately protruding from her hair and a pair of leathery wings from her back, whipping in the air. In fact, she hovers just a foot off the floor.
At this very moment, you cannot remember ever seeing another whose beauty matches, let alone exceeds.
Her voice fills the chamber with magnificence, music that massages your eardrums and sends warmth into your extremities, "You may call me by name. I am Sorrow Nimbus. Come, let us talk privately up above."
Sciora is aroused by the command, and she cannot resist her invitation to approach!
Tech: Come Hither, hit on Sciora. Sciora is pulled 5 squares and is dazed at D9 on the map. These actions happen outside of combat.
Combat has now begun. You have bested Sorrow Nimbus for initiative. You may still do dialogue if you wish as a free action, but try to keep yourself to 25 words or less per turn.
Notes: She has Amgelic Presence. All your attacks take a -2 due to her stunning beauty.
Vitals/Map updated. If I have you at a wrong place, let me know. Also, I find it strange that So-tin did not heal up before this. Did I miss a post, or just a player miss on this one?
=== BEGIN ROUND 1 ===
[Sciora]
ReplyDeleteFlushed, Sciora remembers herself and realizes what the succubus must have done. "Yeah, I don't think I'll be doing that. Feybane, you planning to do anything about this lady? I'm ready when you are." Drawing back the string of her bow, Sciora prepares to loose an arrow at the succubus once the dwarf closes the distance.
Tech:
Standard action: Ready Blunder, +10 vs. Will on Sorrow Nimbus, 1d6+6 damage and I get to slide her two squares. I'll slide her one square closer to the party but still in reach of Gardain. Plus, he gets to make a melee basic attack against her as a free action, with a +3 to the attack roll. I want this power to go off as soon as Gardain gets within melee range of Sorrow or when his actions are complete, whichever comes first.
Joe: How long does my dazed condition last?
I used a majestic word on So-tin in the Ambulatory for surge+1d6+4 HP, plus an additional 4 temp HP from Improved Majestic Word. Kallista should have gotten the 4 THP as well, but I don't see that on her.
OOC: We really need to move. Let's try to nuke this lady down please!
OOC: Majestic word in the hallway prior to the battle retcons So-tin to 57 hp. So-tin has 9 surges remaining.
DeleteSciora's dazed condition lasts until the end of Sorrow Nimbus' next turn (Round 1)
Blunder action READIED, but not yet performed.
OOC: And Kallista gets her 4 THP too? :)
DeleteOOC: Yes, 4 thp to Kallista.
Delete[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteGritting his teeth, the dwarf digs deep and bursts into action, his thick legs blurring slightly as his hobnailed boots kick sparks up from the stone floor. “Y’daft elf-baern filly! Dinnae ye ken no puttin’ y’nose intae where it dinnae belong? Y’Lunatics cannae keep outta trouble!”
He storms past the bard like a raging bull, his boots skidding across the stone floor as he slides to a stop and exploding forward with renewed vigor. He stomps up the first two steps and then leaps, his axe flashing in the dull light of the tomb as he brings it down towards the succubus temptress. Just before it connects the dwarf bellows an echoing word of power and the axe’s blade is engulfed in brilliant, pure light.
Tech: Use an AP; [the other time I was going to use one was retconned] move to E9, then full action; charge to E5
Strike of Hope: Strength (+10) vs. AC, 1d10+4 Radiant damage; Hit 1[W] + Strength modifier radiant damage. One ally within 5 squares of you gains temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier(+2)
Free Action; Holy Smite: The target takes radiant damage equal to 2 + your Charisma modifier(+2). If the triggering attack hits, the target is also dazed until the end of your next turn
Blunder: Melee Basic Attack, Strength (+13) vs. AC 1d10+4 damage
Sciora will take the 2 THP, since I'm the only one in range. :)
DeleteOOPS, add one more thing...
Delete[Gardain]
As he passes through the air towards the succubus, the plate-mailed dwarf seems to exude a nimbus of warm, calming light, wisps of the radiance trailing behind him.
Tech: Activate Defender Aura, Minor action; aura 1 that lasts until you end it as a minor action or until you fall unconscious. While in the aura, any enemy takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls when it makes an attack that does not target you.
[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteGardain finds it extremely difficult to keep his battle rage about him when he gets close to Sorrow Nimbus. To say she's gorgeous is an understatement. Wars surely have been fought over her! His mind prevails over his passions, however, and his blade does draw demonic blood.
Tech:
Strike of Hope + Holy Smite: Hit for 16 - 10 (Radiant Resist) = 6 radiant damage. Sorrow Nimbus dazed until the end of Gardain's round 2.
Sciora gains 2 thp.
Sciora's Blunder hits, sliding Sorrow Nimbus to D5. Gardain's melee basic attack misses, even with the extra +3 bonus to hit.
Ending his turn with 3 squares of Sorrow Nimbus, Gardain gains 1 point of blight and a -2 to will defense.
OOC: Correction! Sciora's blunder fails as the Sorrow Nimbus is IMMUNE TO CHARM.
ReplyDeleteSciora's arrow still hit and did damage to Sorrow Nimbus for 12 points, but she's immune to the pull effect.
Delete"That's the spirit!!! Kill that thing quick!!" Shazi moves quickly towards the trees, trying to get a better angle at the creature. She holds up her shuriken and it is instantly engulfed in magical flame as she throws it.
ReplyDeleteShe makes a run for the trees and tries to gain some cover from the creature.
[Tech]
Free: Flaming Shuriken ... All damage now fire damage
Standard: Deft Strike w/ shuriken
... Prior to attack, move 2: Move to E11
... Attack: +15 base, +2 CA (dazed) ... 1d4 +6 +2d6(SA) damage
Move: Move to H10 ... If trees provide enough cover to hide, do so (Stealth +17)
OOC: Nice!
Delete[Shazi]
ReplyDeleteShazi's flaming shuriken strikes true, and Sorrow Nimbus' armor activates an anti-fire charm to negate some of the damage.
Tech: Hit for 25 fire - 5 fire resist = 20 fire damage. Nicely done! She is not yet bloodied. The trees are difficult terrain and also grants cover.
Swiftly flying through the grove, Kallista points her rod at the Heresiarch's daughter and snarls a spell.
ReplyDeleteTech: Hoping to move to G11 if terrain allows her full movement through the gap. If the branches would impede her progress, she instead skirts the grove to get as close as possible this round. If she is within 9 of Sorrow, she casts Shadow Tentacles at F3 (Area burst 1, +11 v Ref plus any boons, 1d10+7 cold damage, target is slowed within difficult terrain until end of my next turn). If not in range, she swears, spits, then readies the spell in case Sorrow moves closer.
Oh, and as a minor action, she doth eat of the fruit.
DeleteHow does it taste?
DeleteAt once spicy and bitter, with a sickly-sweet aftertaste; mildly revolting yet intriguing.
DeleteOOC: So, kind of like natto? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natt%C5%8D
Delete[Kallista]
ReplyDeleteKallista flies over the trees, casting her spell of icy shadow tentacles. Sorrow Nimbus finds herself in the midst of it, doing her best to fend them off.
Tech: Hit for 9 cold damage. Not yet bloodied. She is slowed.
[So-tin]
ReplyDeleteIn a blaze of motion, So-tin ducks under magic spells and shurikens and appears of the side of Sorrow Nimbus. "Foul creature, you shall not be the end of us!" With a bit of fancy footwork, he draws her attention and shifts the succubus unknowingly into position for the rest of his team.
Tech
Move: Quickling Stride to F5
Minor: Aegis of Assault on Sorrow Nimbus
Standard: Luring Strike
Effect: Shift to F4
+12 +/- boons/auras vs AC
1d8+1 damage, So-tin shifts to F3, SN slides to F4
If I hit, activate Sentinel Marshal utility to gain +2 all defenses against SN until end of my next turn
[So-tin]
ReplyDeleteSo-tin's luring strike lands true, piercing her in the side! She cries out in pain, attempting to recover her senses.
Tech: Critical hit for 10 points damage. Not yet bloodied. So-tin's defenses raise by 2 against attacks by Sorrow Nimbus until end of So-tin's Round 2. So-tin's Will defense lowers by 2, and he gains 1 point of blight for ending his turn near Sorrow Nimbus. So-tin now has 3 points of blight.
[Sorrow Nimbus]
Instantly a barbed whip is in Sorrow Nimbus' hand, and with a sudden flick of her wrist, it wraps around So-tin painfully!
The beautiful succubus draws near to the captive So-tin, planting her warm lips upon his. Time stands still in that bliss-filled kiss; the passion and pleasure blocks out all his cares and concerns. Oh those eyes staring into his... and he can hear her thoughts. "Throw yourself into the pit so we can be together forever... Give your life for me, her thoughts whisper, and promise an afterlife of eternal carnal fulfillment.
So-tin obeys without question, slashing himself with his own scimitar as he runs east to hurl himself into the 50 foot pit! He impales himself upon his scimitar as he PLUMMETS TO HIS DOOM.
Tech: Action point used. Dice were on fire... 20 poison (whip) + 30 psychic (soul stealing kiss) + 10 (self mba) + 30 (fall in pit) = 90 damage. So-tin is KO at -31 hp at the bottom of the pit. Hey, he's still alive!
[Handmaidens of Blasphemy]
Teleporting in to join the battle are three spirits. They look like hauntingly beautiful, ghostly dryads! They swarm Sciora with sacrificial daggers, stabbing the bard with sudden jabs. Two times they cut her, and Gardain witnesses Sorrow Nimbus' wounds begin to close!
Tech: Three attacks, two hits for 20 damage, and SN regains 10 hp. Sciora is at 43 hp.
=== BEGIN ROUND 2 ===
OOC: Is So-tin still dominated?
DeleteOOC: Also, wowie. I still vote we attempt to burst her down and ignore the handmaidens for now. What do you guys think?
DeleteSo-tin is no longer dominated.
DeleteOOC: Hell no, if those handmaidens are healing her by hurting us, we need to end them ASAP. Anything we can do to weaken her is to our advantage. Also, Kallista needs to grab a burlap sack and tie it over this bitches head. No smoochies or smoky looks for her, we know her heart is shriveled and black underneath her perky, creamy, well formed bre...
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, yeah, we need to kill her.
OOC: Yeah Joe, DROP THE HAMMER!!!
ReplyDeleteTPK! TPK! TPK!
"Here goes nothing..."
ReplyDeleteShazi takes a second to grab a fruit and, reluctantly, eats it.
With a quick move on her short sword, she takes two deep stabs at the nearest handmaiden before stepping back behind the trees and disappearing from view.
[Tech]
Minor: Eat a fruit, +5 THP
Standard: Deft Strike (short sword) vs Handmaiden at E9
Prior to attack, move 2 ... Move to F9
Attack: +16 base, +2 CA, 1d6+7+2d6(SA, flanked) damage.
ACTION POINT
Standard: Gloom Thief (short sword, encounter) vs Handmaiden at E9
Attack: +16 base, +2 CA, 2d6+7+1d8(AS) damage.
On hit, until EONT, I am invisible if within 2 squares of the handmaiden
Move: Move to F11 (no OA, invisible), Stealth +17 to hide.
[Sciora]
ReplyDeleteSeeing the fey spirits surrounding her, Sciora begins to turn on the spot, disappearing into thin air as she does.
Then a screeching peal splits the air as a noisemaker arrow streaks from the southern part of the room over the dryad spirits and towards the succubus. Sciora's clear voice rings out from her new position as she jibes the dryads. "Come and get me, You pitiful excuses for fey. Bet you can't catch me!"
Tech:
Move: Fey Step to teleport to C12.
Minor: Revitalizing Incantation allows me to spend a healing surge to get back 12 hp AND get 12 THP on top of that.
Standard: Staggering Note on Sorrow Nimbus, +10 vs. Will, 4 thunder damage on a hit, plus Gardain gets to make a melee basic attack on her as a free action. No charm keyword on this one. :)
Knowing that it won't aid the dwarf, but at least protect the others, Kallista attempts to flows Sorrow's mind and limit her vision.
ReplyDeleteTech: standard, at will, Mind Shadows on Sorrow, +13 v will, 1d10+7 psychic DMG and Sorrow can only see Gardain and the dryads until the end of my next turn. Delaying my move until the dryads take Scoria's bait.
OOC: "cloud" her mind. Phone autocorrect failure.
Delete[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteAs he watches the enchanting blackguard whisper to the gensai, and her wounds begin to heal, the dwarven paladin grits his teeth and draws his axe’s blade against the exposed flesh of his forearm. The clean parting of flesh and the sharp sting of his razor-edged axe biting into his skin gives him something to focus on in an attempt to ignore the dark-hearted vision’s beauty.
His mind cleared by the pain, he lunges forward and swings his axe with practiced precision, aiming for the weak armor at the backs of her knees, his shield raised to block any retaliatory blows she may rain down on him.
As the shrieking arrow flies towards his target, he takes the opportunity to use her distraction to his advantage, slashing out with his axe, hoping to somehow mar her pristine face and spoil her beauty with his axes blade.
As his swing completes its arc, he leaps backwards, taking to his heels towards the grove as he glares down the staircase at the handmaidens that croon where Scoria stood just recently. Reaching down to his belt, he wrenches away his leather sack of precious cold-iron shavings and lobs it into the center of their group, raining down the twisted feathers of fey-binding metal onto their members.
Tech: Inflict 1 HP; MBA on SN, OA from Sciora’s Staggering Note, Strength (+9) vs. AC 1d10+4 damage; move to H8, throw the bag of Cold Iron Shavings at D9, Dexterity (+6) vs. AC /Reflex
OOC: Is this one attack or two?
DeleteOOC: two, one MBA and one OA from your power both at +9 vs AC.
Delete[Shazi]
ReplyDeleteHow do those shrunken heads taste? (OOC: You gain 5 thp.)
Shazi literally defines "Thief in the night." She's there before she's noticed, and she begins the sudden onslaught. However, as Shazi swings a second time, the Handmaiden telports away!
Deft Strike - Hit Handmaiden #3 for 18 damage. Not yet bloodied.
Gloom Thief - Miss. Immediate Interrupt to teleport away (to D10) and become invisible.
[Sciora / Gardain]
Sciora attempts to shrug off her wounds, but it is to NO AVAIL. The Handmaidens draw the energy right out of you insteadl. (Reveal: You are unable to heal within two squares of a Handmaiden of Blasphemy. You still lose the healing surge. You have 8 surges remaining.)
Sorrow Nimbus reels from the Staggering Note as it hits her (4 dmg), to which Gardain takes full advantage of! (Hit for 14 damage. Sorrow Nimbus is bloodied!) Gardain's second attack misses.
Note: I gave the HoB's saves versus the shavings, and they rolled fine.
Delete[Sciora]
DeleteSeeing the dwarf's hasty second swing, the bard mutters to herself, "That dwarf swings like he's drunk." Determined to intervene, she whips an arrow from her quiver and looses it at the succubus, hopefully knocking her off-balance enough for Gardain's wild axe to find her.
Tech:
Immediate interrupt: Rhyme of the Blood-Seeking Blade on Sorrow Nimbus, +12 vs. Reflex, 1d10+6 damage, on a hit, she takes a -6 penalty to all defenses against the triggering attack (Gardain's missed attack).
Note: I did give Sciora the THP. It's not counted in the Handmaidens' ability to keep you from regaining hp.
ReplyDelete[Sciora]
ReplyDeleteSciora's arrow does indeed catch Sorrow Nimbus off guard, which allows Gardain to penetrate her defenses yet again.
Total damage: 9 + 12 = 21 damage. Sorrow Nimbus is seriously injured.
[Sorrow Nimbus]
ReplyDeleteSorrow Nimbus attempts to charm Sciora, but Sciora resists her lure. After throwing a lightning bolt at Sciora (6 lightning/radiant, you're down to 6 thp), she chases after Gardain instead. Seeking to plant her kiss upon him... but Gardain doesn't want any of THAT!
Miss damage: 15 points. Gardain at 45 hp. My dice were cold, 2 natural twos.
Note: Now that Sorrow Nimbus is bloodied, you do not have to worry about the -2 to attack her.
[Handmaidens of Blasphemy]
The ghostly handmaidens give chase, teleporting themselves into flanking positions around Sciora and continue their ritual disembowlment of her.
Tech: Three attacks, two hits (but one is a crit). Total damage = 30 points. Sorrow Nimbus regains 15 hp. Sciora down to 34 hp (no thp).
Note: So-tin saves vs death this round.
=== Start Round 3 ===
OOC: Joe, did Mind Shadows hit/miss before Sorrow's turn? Should affect line of sight.
DeleteOOC: Great, these things teleport too?!?
ReplyDeleteSince my Gloom Thief missed, I still wish to move to H10.
"Let's end this..."
ReplyDeleteShazi douses the flames on her shuriken as she sends it flying at the nimbus once again.
[Tech]
Free: Turn off flaming shuriken, deals normal damage now
I'm not sure if I have CA or not... Did Kallista's blinding attack hit?
If no CA:
Standard: RBA (shuriken) vs Nimbus ... +15 vs AC ... 1d4+6+1d8(AS) damage.
If yes CA:
Standard: Deft Strike (shuriken) vs Nimbus ... +15 vs AC, +2 CA ... 1d4+6+2d6(SA) damage.
Move: Move to H11
[Sciora]
ReplyDelete"Oh boy, you guys can teleport? Well, let's see if you can keep up!" Sucking in her breath, Sciora makes a break for it, dashing east past the grove and revelling in the wonderful feeling of agility and speed the syllable of grace gives her. Now near the eastern stairs, she takes a moment to gather her spirits and overcome her wounds. Finally, she pulls another screeching arrow from her quiver and fires through the trees at the succubus, hoping to give Gardain another opening. "He better make it count."
Tech:
Move: Move 8 squares to L15. The syllable of grace gives me +3 to AC vs. OAs that I trigger.
Standard: Another Staggering Note on the succubus, +10 vs. Will, 4 thunder damage on a hit, plus Gardain gets a free action MBA against her.
Minor: Majestic Word on myself. I spend a surge and get back 16+1d6 HP back, plus 4 THP. I also slide myself one square further east to M15.
OOC: Focus the succubus! Kill kill kill!
OOC: You know, if you grant attacks like that maybe I should be the target for them. In addition to stupid high attack bonus I deal +1d8 damage per TURN with Attack Finesse. :)
ReplyDeleteOOC: I would love to! But I can only grant melee attacks and you haven't been next to her much!
DeleteRETCON.
ReplyDeleteSeems I missed Kallista's Mind Shadows attack. It did HIT, so that means the attacks would have not gone after Sciora but after Gardain instead. I will refund Sciora 6 hp and put that 6 damage on Gardain instead.
Sciora is at 40 hp.
Gardain is at 39 hp.
(I realize that it would really refund THP, but OMG, brain hurts. Please make it stop.)
From Mind Shadows, Sorrow Nimbus take 16 psychic damage.
Delete[Gardain]
ReplyDeleteHis blazing red beard sticking out at odd angles as the jolt of electricity still crackles along his engraved armor, his teeth bared in a grimace of rage and pain as his face turns nearly the same shade as his beard.
Wheeling around to face the powerful half-demon he slams against her again, his axe held high as he sweeps forward with his heavy shield to push her off balance as Sciora's arrow cuts through the air with a wailing shriek. He focuses and calls on the spirits of his ancestors to guide his blade, lashing out twice with the massive axe, using sweeping movements of his shield to hide his strikes till just before he swings out.
The sensation of ichor slithering through his pores and an innate feeling of 'wrongness' that emits from the succubus sends him staggering back and away from her, deeper into the grove.
Tech: MBA Strength (+9) vs. AC 1d10+4 damage, free attack from Staggering Note, MBA Strength (+9) vs. AC 1d10+4 damage, attempt to Bluff +5 to confuse Sorrow Nimbus into leaving herself open [Bluff vs Insight], , move to J11
Stepping out from the grove, Kallista levels her rod at the succubus and conjures a black blizzard in the shape of a beast that seeks to ensnare and restrain her. As the snarling shape swells and seeks its prey, the warlock is lost from sight amid the swirling chaos.
ReplyDeleteTech: Move to C8, Shadow Walk granting concealment until end of my next turn, Standard At-Will Shadow Claws using Bloodhunt for a total of +14 vs Fortitude, 1d10+7 Cold dmg (additional 2d6 on crit) and if Sorrow moves during her next turn, she takes 6 points of cold damage.
CORRECTION: +15 v fort thanks to Shadow Twist if Gardain is not adjacent to Sorrow when Kallista attacks.
DeleteIf I'm invisible to the nimbus, use the Deft Strike option w/ CA I mention above.
ReplyDeleteOOC: So long as you stay 4 squares away from her until my actions are resolved, you should be.
DeleteNo time today for descriptives, just straight up tech.
ReplyDeleteShazi: Deft Strike. Hit on Sorrow Nimbus, 21 damage!
Sciora: Staggering Note. Hit on Sorrow Nimbus, 4 thunder damage! Gardain MBA, miss. Sciora regains 18 hp and 4 thp. Sciora is at full hp, and 4 thp, and 7 surges. Did you mean to slide to E12? M15 is far away.
Kallista: Bloodhunt. Hit on Sorrow Nimbus, 14 damage.
Sorrow Nimbus is DEAD! She crumples to the floor, unmoving.
So-tin saves again, he's ok this round.
Handmaidens of Blasphemy teleport around Sciora. One hit with daggers, 10 damage. Sciora is at 45 hp and no thp.
Suddenly, the doors behind her burst open, and skeleton's begin pouring into the chamber! Near to your left, more attempt to get through the doors in the west, but those are wisely blocked with chain.
Add: 8 skeletons.
Make it worse: the golden sarcophagus is beginning to open...
=== Start of Round 4 ===
OOC: Yeah, on my turn, I moved to L15, then slid myself to M15. I was trying to get away from the handmaidens.
DeleteOOC: Will get a post up as soon as this gets resolved!
Delete"Blast those things!" Shazi screams waving towards the skeletons. As she does she is enveloped by darkness. She stabs through the dark and takes a step to one side.
ReplyDelete[Tech]
Minor: Cloud of Darkness, centered on self and blinding all three handmaidens... and whoever's at E12, for that matter.
Standard: Deft Strike
Attack the most wounded handmaiden. If that's not apparent, the one at F10.
Attack: +16 vs AC, +2 CA, 1d6+7+2d6(CA) damage
Move: Shift to G11 and hide (Stealth +17). If any handmaiden so much as flinches I'll take the OA (+16 vs AC, +2 CA, 1d6+7+1d8 dmg).
Everyone: If you have burst attacks, focus on the skeletons before we get overwhelmed and brace yourself for a new visitor from the sarcophagi. Let the maidens stumble around for a turn if need be.
And can anyone help out the guy at the bottom of the pit? Toss him a heal or something!
In the middle of time pressure, of course we would walk in to the longest encounter ever. :P
OOC: He's 50 feet down in that pit, well outside the range of all my heals. Our flier could go get him, but killing things up here might be the bigger priority. :(
DeleteKallista flies up to the ledge where So-Tin was last seen, and blasts shadows at three of the skeletons before fading from view.
ReplyDeleteTech: Move to L4 if that's acceptable, Shadow Walk: concealed until end of next turn, then Void Blast (Encounter, Standard, +14 v Will on K2, J4, I2 for 2d6+7 psychic dmg, plus 2d6 on a crit, and the zone is heavily obscured, blocking line of sight until end of my next turn. Action point: Mind Shadows on M2, standard at-will also +14 v will due to Shadow Twist, 1d10+7 psychic dmg and pointless though it is, M2 cannot see any of my allies more than 3 squares away. Minor action: if I have any Haste Potion left, I swig it like it's water.
OOC: Should've saved Shadow Tentacles for the mob, but here we go again, very likely a minion overkill dance?
Correction: she blasts at FOUR of the skeletons. Afterthought.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete[Gardain]
DeleteAs the black-guard crumples at his feet, the dwarven cavalier turns his attention instead onto her handmaidens, the ghostly dryads still harrying his comrades and the damned fool Moonshot girl.
His boots kicking up sparks and small shards of stone as he storms across the tomb, he reaches into his pack and pulls out the rune-etched ceramic disc he received from the frozen tomb of gods, hurling it like a discus towards the globe of darkness. The resulting shockwave sends his beard fluttering as the released magic pushes at the wraiths that surround the crusaders, sending them bursting out of the globe of shadowy darkness at speed.
Closing in on the nearest wraith, Gardain brings his axe up and slices with all his might at the closest of the gossamer fiends, the edge of his mighty blade blazing with light as his booming voice echoes out a word of divine power through the vile grove. The radiant brilliance sends a warm shiver of pure light through Sciora, lifting her spirits and renewing her vitality.
As his blade sings through the air, he begins to exude a faint white glow, drawing the attention of the enemies nearby as he lifts his shield, ready to fend off the corrupted spirits.
Tech: activate the Disc of Repulsion at G11 to send them fluttering off 5 squares to the north, west and south respectively, move to G-11, Strike of Hope; Strength (+11) vs. AC 1d10+4 Radiant damage, +2 THP to Sciora, activate Defender Aura.
[Sciora]
ReplyDeleteOOC: Nevermind about the where's Sciora question, I'll play it like Joe posted.
Though she is unable to see it, Sciora feels the rush of the passing handmaidens as they're magically blasted away from her. She quickly moves into the grove and fires a screeching arrow at the dwarf's target.
Tech:
Move: From E12 to I12, out of the darkness.
Standard: Staggering Note on the handmaiden that Gardain is in melee with. +10 vs. Will, 4 thunder damage on a hit, plus Gardain gets to make a melee basic attack on her as a free action.
OOC: Let's drop these guys...should be pretty doable.
[All Crusaders]
ReplyDeleteThe skeleton's don't stand a chance. You wipe them out quickly as they mindlessly attempt to make their way to the stairway leading to where the bulk of you are. All that is left of them is a pile of cracked, yellowed bones.
The shambling mummy that emerges from the golden sarcophagus doesn't fare much better. You light it up like a Winter Festival Tree, and it burns to ash!
OOC: Calling the battle in your favor. The skeletons were minions and the mummy was not challenge for you. Let's save ourselves some time and get past this battle. You win, what do you do now?
OOC: I have more detail about the chamber, now that you can explore it more fully... but it will have to wait until I can post around Noon CST.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe handmaidens retreat, sensing their doom at hand, never to return.
ReplyDeleteThe adventure continues as you go Deeper into the Pleasure Crypts.
ReplyDelete