(Pathfinder) The Curse of the Crimson Throne IC

[RocketMan]

Jensi

Brandishing his holy symbol, Jensi lets loose another pulse of light upon the approaching shadows. As he does so, he steps backwards slightly, heeding Rennard's advice.

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5 foot step away from S1 and use another Channel Energy to damage undead.

Channel Energy: (Will DC 18) (2d6)[9]

[Leviathan]

Rennard and his illusionary duplicates step forwards into combat with the shadow assailing Jensi. Five golden rays blast out at the horror, and five black rapiers cut through darkness. The shadow reels under the attack, shuddering and convulsing, its features dissolving rapidly until nothing is left but the night sky.

Dastan's second application of Iomedae's light is less effective than the first. The shadow's vague form seems to flow around the paladin's touch, evading it entirely.

Aldrin's hellish frost appears from his glowing hands in a flash of icy light. Crystalline and frigid, it craws along the deck, expanding rapidly. Its cold quickly extinguishes the fire, consuming it like some voracious monster devouring its prey.

Tallox's extraplanar claws and teeth rend shadowy vapour, leaving the shadow barely more than a vacuous black cloud. Jensi finishes it off, Shelyn's power vanquishing it is a shower of glimmering light.

The sole remaining shadow fights on with malevolent tenacity. It's cloudy, coal-black coils lash out at Dastan, clutching his flesh once more in a chilling grip.

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3 STR damage to Dastan.

The winged shadow creature, surveying the battle, swoops down from its perch. It alights upon the deck, its eyes glowing like vile embers. With a lightning motion, its razor claws slash their way through the weakened mast.

The mast trembles, then falls with a creak, then a crash. It shatters the deck, splintering it to pieces. Its sails and rigging sink into the Jeggere, waterlogged and heavy. She entire ship lurches to the side precipitously.

Round 3

Map

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SC stands for Shadow Creature, i.e. the winged thing that just knocked over the mast.

[RocketMan]

Jensi

"Woah," Jensi cries as the mast topples, rocking the entire ship. It occurs to him that those razor claws, so easily able to slice through a mast, could prove deadly for his friends. His resolve to destroy the shadowy creature only increases.

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Channel Energy: (Will DC 18) (2d6)[10]

[Blisstake]

Aldrin barely manages to keep his balance as the mast falls upon the deck. When the shadow creature falls near the exposed sorcerer, he concentrates his power on damaging the thing, hoping that his allies intervene before it rips him to shreds.

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5 foot stepping down one

Casting Ear Piercing Scream on SC, dealing (2d6)[4] points of damage and dazing it (no daze and half on a DC 17 fort save)

HP: 34/34
AC: 12
F: +3 R: +3 W: +4
Level 1 Spells: 6/8
Level 2 Spells: 3/4

[DaedalusMkV]

Dastan brings his hands inwards towards the shadow, trying to get a good grip on it and finish it off for good before it drains away too much of his strength. He staggers slightly when the mast falls and glances momentarily at the winged creature that just settled onto the deck then returns his full attention to his current foe.

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Making another Touch attack to try and deliver that Lay on Hands. Hopefully this works... If I take the Shadow down with this attack, draw my Longsword as a move action and 5-foot-step towards the Shadow Creature. If not, then do nothing.

Attack: (1d20+5)[16]
Damage: (3d6)[9]

Summary:
HP: 40/40

AC 21, FF21, Touch 10 (+4 to all against S3)
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +11
Energy Resist 5 vs. Electricity, Fire, Acid
Immune to Fear (Allies within 10 feet gain +4)
Immune to Disease
Smite Evil 1/2
Lay on Hands 4/6

[Drothmal]

Thanks to his fencing training, Rennard is able to shift his weigh as to not be hindered by the moving ship

His first foe defeated, the magus turns to the winged creature and repeats the same pattern he used against the shadow

Actions

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Swift: Activate Arcane Strike
5-ft step around creature if that would allow for flanking
EDIT: I realized that my previous actions would cause an AoO. That's perfectly fine since Rennard would risk using the illusions as cover


Full round: Spell combat
DisruptUndead - (1d20+7)[16] (vs ranged touch)
Damage - (1d6)[1]

Attack - (1d20+8)[23] (+2 if flanking)
Damage - (1d6+4)[10]

Status

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HP=37/37, AC=19 (14 touch, 15 FF)
Arcane Pool=7/8
Mirror image illusions=4

[SanguinePenguin]

Atavian can sense how little fear Tallox has of the nascent threat, so the cowardly halfling fears enough for the both of them. What can he do to thwart this evil? With his magic, he ensnares his allies with a blessing of speed.

With three quick strides, Tallox moves across the deck. The boat lurches to the side - either from the waves or the falling mast - as the beast sets his maw on the demonic penumbra.

Action:

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Haste on Tallox, Rennard, Dastan and Aldrin for 4 rounds

Tallox charge SC
Bite: Attack (1d20+8)[17] Damage (1d6+1)[3]

Summary:

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Tallox
HP: 28/28. AC: 22 (17+4 mage armor-2 charge+2 protevil+1haste) (16=11+1+4+2-2 vs Incorporeal & Evil), 11 Touch, 20 Flatfooted. Prot Evil
Saves: +4 Fortitude, +2 Reflex, +3 Will.

Atavian
HP: 40/40. AC: 16, 13 Touch, 14 Flatfooted.
Saves: +4 Fortitude, +4 Reflex, +5 Will.

[Leviathan]

Jensi's and Dastan's combined holy energy rips apart the last shadow, leaving its body to shrivel and dissolve into the air. Jensi's light, however, passes through the shadowy creature, doing nothing but illuminate a skeletal, demonic visage hidden amidst roiling blackness.

Where divine magic failed, however, the arcane proves more successful. Aldrin' burst of sound leaves the creature stunned and reeling, unable to react, except to hiss, its noise gutteral and acidic.

Atavian and Rennard

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This is the Abyssal tongue. The creature hisses: "too late; death comes now!"

Then Rennard's sword cuts into the creature's shadowy form, making its skull-face contort hideously in pain. The magus' ray, however, has no effect.

Though halted by Aldrin's spell, the creature is able to avoid Tallox's gaping maw by dropping to its haunches as the eidolon charges. Atavian, meanwhile, casts his enhancement spell, strengthening his allies.

As the last shadow falls, and the shadow-beast is stunned and assailed, the sound of rushing water can be heard, and the ship lurches again. The inky Jeggere is now no longer clear and calm; instead, it is littered with splintered wooden planks and debris, drowning rats, and gently floating crates and barrels.

The ship is now noticeably lower in the water, and going down fast. Within moments, the heavy, fallen mast drags half of the upper deck down into the icy waters...

Round 4

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The ship is now listing heavily. To move more than 10 feet will require a DC 10 acrobatics check. If you take only a move action on your turn, decrease the DC to 5.

Map

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[Blisstake]

"Not good," Aldrin mutters as the ship begins to sink. Thoughts of escape seem less important than dealing with the immediate threat, so Aldrin once again channels icy magics to slow down the creature while his sped-up allies wreck havoc on it.

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Casting Frost Fall so the Shadow Creature is on the bottom right square. Deals (2d6)[5] cold damage, and (1d6)[6] at the begining of his turn. If it fails a DC 18 fort save, then it is also staggered for 1 round.

HP: 34/34
AC: 12
F: +3 R: +3 W: +4
Level 1 Spells: 6/8
Level 2 Spells: 2/4

[DaedalusMkV]

With his foe finally destroyed, Dastan turns his attention to the skeletal figure menacing the others. He quickly turns around while drawing his Longsword from its' sheath, his motions made unnaturally quick by Atavian's magic, and addresses the creature as he brings his blade down upon it. "Return from whence you came, Abomination!" Once again his eyes and hair seem to gleam in the dim light as he calls upon his heavenly spark to aid him against the shadowy foe.

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5-foot step directly right, putting myself in a Flanking position with Rennard, draw my sword as a Move action and declare Smite Evil as a Swift, then attack the Shadow Creature.

Attack: (1d20+13)[20]
Damage: (1d8+5)[12] (Add 4 if the opponent is an Evil Outsider or Undead)

Summary:
Summary:
HP: 40/40

AC 22, FF21, Touch 11 (+4 to all against SC)
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +11
Energy Resist 5 vs. Electricity, Fire, Acid
Immune to Fear (Allies within 10 feet gain +4)
Immune to Disease
Smite Evil 0/2
Lay on Hands 4/6

[SanguinePenguin]

The speed accelerates all of Tallox's motions. He dodges, swings and bites with preternatural speed - though his muscles are still weakened.

Atavian looks around at the sinking ship, trying to figure out if there is a quick fix to keep the boat afloat. As he scans, he replies in abyssal - as nonchalantly as if it was the common tongue and not the language of the pit where evil was born, "<why are you here?>"

Action:

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Haste: Tallox, Rennard, Dastan and Aldrin - 3 rounds remaining

Atavian: Look around boat, ask question.
Int: (1d20+2)[14]
Profession (boat... stuff?): (1d20)[17]
Know(local): (1d20+6)[23] (In case it's a local ship model... A bit of stretching here...)

Tallox full attack
Bite 1: Attack (1d20+6)[26] Damage (1d6+1)[4] +2 crit (on 24) if applicable
L Claw: Attack (1d20+5)[24] Damage (1d6+1)[5]
R claw: Attack (1d20+5)[14] Damage (1d6+1)[6]
Bite 2: Attack (1d20+6)[22] Damage (1d6+1)[5]

Summary:

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Tallox
HP: 28/28. AC: 24 (17+4 mage armor+2 protevil+1haste) (18=11+1+4+2 vs Incorporeal & Evil), 11 Touch, 20 Flatfooted. Prot Evil
Saves: +4 Fortitude, +2 Reflex, +3 Will.

Atavian
HP: 40/40. AC: 16, 13 Touch, 14 Flatfooted.
Saves: +4 Fortitude, +4 Reflex, +5 Will.

[RocketMan]

Jensi yelps with concern as the ship begins to tilt precariously, submerging part of the deck beneath the Jeggare. Still, he is able to pull himself together in time to bless Dastan's strike.

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Vigor on Dastan, +1 to damage on his attack if it hits.

[Drothmal]

Seeing that the ray had no effect on this abyssal speaking creature, Rennard theorizes that this particular foe might not be an undead at all (hypothesis supported by its preferred language).

Setting aside his more academic question of what would the shadows be doing with a beyonder from the Abyss, the magus summarizes that a change of tactics would be most appropriate

And, considering the current state of the ship, this was no time to limit the usage of available resources

It is time, Bonded agrees Reve, communicating at the speed of though with the duelist so no real battle time is lost

Taking advantage of the celerity given by Atavian's spell, the magus and his duplicates all lunge at the enemy's head and, with inhuman speed, follow the attack with perfectly executed remises to the creature's body

Not stopping for a second, the five magi trace the sygil of "cold" with their left hand

Hiver!

Channeling the powerful evocation through his blade, the fencer's black rapier glows with a pale blue radiance as the duelist and his four illusions strike once again with a powerful sideways slash


Actions

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Swift: Activate Arcane Strike

Full-Round: Spell Combat+Spellstrike

Physical Attacks (includes extra attack and +1 bonus due to haste and a +2 thanks to flanking with Dastan)
Attack1 - (1d20+11)[18]
Damage1 - (1d6+4)[10]
Attack1 - (1d20+11)[31]
Damage2 - (1d6+4)[7]

Cast Frigid Touch, delivered as a melee attack as part of Spellstrike (provokes an AoO)
Spellstike - (1d20+11)[16]
WeaponDamage - (1d6+4)[7]
FrigidTouch - (4d6)[14] (cold damage)

Unless it has SR, if the attack succeeds, the target is Staggered for 1 round

Concentration Check if AoO hits Rennard and not an illusion

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Concentration - (1d20+9)[24] (vs 12+damage)

Status

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HP=37/37, AC=20 (15 touch, 15 FF)
Arcane Pool=7/8
Mirror image illusions=4

[Leviathan]

The shadowy creature roars defiantly, its demonic voice calling out.

Abyssal:

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"I will not tell! But you are already dead, all of you."

Then it is assailed on all sides. Aldrin's frost climbs up its body, ice crystals searing it. Dastan's blade, infused with Iomedae's might, swings down into it, bolstered by Jensi's spell. Tallox rends and tears at it. And Rennard's blade cuts repeatedly into shadowy demonic flesh. It staggers backwards under the assault, and, black, boiling blood pouring out of its numerous gashes, it falls with a final hiss.

The water has now consumed half of the ship, dragging it down into the dark waters of the Jeggere. From the side of the ship, twenty feet away in the water, you see Kroft's boat, rowing hard towards you. A voice calls out: "We'll come in close and pick you up! Hold on!"

The boat pulls up along side the doomed vessel. "Quick, get aboard!"

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It'll be a DC10 Acrobatics or Climb to get aboard. Failure results in falling into the water.

[Blisstake]

"Rennard," Aldrin addresses, expecting him to be the most agile of the group. "Help Jensi get to safety. I'll be fine."

Despite his assurances, he nervously attempts to escape the ship sinking into the icy waters of the sea.

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Acrobatics I suppose

(1d20+2)[14]

[SanguinePenguin]

Atavian tries his best to charge to the side of the Jeggere and jumps to the boat - barely making it. Tallox tries to follow after him, but crushes through the deck on his penultimate step, tripping and falling into water. With a moment of focus, Atavian dismisses the beyonder.

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Acrobatics Atavian: (1d20+3)[11]
Acrobatics Tallox: (1d20+1)[5]

Then Atavian dismisses Tallox with his next standard action...

[RocketMan]

"I'll be fine," Jensi calls out in answer to Aldrin. "Really, I will! Look, watch me!" he says brightly as he dashes towards the rowboat.

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Acrobatics: (1d20+1)[18]

[Drothmal]

Realizing that the ship's fate was sealed, the fencer had quickly maneuvered around the slippery deck up to the rail closest to the smaller boat. There, the duelist had remained at a ready to catch any of his companions should their trajectory be off when jumping to safety (regrettably, Rennard had been so concentrated on Atavian's safety that he had not realized that Tallox would not make it until it was to late)

After Jensi's optimistic statement and perfectly executed jump, the magus was left alone with the paladin. Looking at Dastan with a dissecting eye, Rennard had picked up that the shadow's had caused more damage to the champion of Iomedae than was immediately apparent to the eye. The jump would prove challenging to Dastan, and if he didn't make it, his heavy armor could seal his fate by dragging him to the bottom of the empty ocean

Closing his eyes for a second, the magus analyzes his options. He still had some spells that could be of use...

That's it! the duelist realizes

Dastan! Run and jump as far as you can! I will use my magic to get you to the boat safely

Placing Reve back into her sheathe in a smooth motion and dismissing the duplicates, the bladebound magus begins to trace arcane symbols with both hands. He could have used only one, but there was no room for error.

Calculating angles, forces, wind resistance and a large number of other variables in his head, Rennard focuses all his mind into the image of a potent geyzer of water. As he traces the rune for "water", the duelist nods at the paladin and says

Now!

[DaedalusMkV]

Dastan hesitates on deck, both to ensure that the others make it safely to the rescue boat and because he has no confidance in his ability to make an escape himself, weighted down as he is by his heavy equipment. He absent-mindedly sheathes his sword and returns his shield to its strap on his back, contemplating tying a rope around his waist and trying to judge the distance to shore. His gaze snaps to Rennard when the Duelist calls out to him, then he nods in acknowledgement. "Alright." He takes a few steps backwards, stubling slightly as the sinking hull takes an unexpected plunge, then at the signal sprints forwards and jumps, trusting that his ally will see him through safely.

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I'll at least try for the Acrobatics check, unlikely as I am to make it...
(1d20-5)[6]

[Leviathan]

Aldrin, Atavian, and Jensi all manage to jump onto the boat, each sending ripples across the water with the impact of landing. Tallox stumbles, but is dismissed by his master before any harm can come to the eidolon.

Then it is Dastan's turn. The paladin's shining plate mail slows him down, and his leap is clearly going to land him short of the boat. Rennard's deft spellcasting adjusts his trajectory, and he lands with a crash in the middle of the rowboat. Several guards curse with surprise as the boat rocks precipitously.

The schooner, meanwhile, is almost completely sunk, its wooden frame being sucked down voraciously, leaving behind only frothing white water and a detritus of shattered planks, floating crates, and grey-brown riverbed silt. Rennard, standing atop the deck's rail as the ship goes under, leaps without trouble into the guards' boat.

-----------------

As the boat pulls away from the ship, you see its masts go under, dragged down by the bulk of its hull in seconds. The water ripples, sending small waves outwards, making the boat bob up and down, and sending the ship's debris lazily towards shore. Soon, it seems, the entire happening will dissolve into the night.

The commanding sergeant sits, grim-faced, at the helm. "Never seen anything like it," he says with a worried frown. We'll be back at the bridge in a moment; the Field Marshal will need to hear about this."

-----------------

Kroft meets you at the dock, a spyglass in hand. From the way her hands are clenched, it is surprising that the fragile device remains intact. "What happened? We couldn't make out a blasted thing once the fire went out."

[Drothmal]

After landing in the rowboat, Rennard makes sure that his rapier is still safely fastened

I am still here bonded reassures the blade telepathically Go check on Dastan

Why? The trajectory was harmless assures the Magus

Reve laughs inside of the duelist's head Most people are not redirected into a moving target by their friends

Following the blade's suggestion, Rennard extends a hand to Dastan

Any damage? asks the duelist to the paladin.

In the back of his head, Rennard hears Reve laugh again

--------

On the way back to land, the magus kneels into a meditative position. During the last weeks, he had learned to channel his magical energies into replenishing the spells he had memorized at the beginning of each day

Even if they were heading back to their allies, Rennard wanted to be sure he'd be ready for any circumstances that arised

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Spend 3 points of arcane pool to recover mirror image and hydraulic push

Arcane pool = 4/8

------

Upon hearing Kroft's question, the fencer tries to recap the events in his usual succint sentences

Upon climbing to the ship, we were attacked by five creatures: four shadow beings and another monster that we could not identify. The shadows were most likely undead or beyonders from the negative energy planes.

The fifth creature might be tied to the Abyss, but it is hard to tell. In our fight, this last monster, which seemed to be the leader, tried to set fire to the ship. Not able to do that thanks to Aldrin's spellcasting, it brought down the mast and the ship with it

After giving the report, Rennard remains quiet for a bit, waiting for his companions (and their superior social skills) discuss the situation futher

[SanguinePenguin]

"The shades, their icy touch sapped... strength - err, life," a shudder runs down Atavian's spine as he recalls what he felt from his connection to Tallox's soul. "The orchestrator was, I believe, a demon - or some shadowy form that spoke in the language of demons. It started the fire; it broke the mast which sunk the ship. Then, we destroyed the shades and it.

"Unfortunately, we got very little information before the boat went down. We have some idea that this was the work of demons, but we - or I at least - have no idea why." The halfling looks gloomily at the ground for an instant before adding, "well, except that demons revel in carnage."

[Blisstake]

"Like I said..." Aldrin begins as he catches his breath. "If that was an attempt to specifically assassinate us, then it was well planned, if lacking in actual force."

He thinks for a moment, then adds, "The ship itself obviously wasn't that important, as the fiend set fire to it and broke the mast while we were still aboard. And as far as I can tell, there weren't any living creatures that would have been killed from it sinking."

Turning to the Field Marsall, Aldrin asks, "Cressida, did the ship do anything of note before we boarded it? This seems a bit elaborate to have simply been for the purpose of murdering us."

[Leviathan]

"That is... disturbing." She pauses, her brow furrowed. "And you're sure there were no crew - nothing but these shadows - on board? That seems impossible: the ship held straight to its course - there must have been someone at the helm."

"The ship didn't do anything. Ever since we saw its signal lantern, it's been sailing straight through the river, never wavering. No changes. Nothing. And now it turns out it was infested by shadows. I'll have to inform the Queen." She does not seem happy at the prospect.

[RocketMan]

Jensi

"No there wasn't!" Jensi exclaims suddenly in answer to Kroft's question. "Don't there rest of you remember? The wheel was all tied up!" He pauses for a moment, then continues blithely. "I wonder why anyone would do that?"

Apparently not overly concerned with his own query, the oracle sets about repairing the damage caused by the shadows. Laying a hand on Dastan's shoulder, the paladin shimmers for a moment with a prismatic light.

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Jensi is casting Lesser Restoration on Dastan and Tallox. I'll roll them in the OOC, since I'm not sure how many uses will be required.

[DaedalusMkV]

Dastan rolls carefully to his knees, somewhat surprised to have landed in the boat at all, then quickly checks himself over for injuries. When he realizes that he has somehow managed to escape unscathed the quickly mouths a prayer to Iomedae and sits down. "No, Rennard, I appear to be quite intact. Thank you for your help... I fear I would have been in some danger without you."

-------

"The others are quite correct, Marshal. The helm was tied in place and the entire ship was infused with some sort of dark magic. Nobody living was onboard, we can be certain of that." He looks around at the others, weighing up what he's seen, then speaks out again. "Perhaps these creatures are connected to the Necromancer we encountered in the Catacombs? A ship infested with undead might be some sort of retaliation for his setback there, and the note we found did mention an attack on the city."

When Jensi casts his spell Dastan immediately perks up, standing a little bit straighter and more alertly. "Thank you, Jensi. That will suffice."

[Blisstake]

"You don't think any of those shadows escaped, do you?" Aldrin asks, turning his head back toward the waterfront. "They wouldn't exactly be easy to notice if they did."

[SanguinePenguin]

"Also, the demon said," Atavian strains his memory to recall the exact words in abyssal and their best translation, " 'it's too late; death comes now,' then he said 'all of you are already dead.' I don't know if he was overly confident in his own victory, but I suspect he was referring to something else..."

The halfling suddenly shifts direction to catastrophizing, "oh no. What if the ship was carrying a pestilence? Or more of those shades in the hull. As undead they could simply creep across the bottom and attack the city. That could be very bad."

[Leviathan]

Kroft nods, her arms folded across her chest. "All possible. All disturbing as well. But further investigation can wait for morning; I'll need you at your best, not tired and wounded. I'll station my men along the riverbanks to keep an eye out for any activity, and alert the Bank of Abadar so the priests there can keep themselves ready to assist."

The Field Marshal waves her hand and a guard approaches with your horses. "Lieutenant, set them up in the officer's barracks." Then she draws her longsword from its sheathe - it is a fine blade, embellished with the sigil of Korvosa. "Take this as a token of my thanks. I'll see you in the morning."

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Reward: +1 longsword (4,000 gp), Potion of Neutralize Poison (750 gp), Oil of Keen Edge (750 gp), Nondetection Potion (750 gp), Potion of Protection from Fire (750 gp), Cure Serious Wounds Potion (750 gp), Bracers of Armour +1.

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I'm assuming that you'll all follow the lieutenant. If you'd like to respond to Kroft beforehand, feel free.

The officer's barracks is far from opulent, but neither is is wholly spartan. You are taken to one of its wings, which is yours for the night. Its walls are lined with tapestries and paintings of former guard commanders. A portrait of Kroft in ceremonial armour sits above a lit fireplace, and the Guard's coat of arms is embossed on a shield above the doorway. Armchairs and stout well-made beds have been placed scattered throughout the large room.

The lieutenant bids you goodnight and departs, leaving you alone with the low-burning fire. No sooner has the door closed, however, than the room darkens. Jensi feels something rattling in his pocket: Zellara's harrow deck. Then the old woman's ghost appears before you, wispily floating out of the deck of cards, growing larger until she reaches her full size. Floating a few inches off the ground, she seats herself in an armchair by the fire, chuckling.

"Such a night of adventures," she croons. "Though evil evil spirits make Zellara jitter... They are not so pleasant to be around!"

"But you are tired, of course! Do not fear; I did not come only to blather at you! Or to you, if you're actually paying any attention! If you aren't, listen up now!

"Dark times are coming... My cards may tell more, if you wish to hear."

[Drothmal]

Though he was fairly tired from the night's adventures, Rennard pushes away his exhaustion when the witch's ghost begins to speak

Any information you could give would be most appreciated, Zellara though he still did not consider the supernatural entity's prediction the most accurate source of information, the magus knew that the party was short on information and any source of data could help