Artifact Hunters

[amanodel]

Sonny

Sonny accepts Tevrier's suggestions, both about marching order and the night watch. The ranger knows the way of adventuring in the wilderness much better than himself. During the night watch, he barely talks to Ramona, he's occupied with his thoughts mostly.


But no matter where Raven will, I think after tomorrow's events, the dragon chick will attack him first. - he adds his thoughts to the marching order.

[Ruik]

Valimar Kil'ana

Feeling slightly bad at having a full nights sleep, Valimar nevertheless understands the necessity of it and so wakes in the morning refreshed and ready to see what awaits them at the lake.

In response to Sonny's words, he gives the muscle bound Raven a thoughtful look before speaking. "You are probably right, however I do not see how we can avoid that wherever Raven marches, and the reasoning for him being there is sound."

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OOC - i'm happy with that order

.

[wxdruid]

Arha

Wakes up refreshed and ready to go, just wanting to get it all over with.

[Roland St. Jude]

Raven

Raven nods at Tevrier's suggestion. He didn't much like being hemmed in, even by his allies, but Tevrier was right. Except for above, they didn't really know where the next strike would come from. And it's not just her and that pink beast, we'll have to deal with, I suspect.

"That sounds fine," he smiles at the man, glad someone was thinking these things through so he didn't have to, "my strength will be ready when needed."

With that he settles down for a quiet moment of meditation and prayer. When he is done, he grabs his blade and takes up his position in the marching order. At least from this spot, I've a nice view.

[BlueWizard]

The morning path to the ruin is uneventful, though many deer are seen bounding around. Strange deer though that are striped black, and have three antlers. One is a large crown in front on the bull males.

Illanee will give Raven a playful smile as he follows behind her.

As you come down the hill into what was the temple's lakeside spot, you can all see that a long time ago, perhaps a thousand years old, this was the site of a small village. A stone dock was built, whcih is in ruins and a wooden dock is on top of that... this dock is heavily damaged, but not charred up, like the far-side of the lake. The village is all grown over, completely razed, but was also built of stone, the black stone of course, as was the ancient docks. The land has merely been a clearing for the more recent ruined black stone temple, with a burnt stables outside. {it appears, it too is only rubble, and twisted metel.} There are several layers of archeology here!

The temple face, whatever it looked like cannot be discerned, it is in complete ruin. It was built into the hillside's rockface, you can tell only the exterior is destroyed, and the rubble has been crammed down into it's enterances. From here it looks like some time might pass before you get into the old temple from here.

[androgial]

anduran

once more anduran casts pass without a trace on the party as they continue from the morning path on towards the cave in question and the artifact they seek to rescue and store away in a safe area.

[amanodel]

Sonny

Now we're digging like some goddamn kobold. - Sonny grunts, but nevertheless he starts to clear the entrance of the ruined temple, carrying the fallen rocks away.

It would be good to have at least a single person who knows anything about this temple. Redgar or Lukan would came handy now... If there's a rear entrance which would require considerably less 'stonework' I'd say we should try that.

Until anyone says so, he continues to free the entrance, cursing heavily about lead-heavy black stones and the possible romantic contact between a diggin' kobold and a pink worm. So, just the usual.

[BlueWizard]

Sonny begins the arduous task of clearing out a passage into the temple.

{OOC- Unless you specifically say, you won't be lifting the extremely large rocks.}

[amanodel]

Sonny indeed prefers to move smaller rocks, leaving the larger boulders to Raven, and will use his enlarging wand on the warrior if there are some large rocks that must be moved but won't be possible otherwise.

Hey, Raven boy! We need some muscle over here!

[wxdruid]

Arha sits back and watches them work, (she has rather wimpy strenth). She'll chat with Sharon if she's interested.

[DarkLadyOfTheSith]

Sharon (with her 14 str and farm upbringing) will lend a hand to clearing the rock away, quite cheerfully carrying on a conversation with Arha while she helps.

[Toliudar]

Ramona

Eager to help - and to get this over with, Ramona lends her not-insignifant muscles to the effort to clear the passage.

Back down into the dark again. Well, can't be helped.

Spoiler

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Strength is 21 - Ramona can help Sonny and Raven with the big ones.

[Roland St. Jude]

Raven

Raven does his part to help clear stones. He considers using his magic to make the task a bit easier but decides against it. Moving rock was good, honest, not bloody work. He rather enjoyed it.

[BlueWizard]

The day will be long and hard, and the sun will draw low in the sky by the time you have made a serious dent in the rubble. All the bits, were carryable by a strong human, but some were quite tedious.

There is so much rubble it might take until nightfall until you can get people into the back area. It is packed thick with black, broken rocks.

Illanee decides to keep an eye out, letting the others do the work, she was raised a noble-girl among the drow after all... She is mostly nervous about the strange lake creatures lurking just beneath the water's surface. They seemed to have increased their presence once the digging began. As if they were curiously watching you from beneath the water. They only seem to be 100 feet away now, but still it was hard to tell what the huge creatures were.

[Toliudar]

Ramona

Sweat has plastered Ramona's hair to her skull by the time she lifts a large boulder clear of the passage and outside. Glancing nervously at the water - and the shapes within - she sets down the rock with as little clatter as possible, and gestures to Tevrier.

Hey, Tev. Any idea what them shapes in the waters are? They got such things round here when you was a kid?

[amanodel]

Sonny

Seeing the big fish-creatures under the water sonny adds his own question to Ramona's.

And are they edible? Playing with these rocks made me darn hungry.

Some of you might not tell him from his voice, but it was meant to be a joke, since Sonny doesn't thinks the best course of action now would be to engage in an underwater battle with such large beasts.

[androgial]

anduran

anduran notes sonny's jest but still slips away from the heavy labor. he returns later with the fruits of his other labor instead as he apparently went hunting.(gathering firewood, a deer,and medicinal herbs from the forest hopefully)

survival check - (1d20+11)[26]

survival check2 - (1d20+11)[27]

survivalcheck3 - (1d20+11)[19]

regardless of what he brings back he starts a fire(taking 10 for 21)

[BlueWizard]

The sun is dropping over the horizon when the group begins to feel a slight air flow beyond the piles of rock, indicating a passage of sorts.

Between the dock and temple, a huge pile of rock has formed.

And as the last bit of rock is removed, the group is not surprised {Listen checks all around!} There is a rumble of stones as sickly black tentacles burst forth from the remaining rubble in the entrance surrounding Raven and Sonny!


Initiatives:
Sonny 17+7
Illanee
Valimar 15+4
Sharon 16+3
Tevrier 17+2
Ramona 15+2
Arha 8+7
Anduran 12+3
Tentacle Creature
Raven 3+4

Luckily the tentacles made noise coming out! But these look quite large, and have some reach!

Note: Anduran would have returned from his outing by this time.

[androgial]

anduran

while one of the strange three horned deer is cooking over the fire, havng been skinned and deboned, anduran has readied his swords in preperation for entering the temple where ranged melee would be mostly useless. when the tentacles shoot out he reacts with a full attack pattern on the emerging tentacles. (need a ruling on the exact to hit bonuses with two attacks from the main and 2 from the offhand due to improved two weapon fighting. base attacks including sword bonuses are +10/+5 meaning anduran has 4 attacks per round right now with melee weapons.)

listen - (1d20+11)[25]

attacks sans bonuses
(4d20)[19][7][1][5](32)

[wxdruid]

Arha casts Ray of Exhaustion at it.

[Roland St. Jude]

Raven

Raven removes the final stone and hurls it aside as the strangle tentacles begin to emerge from the hole. While not surprised, he's certainly caught off-guard, though he works to cast a spell and draw his blade.

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I'm not sure what condition I'll be in after the tentacled horror attacks. But if unmolested, Raven casts Enlarge Person (Con Check - (1d20+15)[24], if needed) and draws his greatsword. If he gets grappled or something his action may change.

[Toliudar]

Ramona

At the sound of the approaching tentacles, Ramona shakes the sweat out of her brow and drops the remaining rock she was holding.

Quickly, she snatches her axe off of her back, and roars a wordless warning - whether to her companions or her opponent, it's difficult to say. She rushes up to hack at the waving nasty things before they're able to snatch up either of her new colleagues.

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She's hoping to draw the attack of opportunity so that others won't have to. Ramona will charge (or move while drawing her axe and then attack, if she doesn't have a clean line to the tentacles) the creature. Assuming the addition of +2 for charging, gripping the axe for a two-handed blow:

Ramona attack and damage with axe (1d20+13=26, 1d8+8=15)

Any way of telling if it's a bunch of creatures or one very big one?

[Severedevil]

Tevrier

Tevrier also assists in shifting the rock barrier, and his wiry frame belies an implausible strength. The heavy leather belt tied firmly around his waist provides spinal support as well.

The ranger shakes his head at Ramona's question. "I've not seen these creatures, but I and my people usually avoid this place."

Tevrier hesitates at the sight of the tentacles, trying to spot the creature's body, but Ramona makes up his mind for him. Charging the beast after his half-orc companion, the ranger sweeps his scythe out in a deadly arc aimed at the most important-looking piece.

Spoiler

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Delay until after Ramona's move, then charge, draw scythe, and strike. Attack 1d20+15=32, damage 2d4+10=13. If the creature's type is aberration, the attack roll instead becomes 34 and the damage gains and additional 2+2d6=9 damage.

[Ruik]

Valimar Kil'ana

Valimar coolly steps back away from the monsters tentacles, muttering words of arcane power, and gestures towards where it has surged out of the ruins.

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Ok, so I want to cast web on this creature, using the ruins to anchor it. The idea that it starts in the squares in front of Raven and Sonny and heads away from them in a 20ft radius. Therefore the only thing caught in it is the creature, and the others are free to attack it. If this isn't possible, then just have him cast Mage armor on Sonny (he's a monk right? It'll stack? Well if not go with plan C and just have him cast Mage Armor on himself...)

[amanodel]

Sonny

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Sonny's no monk. He has a few monk levels, and a wisdom score that does not entitle him for the usual monk AC :) He wears a fine mithral armor under his robes, it would be a wast to cast a spell on him.

The large thug is not surprised that there is something nasty in such a place. He instictively reaches into his pocket for his enlarging wnad, and uses it on himself, to grow just as big as Raven, and move to block the path between the tentacle monster and the more vulnerable ones of the group.

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Use magic device (1d20+4=23)

[BlueWizard]

{OOC- Blue Wizard is now accepting self rolls. Do post with link or use my Dice roller. }

Sonny is quick to act when the tentacles surround him, they don't seem so eager to grab now. He is careful with his magical device and manages to use it again.

Illanee's arrow-shot deflects harmlessly off as she fires her quick trigger. It is clear these tentacles can only be hit with magical weapons.

Valimar covers the ruin opening with webbing, and seems to entangle the tentacles within the rocky ruin still blocking the cave that you are beginning to uncover. Awful insect-like squeals come from a strange creature. Only Tevrier and Anduran will know what this beast likely is:
A Carrion crawler, not a beast of nature, but common enough around the refuse or ruins of humanoids. Quite dangerous! Normally they are hues of green, however, these ones are sickly black. There are two of them judging by the sixteen tentacles.

Though Sharon is slightly tall for a woman, and on the sexy, shapely side, she still finds herself lucky enough to be smaller than the two big pieces of meat nearly surrounded in tentacles. {DM action} Sharon steps a safe distance away from the tangled creatures, and fires 4 magic missles with pin-point accuracy. {d:2, 4, 3, 5} Three of the tentacles are blasted off, and the beast squeals louder.

Tevrier holds, looking to the mighty Ramona first.

Ramona sees with the tentacles entangled in rock and web, they aren't doing much! She crashes her axe through the rubble onto the beast that Sharon had hit moments ago. Ramona's blow was so mighty she cut through some of the rocks and into the Crawler's head beyond the remaining wall. This also dislodges some of the remaining rocks {and some web}, revealing a better view of the other living one next to it.
They are nasty and blotched, and the living one has an eyestalk that is bulbous and red, looking like its about to burst with pus.

Tevrier is in luck when his corrupted abberation is revealed, his mighty scythe manuevers into the passage, and lodges itself in the beast's side. It oozes nasty blackness! {d:22!}

Arha points a black ray at the beast and clearly fatigues it, as it slows and even lessens its whimper.

Anduran:
{Since he uses a smaller off-hand weapon his minuses are: {-2/-2} If I'm not mistaken. Your four attacks should +8/+3 and +8/+3; only the 19 hit, and it failed to critical. Additional +4 for Abberations Dam: 9} Two Abberant Hunter... that'll be good.

Anduran swings his blades stepping alongside Tevrier. Anduran's longsword's first blow strikes home, now the beast's brain. The last Carrion Crawler dies, and hisses its last awful noise. Anduran only needed one swing.

END COMBAT!---------------------------------------->


The rest of the rubble can be cleared, and it will reveal a huge 30 foot tall cave that slopes slightly into the earth. The whole wway is raw rock, as whatever was here before was ripped off the walls and destroyed, or piled amid the rubble you now have piled by the docks.

[amanodel]

Sonny

Sonny pulls out his dagger, and pokes the tentacle creatures with disgust.

Bleh, this smell makes me wanna vomit. What the hell these things were? - he asks mainly Tevrier and Anduran, who seemed to know how to fight the creatures effectively.

Clearing the rest of the rocks from the way, he's ready to continue.

[Roland St. Jude]

Raven

Raven helps Sonny clear the remaining, and new, rubble, and he finds it much easier given his new size. He steps carefully around and over the strange beasts not wanting to carry the ichorous remains with him.

"Shall we?" he asks as he begins into the tunnel.

[Toliudar]

Ramona

Ramona does her best to clean the nasty-looking blood off her axe blade. She glances sideways at Sonny.

What, ya mean a name asides "ugly nasty bug-thing"?

[amanodel]

Sonny

The now-extremely-large man grimaces to Ramona as he throws the last rocks away from the path.

Yeah, I was looking for somethin' like that... "ugly nasty bug-thing". And you call a wolf a "bitey-hairy dog-thing" ?