Expedition to Castle Ravenloft IC 2

[Vetril]

Spoiler: OOC

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Sorry for the delay, I wanted to post yesterday but really had no time.

Jonnel grunts as the impact of the projectile against his helmet produces a metallic sound that reverberates through the room. He raises his shield to intercept further attacks, and, noticing that Elena has got it covered, opts to focus on the cat on the chair.

Gallard slows down for the time required to let his companion pass. He then maneuvers to circle around the group and reach the cat that waits on the back of the chair.

Spoiler

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Jonnel - moves to B5 and attacks the cat on the chair: (1d20+9)[19], (1d10+2)[9].

Gallard - moves to A5 and attacks the cat on the chair: (1d20+13)[18], (1d10+5)[8]. Not sure if the cat is undead.

[Kish]

Brom summons a morningstar of force which slams into the cat to his north. Gallard and Jonnel move to stand on the couches and swing at the cat on the back of the chair, but it avoids their blows. Elena charges the little man and strikes him a blow which seems to bounce off his thick hide. The man bares a mouthful of very pointy teeth, dropping his sling and grabbing a scythe which looks too big for him to wield. Ivyn dodges to the south, moving so that he winds up against the south door. Ireena steps to the south and fires three arrows at the small man, each of which strikes him but doesn't sink in as far as you might have expected.

The small man grabs his scythe and swings it wildly at Elena. The cat on the chair jumps off it and the cats cluster around Brom, trying to...hit him with the ends of their tails? A lizard the size of a medium-sized dog runs out from behind the couch and out the door, brushing two of the cats aside as it runs; the cat that was on the couch emits a pained and oddly-pitched grunt as the lizard runs past it.

Spoiler

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Ireena's attacks: (1d20+13)[31](1d20+13)[14](1d20+8)[21]
Damage: (1d8+4)[9](1d8+4)[9](1d8+4)[9]
Little man attack: (1d20+3)[15](2d4+7)[12]
Cat attacks: (1d20+8)[16](1d20+8)[28](1d20+8)[26]
(1d20+6)[13]
Map.

[Kish]

One of the cats' tails slides off Brom's armor. The other two jab him with what seems like a sharp sting or small dagger.

Spoiler: OOC

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Brom takes (2d4)[6] damage and needs to make two DC 13 Fortitude saves; failure on the first means (1d4)[3] Dexterity damage and failure on the second means (1d4)[1] Dexterity damage.

(2d8)[2]

Spoiler: Knowledge: Arcana 14

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The small man's size, oversized scythe, and the way he shrugged off Elena's blow makes you think he may be a kind of evil fae, in which case he'd be vulnerable to cold iron.

(Gallard's sword: Not glowing.)

PCs' turn.

[stack]

Brom's summoned weapon continues its attack.

Spoiler

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5' to attack C1
att [roll]1d20+10[roll]
damage [roll]1d8+2[roll]

att [roll]1d20+5[roll]
damage [roll]1d8+2[roll]

Brom joins in, using his rather more material weapon.

Spoiler

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- screwed up rolls, see OOC-
Fort [roll]1d20+8[roll]
[roll]1d20+8[roll]

attacking C3

att [roll]1d20+9[roll]
damage [roll]1d8+3[roll]

att [roll]1d20+4[roll]
damage [roll]1d8+3[roll]

Brom Sunborn
M NG Human Cleric, Level 8, Init +1, HP 52/59, Speed 20
AC 20, Touch 7, Flat-footed 20, Fort +8, Ref -1, Will +10, Base Attack Bonus 6/1
MW Morningstar +9/+4 (1d8+2, x2)
magic vestment Fullplate +1, MW (also holy symbol) magic vestment Light Steel Shield (+10 Armor, +3 Shield, -3 Dex)
Abilities Str 14, Dex 5, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 18, Cha 16
Condition Magic Weapon (morningstar) +1
Magic Vestment (shield +2)

Turning Check:
-Check 1d20+8 (7 = 3 Cha + 2 Know Religion +3 circlet of persuasion) count as level 9 from Ephod
-Damage 1.5*(2d6+15) (14 = 8 level +1 ephod +3 CHA +3 circlet of persuasion)

[neoseph7]

Ivyn Nadirna

Ivyn surveys the sudden carnage and looks for the best spot to assist. To the fey with the scythe: You strike me as more of a dog person.

Ivyn casts Charm Monster on the fey: Will DC 22 or be my buddy. If the spell succeeds, Ivyn will call out to the party to leave the fey alone and let him help us.

[Ionbound]

Elena turns away from the not-man with the scythe, trusting Ivyn to take care of him as she turns on one of the not-cats and with the momentum of the turn swings her morningstar at the seemingly-fragile creature.

Spoiler: OOC

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Attack the nearest cat, charging if I have to.

Attack: (1d20+9)[24]
Damage: (1d8+3)[11]

[Vetril]

Gallard quickly kicks the chair out of his way as he moves to one of the creatures' side. He lunges with his sword twice, trying to impale the beast with the point of his sword.
Following the knight's example, Jonnel steps closer and brings his sword down in a vertical cut, aiming at one of the other cats that are attacking the priest.

"Hang on! I got this!"

Spoiler

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Gallard - steps to B4, full attacks C1: (1d20+15)[20], (1d10+5)[11]; (1d20+10)[15], (1d10+5)[13].

Jonnel - attacks C3: (1d20+9)[28], (1d10+2)[9].

[Kish]

Gallard and Jonnel's slashes are somewhat dulled, as is Brom's strike with his real morningstar, but Brom's spectral morningstar and Elena's morningstar are unhindered. Two of the cats fall to the floor. Each briefly changes into the immediately recognizable corpse of an imp before dissolving into an evil-smelling cloud of smoke. The little man lowers his scythe and smiles. "You're here to rescue me," he says.

Ireena, seeing the imps fall, fires three silver arrows at the last remaining imp-cat.

Spoiler

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Which I am not actually going to bother to roll for, as the fight is effectively over now; at best (from the imp's perspective), it might get one more attack. The map dies in a flurry of silver, force blows, and possibly glowing sling bullets. Battle over.

The poison from that one imp's tail sting continues to course through Brom's system.

(Gallard's sword: Not glowing.)

[stack]

Brom looks around to make sure there are no more imps hiding in the furniture before speaking softly to Ivyn, "Perhaps your new friend can tell us a few things?"

[neoseph7]

Ivyn Nadirna

Indeed. One can only hope. To the charmed Fey: Hello! I'm Ivyn. What's your name and are there any members of my band here that you simply cannot associate with?

If the Fey has an issue with any other members of the party, Ivyn will ask them to leave the immediate vicinity. Anybody else can ask questions which Ivyn will backup by re-asking them under the influence of the spell, being careful not to break the charm.

What are you doing in a place like this? Doesn't seem safe? Do you know anything about Strahd's plans or the dayheart? What were those feline creatures?

[Kish]

"Muireadhach, and no," the fae creature says.

"Khyristrix brought me here and hasn't let me leave. The imps guarded me, though they'd let me kill things occasionally, like that shocker lizard." He laughs a coarse, nasty laugh. "Strahd? Dayheart? I don't know what you mean."

[Vetril]

Now that the battle has ended, Gallard examines the little man, and then eyes Ivyn for good measure. Jonnel seems unsure about what to do, but he keeps his sword drawn in case that the precarious peace is broken once more.

"What's he doing here? I don't like the sound he makes when he laughs."

Gallard turns to speak to Brom.

"Why are we even talking with this creature? What do you hope to gain from this?"

[stack]

"It was possible that he could know something of use, though that possibility is receding rapidly. Has he seen a strange garden?"

[Kish]

"Take the direct approach," Ireena suggests. "Ask him if he knows where this devil is."

[Kish]

As Ivyn repeats the others' questions, a quizzical look passes over the fae's face. "Garden? I wouldn't call it a garden, but that...thing of Khyristrix's is right up the stairs outside this room. She's there most of the time. Practically all I seen of the castle."

(Gallard's sword: Not glowing.)

[neoseph7]

Ivyn Nadirna

Muireadhach, we're on a quest to stop the fiend Khyristrix, whom it sounds like you share no good intent for, what with him locking you up here. Will you help us defeat him?

[Kish]

Muireadhach bares his too-sharp teeth in a smile. "Kill Khyristrix, yes!"

[stack]

Brom looks at the paladin and shrugs. "So he knows something afterall."

To everyone, "Let us prepare ourselves, then, since we are reasonably forewarned this time."

Spoiler

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magic circle against evil on self (thought he had cast it before coming in the castle, but I never wrote it on the sheet). Not seeing any other good buffs prepared to pop now, unless anyone wants an enlarge person?

[Ionbound]

Elena smiles and says, "Well then. Let's send this devil back where she belongs."

[neoseph7]

Ivyn Nadirna

Before proceeding up the stairs towards the not-garden, Ivyn casts Shield on himself.

[Kish]

Muireadhach the Redcap leads you eagerly up the spiral staircase. This parapet rises high above the castle--only two towers rear higher. Bluish sludge covers the parapet, secreted by nearly a dozen white, wet, rat-sized slugs. The slugs move slowly, migrating among pooled sludge and vaguely anthropoid fleshly bulbs rooted into the stone parapet. The parapet is ever so slightly canted, enough so that the excess sludge languidly drains over the northern catwalk into an entrance on the neighboring tower. An acidic, vinegar-like odor dominates the air. "Something in my pack is humming," Ireena says.

Spoiler

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Map.

(Gallard's sword: Not glowing.)

[Ionbound]

Elena wrinkles her nose and nearly retches at the smell as she says, "Eugh...I suppose this is what devils think of as a garden. How foul."

[stack]

"I expect those slugs will not be friendly once we start our work. Everyone, be ready to strike the nearest of them, I will try damaging one of the 'trees'."

Spoiler

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know religion (1d20+10)[26] if it works for anything here, if no one has a knowledge worth sharing, he will strike a tree when everyone if ready

[Vetril]

Gallard averts his gaze from his companions for the time necessary to examine the so called garden.

"Finally we found it."

Jonnel shifts his weight uncomfortably as he looks at the pale slugs.

"It just had to be slugs, right?"

The knight turns to face his loyal companion.

"You're not going to hesitate now, are you? This is something that must be done, and quickly."

"I'm going to fight." - says Jonnel, while still eyeing the slimy beings. He is obviously disgusted.

Gallard stares at his friend for a few extra seconds, before he redirects his attention to what awaits them ahead.

Spoiler

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Gallard - Detect Evil looking towards the garden, to locate all the evil auras within range.

[Ionbound]

Elena nods to Brom and stands beside him, ready to smack anything that comes out of the woodwork, so to speak, to attack them.

Spoiler: OOC

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Ready an action to attack an obvious hostile.

[Kish]

Spoiler: Detect Evil

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The garden is full of evil. Muireadhach is unsurprisingly evil, the slugs and fleshy bulbs are evil, even the sludge is faintly evil. Gallard's attention is quickly grabbed by an overwhelming aura of evil (a level radiated by fiends and little else) from a pool of sludge to his south.

Suddenly, a humanoid covered with barbs surges from a pool of sludge at Q17, sending a spray of blue goo in all directions. The humanoid looks female, but the barbs and scales covering her body, including her meaty tail, show that she is in no way human. A dusty rose ioun stone orbits the humanoid's head. She clutches a heavy mace in one hand and says in an echoing voice that hurts your brains to hear, "Trina! Come to me!" As if energized by her appearance, the white slugs begin to spasm and writhe aggressively.

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm guessing that Elena considers her an obvious hostile; if so, Elena attacks her automatically and is now adjacent to her, in P18. Go ahead and take the attack before taking your regular action.
(1d20)[10] <-I have not forgotten group initiative. This is not an initiative roll.
Map.
K: The barbed devil.
L: The slug-creatures.
M: Muireadhach.

(Gallard's sword: Not glowing.)

(PCs' turn.)

[Ionbound]

Elena raises her morningstar over her head, attempting to land a ringing blow on the fiend at it rises out of the pit. After this swing, she shouts, "Back to the hells with you, fiend!" and in holy fury swings twice more, aiming to finish the fight before it starts.

Spoiler: OOC

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Initiative: (1d20+1)[9]

Prepared Attack: (1d20+8)[19]
Damage: (1d8+3)[9]

Attack 1: (1d20+8)[16]
Damage: (1d8+3)[7]

Attack 2: (1d20+3)[4]
Damage: (1d8+3)[8]

[Vetril]

Gallard and Jonnel simultaneously run towards the demon, their swords held high and ready to strike.

"Out of my way" - the knight shouts; his companion has no choice but to step aside or hinder the attack.

With his path towards the vile creature cleared, Gallard runs in, and delives a powerful descending blow meant to open a deep cut in the torso of the enemy. Similarly, Jonnel aims at the leg, hoping to make it impossible for the demon to block both of them.

Spoiler

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Jonnel - move to R17 and attack Khyristrix : (1d20+9)[11], (1d10+2)[3].

Gallard - charge Khyristrix (end in Q17): (1d20+15)[25], (1d10+5)[11].

[stack]

Brom calls a battle blessing down on himself, growing in strength.

Spoiler

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divine power

[Kish]

The fiend nimbly avoids all the blows aimed at her. Ireena fires three silver arrows at her, two of which lodge solidly in the devil. Muireadhach lifts his overlarge scythe and runs forward to slash at her but misses by a mile. The humming sound from Ireena's pack grows loud enough for all of you to hear it. Meanwhile, the slugs surge toward you; three attempt to attach themselves to Jonnel, five to Elena, and one to Ivyn. Khyristrix snarls and waves her left hand, a white grid of energy forming around her; Muireadhach collapses to the parapet, dropping his scythe.

Spoiler

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(1d20+13)[26](1d20+13)[15](1d20+8)[26]
(1d8+4)[9](1d8+4)[9](1d8+4)[10]
(1d20+3)[9](2d4+7)[10]
Ivyn and Brom take (5d8/2)[0] 13 damage, 6 if they make a DC 18 Will save.
Gallard, Jonnel, Elena, and Muireadhach all get attacks of opportunity against the slugs. Muireadhach slashes one of them cleanly in half, sending ichor flying.
(1d20+3)[21](2d4+7)[14]
Map updated.

Spoiler: Spellcraft 19

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Khyristrix cast Order's Wrath.

(Gallard's sword: Not glowing.)

PCs' turn.