Wrath of the Righteous IC [3.5, Group B]

[Cavir]

Semult watches the strangers walk away (noticing their direction and attitude) then goes just inside the door. "Who were they? Strange that they just wandered off isn't it?" He keeps watch outside from just inside the doorway, the shadows keeping himself hidden from those out in the sun, though he knew demons wouldn't be bothered by such a thing.

[Kish]

Spoiler

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For bypassing the three strangers without a fight, whatever they were, 300 XP each.

The shelf swings back, revealing a cramped staircase that descends into a pitch-dark basement.

[razorback]

Jemus spends a couple of minutes tinkering with the shelf before he hears a mechanical sound and gives an almost silent 'ah' as he stands. "Alright, give me a few steps before follwing me." he says with a self-satisfied grin on his face.
Manuevering down the cramped stairs, he moves as quietly as he can, sword up, as he looks about.

Spoiler

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Perception
(1d20+5)[20]

Stealth
(1d20+8)[18]

[Kish]

The air in this basement is damp and musty-smelling. The walls and floor are packed earth, while dozens of gourds hang from the ceiling beams. A sludge of rotting plant matter covers the floor. Against the south wall, a wooden table holds a strange apparatus that looks like a clockwork toy of a snake-bodied, six-armed woman holding a sword in each hand. A tightly corked bottle, filled with what looks like water, sits before the statue. A wooden chest covered with engraved runes stands under the table, and a sinister image of a star surrounding a goat's face is painted on the wall above the table.

Spoiler: Knowledge: Planes 26

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The toy depicts a marilith, one of the most powerful types of demons.

Spoiler: Knowledge: Religion 20

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The symbol on the wall is one of Baphomet's unholy symbols, one favored by his human worshipers.

Spoiler: OOC

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Map.

[razorback]

Slowly backing up the stairs, Jemus looks at the others. "Hey, I found... uhm, something. Runes and markings all over the place. Can one of you magical-types come down and see if you can figure out what it is?" he says with a perplexed look on his face.

Spoiler

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Not even going to bother with trying to make those rolls, no ranks.

[Cavir]

"Interesting. I'll come take a look." Semult heads down the stairs. At the bottom of the staircase he stops and takes in the room from there, mindful of the invisible creature they dealt with the day before. More confident about nothing about to pop out and attack, he walks around the basement studying without touching anything. Knowing whose hideout this was made him assume everything down there was demonic.

Spoiler: OOC

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Toy: Knowledge Planes (1d20+5)[14] (Can't succeed, oh well...)
Wall: Knowledge Religion (1d20+5)[17]
Runes: Spellcraft (1d20+12)[18]

[Novabomb]

Tellos
Baphomet's runes. It seems we found a cultist hideout.
His blade is out now.

Spoiler: OOC

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Is there a way to easily disfigure the symbol? Nearby paint, or scratch it out with sword?

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn remains on the main floor, replacing Semult at the front door to keep watch.

[Cavir]

"Makes sense." Semult pulls out the Baphomet prayer book recovered from the underground hideout to see if it is of any help, perhaps pictures of the symbol or of the toy in the book.

[Kish]

While Semult finds drawings of the symbol quickly, it's hard to tell anything beyond that it is indeed an unholy symbol of Baphomet--if there even is more to tell.

[CWater]

Alamryn chooses to join Trawyn by the door. She didn't think she had much knowledge that would help with the search downstairs, and realised she had travelled all this way to fight demons, without really knowing much about them or their cultists or gods.

"Are you thinking to make a new song?", she asks, as an attempt at making conversation.

[razorback]

Jemus hesitantly moves back down the stairs into the room. "Don't know... I doubt it. At least, probably no the kind of song you want to listen to, eh?" As everyone is milling about the room, he turns away from the clockwork creature with a shiver as he looks at the chest. He inspects it for any locks or traps.

Spoiler

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Perception
(1d20+5)[8]

Disable Device
(1d20+10)[16]

[Cavir]

"Never thought I'd be trying to find useful information from a cultist prayer book." After Jemus finishes checking the chest, Semult casts a spell to sense magic in the room. He'll start with the chest, studying any auras he detects, then continue in the same way around the rest of the room. He points out his findings as he goes, and keeps the spell active for the chest being opened.

[Kish]

As Jemus approaches the chest, the goat's mouth in the symbol seems to speak, though you realize its lips don't move. "Ahh...I hope you are among Iomedae's slaves...I would hate to think of mere peasants wasting such a personal greeting from Lord Baphomet!"

As it finishes the sentence, the statue swings one of its swords, smashing the bottle. Instead of the water spilling, it evaporates on exposure to the air, which suddenly has a foul smell.

Spoiler

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Jemus, Semult, Tellos, make Fortitude saves.

[Cavir]

Spoiler: Save?

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Wizard...Fort Save... Ha!
(1d20+2)[11]

[razorback]

"What the he..." is all that Jemus can say as he tries to jump back while covering his mouth.

Spoiler

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(1d20+4)[14]

[Novabomb]

Tellos

Spoiler: OOC

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Fort (1d20+3)[22]

[Kish]

Semult gags, feeling a burning sensation in his lungs.

The rotting plant matter covering the floor abruptly seems to come to life, grabbing for everyone in the basement. Meanwhile, a large vine rises upright east of the chest, lashing out with long tendrils at Jemus.

Spoiler

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Semult takes (1d6)[2] acid damage from the air.
Semult, Tellos, and Jemus need to make a DC 13 Reflex save. If they succeed, their movement is cut to half and they need to make another save next round. If they fail, they're entangled.
The vine strikes at Jemus: (1d20+10)[20] Critical threat check: (1d20+10)[17] Damage: (1d6+8)[9] Critical damage: (1d6+8)[9]
The vine strikes at Jemus again: (1d20+10)[20] Critical threat check: (1d20+10)[24] Damage: (1d6+8)[10] Critical damage: (1d6+8)[12]

Map is updated. Tellos, Kel, Jemus, Trawyn, Alamryn, and Semult are up. Tellos, Jemus, and Semult need to make Fortitude saves, as does anyone else who moves into the basement.

Spoiler: Knowledge: Nature 14, trained only

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The plant looks like an extra-large assassin vine, a nearly-but-not-actually-stationary predatory plant with the ability to animate other plant matter near itself. It's immune to electricity and resistant to cold and fire.

[razorback]

Jemus looks shocked and surprised as the plant attacks, muttering "Damned little sh..." as he collapses under the attack.

Spoiler

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Jemus
AC = 13 ; Current = 13
HP = 17 ; Current = -2

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

The bard turns at the druid's query, "No, just taking a moment to try wrap my mind around all of this." He places his hand on her shoulder, "Don't think for a moment that you're the only one struggling with all of this....we're all having the same thoughts. One foot in front of the other, I suppose and all that."

Hearing sounds from below, "Do you want to check that out or should I? One of us needs to stay here and keep watch."

[CWater]

Trawyn

The bard turns at the druid's query, "No, just taking a moment to try wrap my mind around all of this." He places his hand on her shoulder, "Don't think for a moment that you're the only one struggling with all of this....we're all having the same thoughts. One foot in front of the other, I suppose and all that."

Alamryn smiles a little. "Thank you. And you're right, we must keep moving. I just-"

Hearing sounds from below, "Do you want to check that out or should I? One of us needs to stay here and keep watch."

"I can go. I'll call for you if it is anything serious." Alamryn turns away from the door and walks to the top of the basement stairs. "Hello? Is everything ok down there?"

[Novabomb]

Tellos
No! Living Plant is attacking us.

Having been ensnared, he tries to make himself stronger in order to get out.

Spoiler: OOC

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Attempt to Cast Fist of stone
Concentration: (1d20+7)[26] DC 16
Spell Failure: (Below 25 is Bad) (1d100)[71]

The 2 manuvers that come up are:
(1d5)[3]
(1d4)[3]
Charging Minatour and Stones Bones

[CWater]

Tellos
No! Living Plant is attacking us.

Having been ensnared, he tries to make himself stronger in order to get out.

Spoiler: OOC

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Attempt to Cast Fist of stone
Concentration: [roll0] DC 16
Spell Failure: (Below 25 is Bad) [roll1]

The 2 manuvers that come up are:
[roll2]
[roll3]
Charging Minatour and Stones Bones

"A plant?! Trawyn, they are being attacked!" Alamryn runs down the stairs.

Spoiler: Kish

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If she can, Alamryn will use the rest of her turn to move down the stairs. However, if she spots the entangling area, she will not step into it.

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

He had just turned to look back over the destruction of the once great city when Alamryn's cry rang out. With one last look up and down the adjacent street, he pulled the broken door closed as best he could, then moved to the top of the stairs.

Rather than attempting to push past the young druid, he calmly lifts his beautiful horn and blows a long, clarion note, "Fortune always favors the brave!"

Spoiler: Inspire Courage

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Everyone receives a +2 morale bonus to attack and a +3 morale bonus to damage, as well as a +2 morale bonus to saves vs fear.

[Cavir]

Semult gags from breathing in some acid while the floor around him traps him. In the confusion he still realizes yet another part of his own stupid here in not trying the password before touching anything. Can't hurt to try anyway. "I have new material for the archives. <cough> <cough>." He pauses to successfully breathe in without more acid. He calls out for any coming down the stairs. "It's an assassin vine! No electricity, cold or fire. Beware the living floor! Jemus is down! Knowing he would not live long versus the cursed thing he attempted summoning help to keep the plant busy but the plant material at his foot through him off balance enough to disrupt the spell.

Spoiler: OOC

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Fort and Know:Nature check passed in OOC. Reflex failed so I'm entangled. No mage armor so I'm only AC10 and have to make 2x DC16 Conc checks to get a spell off assuming the vine threatens me (else just the entangle check). If the pass phrase doesn't work I'll at least try to give the plant something else to deal with before turning me into fertilizer.

Casting Summon Monster I: Celestial Dog with Rapid Summon and Augment Summon. If I pass both Conc checks I'll post again for the dog. Will assume the dog is boosted by Trawyn too.
Entangled Conc check: (1d20+10)[12]
Defensive Casting Conc check: (1d20+10)[29]

[Kish]

Spoiler

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We seem to have lost Kel, I'm afraid; he's not responding to a PM.

The vine lashes out at Semult. The air in the basement continues to smell foul.

Spoiler

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The vine strikes at Semult: (1d20+10)[27] Critical threat check: (1d20+10)[14] Damage: (1d6+8)[9] Critical damage: (1d6+8)[14]

Alamryn, Tellos, Semult, and Jemus all need to make Fortitude saves. Trawyn will if he enters the basement.

Map; Alamryn, Semult, Tellos, and Trawyn are up.

[Novabomb]

Tellos attempts to enlarge himself.

Spoiler: OOC

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Casting Enlarge Person on Self
Concentration (1d20+7)[19]
Spell failure (low is bad) (1d100)[42]

EDIT:
1) Can I break the Vines with this?
2) My enlargement would put me in the same square as S, does (s)he get pushed aside, or are we squeezing or other?

[Cavir]

The plant hits Semult hard even as the conjurer continues to try resisting the foul air. He decides the air isn't as bad as the plant that can kill him quicker. He pulls out a wand and two bolts of force zap the plant. As he's doing that Tellos grows in size. Semult is able to use the leverage to at least get himself moved out of the way instead of being crushed to the ground by an ally. The plants on the floor still had him and he lost a boot in the process.

Spoiler: OOC

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CL3 wand of magic missile. (2d4+2)[8]
Fort (1d20+2)[15]

14/24hp (before foul air this round)
Entangled
AC10

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

Semult's words, "Jemus is down!" ring through the bard's head. He blows a second note on his horn, but this time it's a low, soothing note reminiscent of a warbler in springtime.

Spoiler: Actions

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Healing Hymn - any healing spell/ability gains a +6 sacred bonus
Inspire Courage + Lingering Song - +2 attack; +3 damage for the next 10 rounds

@Kish - I think I'm doing this right, but am not 100% certain. If he stops his Inspire Courage performance the effects should last for the next 10 rounds. Use another bardic music standard action for Healing Hymn, and I believe they're both in effect at the same time.

[Kish]

Spoiler

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The energy bolts slam into the vine and it seems to flinch. Jemus takes (1d6)[5] electricity damage from the air.