[IC] Death and Taxes

[YoFizz]

Killitz will walk up to the door and try and kick it in.

Strength Check: (1d20+4)[21]

[fyleisch]

At the Arena
There's a loud cracking sound as something breaks and the unlocked doors explode inwards from the force of the kick, the hinges screeching as they're torn against their intended direction of movement. One of the hinges snaps completely, and the left door slides down at an angle, swinging slightly before coming to a stop resting against the wall.

Beyond the doors the dark passages of the undercroft stretch out before you. There are lights in there, flickering candle flames that perch on the top of odd, square stone candles fixed to the walls, but they seem unusually dim, barely sufficient to light the space. From inside sounds emerge. A faint whispering, the sound of a baby crying, and in the distance, the ringing of steel on steel, as deep and regular as a funeral bell.

As you pass through the doors, the half-orc guard leans forward, addressing you with a grim expression.

"Listen, I don't know what's in there, but this place hasn't always been for dancing and mummers. It used to be a fighting pit, before the reforms. A place for blood sports between slaves. It's seen a lot of death. Keep your guard up."


At the Alehouse Mile
The driver does a double-take as the halfling hops into the carriage.

"Uh. Right. People actually say that?"

He climbs up onto the drivers bench, whips the reins sharply against the stagecoach's enchanted red stone, and the vehicle lurches into motion. He initially turns the carriage towards the crowded lane, but then pauses.

"Hold on. I know a shortcut."

Wisdom (Land Vehicle): (1d20+2)[7]

[Dragon Host]

Konstantin follows closely behind the more heavily armored, careful to look around carefully at the shadows, making sure that he is as well-prepared as he can be for whatever they are going to encounter. He holds a crackling Eldritch Blast roiling at his fingertips, ready to blast into the first thing of evil he comes across.

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

Perception - (1d20+0)[7]
Readied Action - Eldritch Blast at first hostile

[Estralita]

The air practically crackled with anticipation. All her senses, mortal and divine, reached out for some sort of sign of trouble. Gwen's heart was pounding hard in her chest, her entire body and mind ready to strike.

Well, almost her entire mind...

Spirits aren't undead? Then what are they?

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Spending a use of Divine Sense, because why not.

Also, completely uninvested Perception go! (d20-1)[15]

[samduke]

Well gwen spirits are ghosts for lack of a better term.
touching the paladins shield casting light, then Blessing the party as she enters

[fyleisch]

At the Arena
Beyond the doors you find yourselves in a spacious entrance chamber. The room is shaped as a rough triangle, bordered on the northeast and northwest by stone walls of the same type that made up the buildings exterior. The northwest wall has a number of arched recesses that house four chipped stone busts of various races, each labelled with a carved name that has become pitted and worn with time. Standing along the northeast wall is an interior wooden room, a ticket booth, with a table that holds scattered paper slips, an ink stamp, and an oak lockbox. There are broad passages leading off to the north, west, and east, each blocked off by a closed door.

Gwen, your senses prickle at the presence of death. The foul oily odor of the undead hangs thickly in the air, but you can sense it rolling towards you most strongly from the northwest wall. As you focus your divine senses, you are able to make out a shadowy figure, half inside the wall, lurking in one of the recesses. Following Gwen's line of sight, Ayris is also able to spot the figure.

As you see it, it sees you, and begins shuffling out from the wall towards your group. Its hands are outstretched in a pleading gesture, an unending hiss issues from its featureless face, and the silhouette of chains hang silently from its ragged form.

[We're not yet in initiative, but if you decide to attack (including Konstantin's prepared action) then we'll consider the figure surprised for this round. Please roll initiative with any combat action, and we'll use the party's highest result to govern the order of subsequent rounds.]


Xander
The driver takes the carriage down a street adjacent to the Alehouse Mile that doesn't seem to be exactly the right direction, but as he drives pell-mell down increasingly divergent roads you continue to catch distant glimpses of the carriage being driven by the crazed half-orc, finally tracking them to the Gilad Arena.

Your driver arrives on the northeast edge of the arena somehow, close to the small northeast service entrance. He parks the carriage, hops down to the street, and demands 10 copper pieces for the journey.

[If you make your way to the arena's main entrance then you'll see the scene as described in the previous post, with the official talking quietly to the group of city watch officers. While you're making the walk, please make a perception check.]

[Dragon Host]

True to his word, the moment the form made itself materialize, Konstantin's well-practiced motions blurred his hand as a crackling bolt of force erupted and rushed towards the spirit. Striking to destroy first was better than giving them the chance to sneak up on you or worse.

Spoiler: Rolls

Show

Initiative - (1d20+2)[4]
Eldritch Blast - (1d20+6)[7]
Damage (if hit) - (1d10+4)[8] Necrotic (which he will watch to see if it does as much damage as it should)

[gryffydd65]

Spoiler: perception

Show

15, see ooc

Xander runs towards the group, Sebastian at his side. I say, wait for me chaps, my man servant made me horribly late for this show.

[Estralita]

"But if they aren't undead, does that mean they're alive-"

Gwen straightened and stopped speaking, her Divine Sense echoing through her body.

"Undead. Definitely undead."

Then, without another word, she strode forward and swung her glaive.

Spoiler: Attack!

Show

First, initiative: (d20+1)[9]

Then, Main Attack (d20+5)[21] Damage: (d10+3)[10]
and Bonus Attack (d20+5)[16] Damage: (d4+3)[4]

So, the ways smites work here is I attack, you say if I hit, then I get to decide if I smite? If I hit, I"m definitely smiting this first round.

[YoFizz]

"I like your style!" Killitz follows closely behind Gwen swinging his Greataxe

Spoiler: Attack

Show

Attack Roll: (1d20+6)[8]
Damage Roll: (1d12+4)[1](1)

[fyleisch]

Spoiler

Show

Phantom Initiative: (1d20+1)[8]

In the Undercroft
The pulsing energy that Konstantin was holding ready flies forward, only to blur past the shadowy figure and strike one of the stone busts. The face of the stone likeness cracks, sending delicate chips flying in every direction.

Gwen follows the bolt of energy, moving almost as quickly, her glaive a blur as she strikes first with the blade, then with the hilt. The weapon cuts away wisps of shadowy material like wind whipping at smoke. At the last moment her blade flares, burning out another chunk of shadow-flesh.

Killitz rushes in to try and emulate Gwen's attack, but his swing goes too far forward, missing the shadowy figure and striking sparks as it glances off the stone wall.

The figure flickers unsteadily, fading rapidly in and out of visibility, as if its existence in the world had grown fragile.


Xander
You arrive at the entrance to the arena undercroft to see three individuals engaging a shadowy spirit figure. You've clearly found the group you were chasing, but as you slow to a stop something you saw on the way around the arena strikes you as odd. Just beyond where the carriage dropped you off, you remember seeing a gnomish woman in dark gray leathers paying an unusual amount of attention to the lock of the arena's northeastern service entrance. Whether that's pertinent to the unholy battle going on in front of you is another question.


[The phantom somehow lost to your terrible group initiative result. You can all take another round...]

[Estralita]

Gwen nodded in acknowledgement of Killit's comment, but otherwise kept her attention on her opponent.

Spoiler: Attack!

Show

Main Attack: (d20+5)[14] Damage (d10+3)[4]
Bonus Attack (d20+5)[6] Damage (d4+3)[7]

[gryffydd65]

Xander turns back towards the gnome woman, I say good lady, are you here to help as well,did the firm send you? Please hurry, I heard all kinds of mischief going on inside.

[Dragon Host]

Konstantin raised his hand once more and fired another blast of eldritch energy at the phantom.

Spoiler: rolls

Show

Eldritch Blast To Hit - (1d20+6)[5](5)
Damage - (1d10+4)[4](4)

[fyleisch]

Gwen's attack cuts through the figure, drawing out a wisp of black smoke in the wake of the blade. Stuttering the phantom turns towards the rest of the group, its mouth opens, and the start of a haunting wail begins to emerge, only for Konstantin's eldritch energy to catch it in the face, shattering the figure into shapeless darkness, which soon fades away to nothing.

With the phantom defeated, the room falls back to silence, disturbed only by the voice of the halfling at the door, the sound of crying leading from the west door, and the regular ringing of steel coming from the arena proper, to the north.

[Anyone who's been here before would remember that the passage north leads to both the arena grounds, and the stairs to the stands. The west and eastern doors would normally be off limits to the public.]

[Killitz, Gwen, and Konstantin, please take 65xp each (I know it's not a lot, but please keep track of it). Xander, please take 50xp for navigating your way through the city.]

[YoFizz]

"I didn't like that. Let me try again!" Killitz swings his axe again
Attack Roll: (1d20+6)[14]
Damage Roll: (1d12+4)[15]

[Dragon Host]

"Good job. I say we go through the public areas first. Something definitely scared the people out of here."

[Estralita]

Gwen was hesitant to lower her weapon, even after the thing disappeared. "Did we kill it? Or-or whatever it is that undead do?"

Konstantin's statement gave her focus. "Right. Let's do that."

[YoFizz]

"Yeah, just point me where to go and I'll smash another ghost, no problem."
ooc: copy that. tracking xp :D

[fyleisch]

[The public areas would be through the wide doors to the north. Who's going to open the door?]

[Estralita]

Gwen takes the lead and slowly opens the door, ready to smite any ghost that popped out.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Any checks I need to make?

[YoFizz]

Killitz admiring Gwen's readiness follows her closely to the doors.

[fyleisch]

No checks are needed... the door swings open with a quiet creak from its bronze hinges to reveal the arena's vomitorium, a space about ninety feet across, dotted by stone columns that hold up the arched domes of the ceiling.

Ahead of you is the wall of the central arena, set with another bronze door, currently closed, with the sounds of battle ringing out from beyond. To the left and right are stone staircases leading up to the stands. In these sections daylight shines down, augmenting the feeble light of the stone candles along the walls.

The space is spare, with no clutter or furniture, but the walls are decorated by shields and weapons that hang from iron settings, and the space is not unoccupied.

Three more of the shadowy phantom figures you fought at the entrance are here, drifting between the columns, holding the silhouettes of clubs, picks, whips, their tattered forms wreathed in shapes that hint at chains.

There is also a living person present, a young human wearing the uniform of the arena guards, the insignia of the drum sewn onto his shoulder. His longsword is drawn, and he's in a fighting stance, standing about 40 feet back from your position.

As you make your entrance, the guard turns to look at you. His eyes seem glassy and unfocused, seeming to look past you. When he speaks, his voice sounds as if coming from a great distance.

"The slaves are loose! Why are you just standing there? Fetch the overseer!"

Spoiler: Initiative Rolls

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Phantoms & Guard: Best of: (1d20+1)[21], (1d20+1)[14], (1d20+1)[9], (1d20+1)[14]
Players: Best of: Konstantin (1d20+2)[4], Gwen (1d20+1)[21], Killitz: (1d20)[7]

[Edit: We can say the players won initiative, have at it.]

[Dragon Host]

Konstantin rolls his eyes upon hearing the humanoid speak. "Asmodeus' backside...something's wrong with him. Hey, everyone...kill the ghosts. I'll try to deal with this one."

He extends a hand towards the mortal that he thinks is possessed and speaks the words of the Command spell, adding "Halt."

Spoiler: Actions and Numbers

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Command - The guy needs to make a Wisdom save vs. 14 or Halt
Once that is done, Konstantin will make a move to be behind one of the pillars, blocking line of sight

[fyleisch]

"What are you talking about, there's nothing wrong with me-"

Wisdom save: (1d20+1)[9]

[YoFizz]

Killitz runs 20ft toward the man and pulls one of the handaxes off his hip and throws it at the man.

Attack: (1d20+6)[13]
Damage: (1d6+4)[7]

[Estralita]

For the moment, there was only Gwen, and the ghosts.She moved, and swung.

Spoiler: Attack!

Show

Main Attack: (d20+5)[14] Damage (d10+3)[9]
Bonus Attack (d20+5)[22] Damage: (d4+3)[7]

[gryffydd65]

Xander brings up the rear, Sebastian at his side. At the first sign of trouble, he fires off magic missles.

Spoiler: attack

Show

(1d4)[1] (1d4)[2]
(1d4)[1]

[fyleisch]

Killitz's axe tumbles through the air, clipping the side of the guard's head as it passes. The cut draws a spray of blood, but the guard's expression never changes, the distant look in his eyes never wavering.

Gwen's polearm flicks through one of the shadowy figures, drawing wisps of smoke, weakening it to the point that Xander's storm of glowing missiles cuts what's left to ribbons. The phantom fades to nothingness with a sound like a sigh.

The guard's eyes roll slowly around the scene, but he seems unable to move. Meanwhile the phantoms glide forward silently, one striking out at Gwen with the silhouette of a pick, the other lashing at Killitz with a shadowy whip. Although insubstantial, as their weapons swing through the air they seem to radiate a cold energy.

Phantom 2: Attacks Gwen (1d20+3)[14] for (2d6)[8] necrotic
Phantom 3: Attacks Killitz (1d20+3)[6] for (2d6)[9] necrotic

Guard: 7 damage taken
Phantom 1: 12 damage taken
Phantom 2: Undamaged
Phantom 3: Undamaged

[Dragon Host]

Konstantin's eyes widen in surprise as he watches the axe fly towards the guard's head, the very same guard that he had ordered to halt, for his own safety.

"Killitz...my dear friend...I believe he is possessed by something. Rare is the exorcism we can perform with an axe."

Of course, if they're just spiritual forms, exorcism is only a blast of force away. Twisting his intricately carved rod bearing infernal markings towards the closest ghost, he spun out from behind the pillar and let loose another blast of eldritch force, a wan pulse of green force arcing its way towards the spirit, before ducking back behind the pillar.

Spoiler: Rolls & Things

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Attack with Eldritch Blast - To Hit (1d20)[1](1) +7 / Damage (1d10)[2](2) +4