The Vanquishers of Reillalt

[Vazzaroth]

It is a cold, early morning in the Kingdom of Reillalt. Outside of the town of Darbsverth, known for it's prominent Vanquishers hall that you departed from only a few hours ago, is where you find yourself now. You, and five other Vanquishers hopefuls are standing around the outside of an iron fenced graveyard, and a light fog is beginning to roll in. At least 5 others were left back at the Hall, deemed too weak to even apply. You hardly even know each other's names, as you haven't had much time to talk. You were brought to his grim site by Administrator Klemens in a horse drawn wagon, and Klemens never stopped talking about how great it is for young people to be joining the organization. When you arrived, he told you that you'd know what to do, unloaded the six of you, and took off.

The graveyard looks very old. Many old headstones can be seen as far as the fog allows, popping up in odd fashions and shapes of an era past. You can't make out much more detail than that at the gate you are all standing at. Everything is deathly still.

[Baerdog7]

Hiram Norrell

Hiram leans up against the iron fence, the wind teasing his hair and clothes as he thumbs through his spell book.

So what do you guys think? Old spooky graveyard...ominous fog rolling in...think there might be an undead infestation in one of these mausolea?

[JackTR69]

Lance draws his paired bastard swords.
I doubt it is anything less. Who wants to go in first?

[Baerdog7]

Hiram Norrell

Hiram unslings his crossbow and loads a bolt.

Not me, that's for damn sure. I think I'll hang out behind the paladin here. Royal, is it?

[Swooper]

"I suppose it's some kind of test," a young woman with her long, dark hair in a braid comments. She draws two short swords of her own and speaks again: "Don't tell me you tough guys are going to send the lady in first, are you?" She takes a few steps towards the gate and looks at her companions teasingly.

[Theeon]

Phaerin AC:18 HP: 24/24

Phaerin steps forward his long white hair, pupil less white eyes, dark black skin, and madded dark leather clothing clash horribly with the dress of some of his new companions. "Let me find out what the shadows can tell me"

((Use Mystic Reflections (aka detect magic 30 ft radius))

[tonberryking]

Royal

The lady in question earlier is ready to greet the misty graveyard with an undaunted step and a warhammer resting on her shoulder. Royal, her black plait of hair swaying like a pendulum over her indigo cloak, just moves up and opens the gateway into the tombed yard without a second thought, taking a brave step over the threshold.

'What's keeping you?" she asks, only glancing back once, "I'm certainly not going to tary here. In fact, none of us are."

Her commanding tone, appropriate to her name, has a certain finality to it as she struts inward, her eyes looking around for what can be seen and what she can detect...

Spot/Listen respectively. (1d20+4=13, 1d20+4=5) [ Also, using her Detect Evil ability]

[Swooper]

Sonia follows. She walks with her swords drawn and her knees slightly bent, ready to defend herself in case of a surprise attack.

Spoiler

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Activate Child of Shadow stance - attacks against me now have a 20% miss chance as long as I move at least 10 feet in a round (so, basically as long as I keep walking since we're not in combat, I suppose).
Spot, Listen (1d20 3, 1d20 7=[17, 3], [5, 7])
What's up with invisiblecaste? I assume that's supposed to be 17+3=20 and 5+7=12, don't know why it's not calculating the result properly.

[Visturon]

Viktor AC:16 HP:30

"Haste is not necessary here, the dead are very good at waiting and being as we don't see any we can assume that they will not be coming to us." The speaker is a healthy man who wears no shirt or shoes, only a pair of loose white pants and from the belt that holds those up hangs a morningstar on his right and a belt pouch on his left. He has shoulder length brown hair and is tan and fit, presumably from traveling on foot half-naked. His hazel eyes seem to glow somewhere in their depths and he looks at everyone with the fondness one shows to friends who are back after a long absence.

He hefts his morningstar and smiles at Royal, "Besides its hard to fight at a stranger's side; my name is Viktor, and who do i have the pleasure of spreading the light with today?" At this he smiles inquisitively at all his new companions.

[Vazzaroth]

Royal is stopped unceremoniously as she finds the gate appears to be locked with a rusted, black padlock that blends in to the gate in this low visibility. It appears this used to be a great lock, but looks worn and in disrepair.

Phaerin first detects one faint aura, then finds that it comes from behind the gate just as his glimpses into the shadow plane end. (Spellcraft to ID type of aura)

[tonberryking]

Royal

Royal is pragmatic about the lock... though she keeps her back turned from the others for a slow moment to hide the fact her face is red.

When that passes, however, she hefts up her hammer, and without sparing a glance at the shirtless fellow, manages a curt reply. She takes aim...

"Call me Royal. Yes it's my real name, and I welcome you as I do the others... Now stand back while I use my "key"."

[Visturon]

Viktor AC:16 HP:30

"I might be of some assistance here as well," suddenly Viktor blazes to light and sheds a bright glow over everything within 10 feet of himself. "There are some who call me the Radiant, and it is nice to meet you Royal."

[activate Holy Radiance]

[Baerdog7]

Hiram Norrell

AC: 15 HP: 18/18

Hrm, the one day I choose not to prepare shatter. Oh, well. He begins casting a spell anyway and a translucent shield of arcane energy manifests before him.

My name is Hiram Norrell, he says, hefting his crossbow once again. And as long as you all help keep me alive from the front lines, I will do everything in my power to keep you all alive from the back.

Recharge Timer
Shield - 30 minutes.

[Theeon]

Phaerin AC:18 HP:24/24

"My name is Phaerin, just Phaerin, also I think that I should warn you. The shadow has reveled to me that there is magic close, or it was not to long ago, but it is not strong." He says this as he casually walks out of the radius of Viktor's aura.

[Vazzaroth]

Royal's hammer smashes upon the old lock,and it fractures. One more blow is enough to shatter a large enough portion of it. As you walk beyond the entry to the unmarked graveyard, you note a sudden decrease in temperature as you proceed inward. Besides rows of tombstones, you begin to see a Mausoleum come into view about 50 feet away.

Sonia, Lance

Spoiler

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You hear a far off, faint noise. It sounded like someone speaking for a moment. This is followed by a faint, repeated noise like someone rapping on wood lightly or a far away horse gallop.

((If you didn't figure it out, please don't read the spoiler unless your name is above it. ))

[Theeon]

Phaerin AC:18 HP:24/24

As Royal smashes the lock, and the group moves forward, Phaerin makes some complicated hand signs, and upon completion the shadows, that surround us, literally jump and coalesces on his body forming shapes that vaguely look like armor and a shield. At the same time he pulls a wicked looking sickle from behind his back.

[Use Steel Shadows (duration= recharge time there for always active)]

[Baerdog7]

Hiram Norrell

AC: 15 HP: 18/18

Hiram trudges along toward the back of the group, crossbow in hand when a raven swoops down from the sky and lands on his shoulder.

Ah, Aemon, so good of you to join us. I thought you were going to miss the fun.

Carriages are cramped, I wanted to fly, the raven croaks, Do you have any corn?

Yeah, yeah here you go. Hiram replies, digging some corn out of a pocket. I should put you on a diet. You're getting fat.

[Visturon]

Viktor AC:16 HP:30

Viktor watches the shadows as they coalesce onto Phaerin, "Rather odd that a man who wields the shadows intends to fight the darkness." He then chuckles quietly at the exchange between Hiram and his bird. "This chill does not seem natural to me, and I am willing to bet that our task or test as it may be is inside that tomb. я освещу дорогу." Upon speaking these strange words and making some odd gestures his glow expands to a 30 foot diameter.

Viktor proceeds forward next to either Lance or Sonia(whomever walks in front)

[cast Nimbus of Light: 5 min recharge]

[JackTR69]

Be ready everyone, I believe that a horsemen approaches.
Lance tries to peer into the fog and see if anything is moving in this direction.

Spoiler

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Listen: (1d20+6)[15]

[tonberryking]

Royal
HP: 33/ AC: 17


Taking the lead, gripping the hammer now more readily, the paladin looks over at the others, specifically Hiram and Phaerin who cast some sort of magic she isn't familiar with. She notes this before looking about again with only a sharp pair of eyes and ears to aide her personally.

"I can't sense that this fog is unnatural though my instincts are inclined to agree that this isn't ordinary--" She follows Lance's direction and peers that way. "...Anyone sensing anything else that may impede us?"

Spot/Listen (1d20+4=21, 1d20+4=23)

[Theeon]

Phaerin AC:18 HP:24/24

"That is a nice bird you have. as he says this a dark black cat literally steps out of the crow-man's shadow, and both the cat and Phaerin walk to the end on the light radius."I was wondering when you were going to show up. Also you, naked man, I fight evil be it darkness or light. Only the the uninformed think that just because something is dark that it must be hated."

[Visturon]

Viktor AC:16 HP:30

"I do not hate the shadows, merely the evil that lurks in them. I do not pretend that the light is free of evil, but rather i know that the evils that walk in the light are often harder to fight. I fight those evils in the dark because they are what people fear most and I am a protector not a slayer. I hope that the contrast between your shadow and my light will be a place where evil perishes." He then looks around at his companions and moves to be as clear of nearby obstructions as possible. "A horseman? Though unlikely that it has not seen us, let us be quiet and ready when it arrives."


[Listen (1d20+3=10) ready action: Deific Vengeance on anything that attacks a party member within 30']

[Vazzaroth]

The rhythmic gallop noise begins to rapidly grow closer. All at once, Lance realizes that not only is it not a single creature, but a few, and it now sounds nothing like any horse gallop he's heard before. A loud screech is heard and two figures come bursting out of the fog! The one leaps off a gravestone and flings itself at Viktor, but the wild attack sent it off course, and misses. The other rushes up to Royal and slides at her leg, biting hard. She can feel it's teeth through her greaves. ((4 damage, make a fort. save.) The skinny human rips a bit of flesh off and gobbles it down quickly and noisily. Viktor hears the combat begin, but he cannot see well enough to aim a spell through this fog.

The rest of you can hardly see what's happening as the fog is thick now, but you know something is attacking!

((Roll Init. and first actions.))

Map

Spoiler

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Technically, you can only see 5-foot in front of you, so you others don't know the exact position of the Ghouls. Also, you don't have Line of Sight for spells and attacks.

[Visturon]

Viktor AC:16 HP:30

initiative (1d20+1=16)

Upon Viktors turn; his aura gives a minor surge and a commands "Die beasts of evil!"

[turn undead turning check(1d20 4=6); turning damage(3d6 5=17); damage to any affected (3d6=13)]

[tonberryking]

Fort Save (1d20+4=18)

Royal
AC: 17, HP: 29

Royal sounds more angry than pained when she cries out; as the ghoul chomps down she shakes the ghoul away with an un lady like curse. Gripping her warhammer with both hands, she moves to bring it down on the thing's head.

Initiative (1d20+1=15)

Attack, 2xhanded (1d20 5=23) 2h damage. (1d8 3=5)

"BACK TO HELL, DEMON SPAWN!!"

[Theeon]

Phaerin AC:18 HP:24/24

Initiative (1d20+2=6)

Phaerin runs forward 15 ft. (diagonal) and attacks the thing that attacked Vicktor. Attack and Damage (1d20+3=9, 1d6+2=6), Shortly after the cat of shadow slashes the humanoid sack of skin with its claws Attack & Damage (1d20+4=12, 1d2-4=-3)(minimum damage 1)

[Baerdog7]

Hiram Norrell

AC: 15 HP: 18/18

Hearing one of the things charge at Viktor, Hiram hustles in that direction to help. Coming up side-by-side with Viktor, he finally sees the ghoul. Gathering his arcane energy, Hiram launches it from his hands in a scorching ray at point blank range.

Initiative: (1d20+5)[16]

Moving 20 ft. next to Viktor and using scorching ray.
Ranged Touch: (1d20+3)[8]
Damage: (4d6+1)[15]

Recharge Timer
Shield - 28 minutes
Scorching Ray - (1d6+1)[5] rounds

[JackTR69]

LANCE hp 30/30 Ac 16
Lance moves towards the one that attacked Royal, swinging his swords at it with reckless efficiency. His eyes remain a cold blue.

Spoiler

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Initiative: (1d20+6)[11]
Attack Roll (main hand): (1d20+3)[12]
Attack Roll (off hand): (1d20+3)[8]
Damage Roll (main hand): (1d20+5)[7]
Damage Roll (off hand): (1d20+3)[7]
If I happen to get a critical you can roll to confirm for me. I also calculated the damage assuming that they're undead (if not then subtract two from the damage roll). And if I did hit, you can go ahead and roll d10s for damage (I accidentally mistyped it, and right now my computer isn't letting me post for some reason.

[Swooper]

Sonia - HP 21/21, AC 19.

Sonia, having heard the attackers approach, is quick to react. She shifts her pose from defensive to offensive, and jumps to Royal's aid, stabbing at the ghoul with both swords.

Spoiler

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Initiative (1d20+4=20)

Swift action: Change stance to Island of Blades. I now flank anything I and an ally are adjacent to.
Move action: One square west, two squares north.
Standard action: Initiate Wolf Fang Strike, to attack the ghoul with both swords.
Attack 1: 1d20+7=18
Damage 1 (1d6+3=9)
Attack 2: 1d20+7=26
Confirmation roll: 1d20+7=19
Damage 2 (1d6+3=8)
Double the latter damage roll if appropriate.

[Vazzaroth]

Ghouls 21
Sonia 20
Viktor 16
Hiram 16
Royal 15
Lance 11
Paerin 6
Incoming enemys

The ghouls follow up their attacks quickly. Each attacks their targets again, Neither Royal's armor or Viktor's holy aura is enough to protect them from the maws of these hungry beasts. (( Vik 5 dmg, Royal 6 dmg)). The one by Royal lashes at Sonia as she moves by, but it is in vain.
Sonia moves forward and the shadowy cloak around her disperses. Both swords strike true, the ghoul moved right into the second. ((Immune to crits though )) She lifts the impaled creature a few inches off the ground with the double sword strike, and it goes limp.
Viktor sheds a brilliant aura, and a faint pulse of yellow energy comes forth. The remaining ghoul adapts a panicked expression instead of one of malice.
Royal smashes the scared creature, breaking a few of it's old bones beneath the leathery skin.
Both Lance and Paerin attack the remaining creature, but neither succeed in the fog.

Farr off, you can see large shapes barreling towards you from the north.

Spoiler

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The black things are the shapes.