Rise of the Runelords IC

[Erloas]

"I'm sorry Adalbert, I have no idea what came over me. I'm sorry for hitting you, but you've shown again that your tougher than you seem. If the others agree I will take the ring, though I'm not sure if I'm really more aggressive than the others or just less lucky."

"Lizuga, I do have a spare dagger, it isn't much but you can use it until you get your hammer back. I think we're good if it is only the flying one left, but if we run into too much more we might need to fall back to recover. I'm feeling really drained after whatever that was that happened to me."

[Spore]

Remember we still have the gear the goblins left, Lizuga. Adalbert holds the horsechopper he took with him to look more "goblin-y". It is surprisingly well made but rather short for a halberd.

Spoiler

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Basically a MW Halberd but small so a bit shorter and it deals only 1d8 damage. It should nevertheless have reach.

He turns towards Lebwen. Why thank you! While I am not a warrior like you all, I am still an explorer, and let me tell you the travel to Sandpoint was an adventure in and of itself. Still keep the ring. Halflings do not enjoy decorative trinkets as much, and I certain need it less to defend myself than you.

Halflings and rings! What a preposterous idea!

[CasualViking]

Lizuga takes the goblin weapon, and gives it a few practice swings. "It's a bit light, but it will do. It will do just fine. Thanks, Adalbert!"

With that, Lizuga gestures the party forward, deeper into danger...

[u-b]

You move forward onto the dark corridor with steps upwards. Soon, you see a circular room ahead, which your light sources barely illuminate. The door leading to the room stands open, but the door on the other side is closed. In the center of the room, water ripples quietly in a circular stone pool, the rim of which is lined with skulls.

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Assuming you would follow the flyer.

[CasualViking]

"Odd. The water is rippling, but there is no wind in here."

[Spore]

Let me check. Adalbert says and passes the row of fighters, all while casting Detect Magic. This looks like an ordinary pool, but often clerics and other emissaries of the divine use it to scry. Maybe a bit of residual magic makes the pond wallow. Adalbert checks the pool for magic, then he touches the stone at the side to check if the water is hot. If the stone is not warm, he puts his hand inside the pool.

[u-b]

Adalber casts Detect Magic and moves closer to examine the pool. Before he could approach the pool closer and discern anything beside three facts that the pool was (a) shallow, (b) magical and (c) the water seemed to be rippling slightly, from the center towards the rim, he noticed a grotesque disambodied head, with wings and tentacles, waiting for him on the floor beside the door. Distracted by the detecting and discerning stuff, adalbert could not react before the creature flapped its wings, flew over the pool, and SCREECHED. A moment later, the door on the other side of the room opened, revealing another short corridor with steps leading up to yet another door.

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Adalbert perception: (1d20+3)[23]
Adalbet know (planes): [20] - it's a vargouille
Adalbert initiative: (1d20+4)[6]
Flying head initiative: (1d20+1)[9]

Fort DC 12 or be paralyzed for (2d4)[4] rounds
Adalbert: (1d20+2)[18]
Lizuga: (1d20+4)[17]
Justin: (1d20+5)[9]
Silna: (1d20+5)[10]
Lebwen: (1d20+5)[18]

=> Party (except Justin and Silna)

[Spore]

It's a Vargouille. Whatever you do, keep it away from the others, and don't let it bite you, or kiss you. It is cursed! Adalbert explains while stepping in front of the creature, his dagger in hand, confident he is able to dodge it.

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Standard Action: Activate Performance
Naturalist (Ex):

Spoiler: +1 to attack, AC and saves

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An archivist who has identified a creature with a Knowledge check appropriate to its type can use performance to share strategies for defeating it with allies in combat. The archivist and any allies within 30 feet gain a +1 insight bonus to AC and on attack rolls and saving throws against extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities used by creatures of that specific kind of monster (e.g., frost giants, not all giants or all humanoids). This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every six levels thereafter. This language-dependent ability requires visual and audible components.

Move Action: to U13

[CasualViking]

"Surprise, ****-****er!", Lizuga yells, as she leaps onto the stairs, her goblin weapon extended in a full lunge like a dainty fencing sword. She lands in a crouch but regains her posture and balance as the floaty head reels from the blow.

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Lizuga uses Encouraging Roar as a swift action, then moves one space forward, on to the stairs, and uses Piercing Strike for +5' reach to attack the flying head-thing. Horsechopper (1d20+6)[17], damage (1d8+6)[7]+(1d6)[3]

Spoiler: Defense, AoO etc.

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Spoiler: Attack of Opportunity #1 (reach)

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Horsechopper (1d20+6)[20], damage (1d8+6)[9]+(1d6)[5] - or shield bash,(1d20+7)[26], damage (1d4+6)[7]+(1d6)[2].

Spoiler: AoO #2 (Combat Reflexes)

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Horsechopper (1d20+6)[23], damage (1d8+6)[12]+(1d6)[2] - or shield bash,(1d20+7)[24], damage (1d4+6)[7]+(1d6)[1].

Spoiler: AC and other defenses

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AC 18 (+1 Dex, +2 Shield, +5 armor). Counter: Oaken Shield (+4 AC)

Spoiler: Fort save

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(1d20+4)[8]

Spoiler: Ref save

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(1d20+1)[8]

Spoiler: Will save

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(1d20+6)[12]

Spoiler: Resource tracking

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Maneuvers readied: Oaken Shield, Encouraging Roar, Staunching Strike, Piercing Strike.
Triage: 3/3
Hit Points: 17/17

Sheet link

[u-b]

As soon as Lizuga starts to move, she hears high-pitched arcane mumbling from the far side of the room where a familiar figure appears, pointing at her. She feels her knees shaking, but still manages to connect the blow.

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Tiny little flyer that ran from you apears out of nowhere in X12 and casts a readied spell. Lizuga is shaken for the round.

Spoiler: Spellcraft DC16

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It's Cause Fear.

=> Lebwen

[Erloas]

As the others go stiff Lebwen tries to make his way past them to get between them and the creature. Not feeling the energy for charing into battle though he instead stops in the hallway and throws a ball of acid at the creature.

Spoiler: OOC

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Not sure exactly what is open, but move forward then cast acid splash (range 30, so I have to move up a little from where I'm at)

range touch attack
(1d20+2)[11] (bab 1, -1 dex from fatigue, +2 encouraging roar)
damage
(1d3)[2] (don't think the encouraging roar affects spell damage)

[u-b]

Lebwen moves forward, stopping in front of paralyzed Justin and behind Lizuga, casting a spell and throwing a ball of acid at vargouille. The globe misses its target. The vargouille swoops down on Adalbert and bites him in the face for 3 damage. The tiny spellcasting creature in X12 is suddenly gone. You hear and feel the fings flapping passing above your heads going west.

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Vargouille has soft cover againstzed Lebwen's attack, so a miss. From now on vargouille also has cover against Lizuga's attacks unless position changes. You could chase the invisible flyer, it should be not far west from Silna's position, but it has total concealment (this also means no AoOs as it moves over you).

Vargouille bite: (1d20+5)[23] for (1d4)[3]
Adalbert fort: (1d20+2)[19] - success, so the damage can be healed as normal

=> Party (except Justin and Silna)

[CasualViking]

Lizuga bumps Lebwen to get his attention. "Guard the back!", she snaps, and rushes off to circle around the floating head. As she does so, Lebwen starts to glow with healing light.

Lizuga barges past Adalbert, starts circling around the chamber, and bashes the flying head with the edge of her shield. Seeing the monster hurt soothes the pain it caused.

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Swift action to use Triage on Lebwen, giving him Fast Healing 3. Move action to W11, provoking an attack of opportunity on the way (AC 19; can't use a counter, because I already took a swift action). Standard action to use Staunching Strike, attacking the Vargouille with a shield bash. (1d20+6)[24], (1d4+4)[8]+(1d6)[4]

Spoiler: Defense, AoO etc.

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Spoiler: Attack of Opportunity #1 (reach)

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Horsechopper (1d20+5)[14], damage (1d8+4)[8]+(1d6)[5] - or shield bash,(1d20+6)[19], (1d4+4)[8]+(1d6)[6].

Spoiler: AoO #2 (Combat Reflexes)

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Horsechopper (1d20+5)[18], damage (1d8+4)[5]+(1d6)[6] - or shield bash,(1d20+6)[19], (1d4+4)[8]+(1d6)[3].

Spoiler: AC and other defenses

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AC 17 (+1 Dex, no Shield, +5 armor, +1 bardic performance). Counter: None

Spoiler: Fort save

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(1d20+5)[12]

Spoiler: Ref save

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(1d20+2)[13]

Spoiler: Will save

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(1d20+7)[18]

Spoiler: Resource tracking

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Maneuvers readied: Oaken Shield, Encouraging Roar, Staunching Strike, Piercing Strike.
Triage: 2/3
Hit Points: 17/17

Sheet link

[u-b]

Lizuga circles around the chamber, interposing the shield between herself and the vargouille, then bashing the Vargouille with the same shield. Flying head drops into the pool. Justin and Silna suddenly feel themselves able to move.

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Vargouille bite AoO: (1d20+5)[17] for (1d4)[2]

=> Party (except Lizuga)

[Erloas]

Following Lizuga's advice Lebwen makes his way to the west, but slowly, trying to get any sense of where the flying creature went.

Spoiler: OOC

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Not rushing back, so stopping in M12

perception to notice the flyer
(1d20+1)[20]

[Spore]

With an almost evil giggle, Adalbert pours a bottle of Alkali down the well.

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stop bardic performance, open alkali bottle and pour it down the well. Maybe I get it before the solution dilutes too much.

[Erloas]

"I'm pretty sure I just passed it, it is between Silna and I, but still invisible. Right here I think" he says as he swings at the air, but not seeming to connect with anything.

[DrK]

Justin

Justin relaxes as he can move once more. The terror had been real as the strange magic from the flapping head had caused his muscles to seize up. He had never felt so vulnerable before. He nods to Lizuga. "My thanks. It was horrible, I could not move but could still hear and see everything that was happening. I'm glad it didn't kiss me though, although I do not know what that would have resulted in happening to me."

Looking around he pauses Are we stll looking for that flying rat lizard thing? And what is this place, how long has such a place been under sandpoint?

[u-b]

"Should be somewhere around here." says Silna swinging her greataxe at the empty air. "Ah, got away."

The flyer can be traced to continue through the room with the statue, but it is not clear shich way, if any, she have left this room. She's just too fast (and invisible).

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Silna greataxe: (1d20+4)[18] for (1d12+4)[8] miss (1d100)[27]

Further actions?

[CasualViking]

Lizuga sighs heavily. "Let's group up and continue. I feel that we will meet that flying little rat again."

[Spore]

Too fast to get a good look at it. Adalbert concedes. I guess I need to brush up my observatory skills once we get out of here. Something as esoteric as a Runelord of Wrath requires dedicated research. the halfling closes.

Onwards then? They are warned now so I hope someone else goes and takes the lead. But be warned, the Vargouille bites don't heal easily. What they do to victims they can grapple, I dare not say. Let me just say, their heads were attached to bodies once.

[Erloas]

Walking into the room with the pool and looking at it a bit, Lebwen says "So which direction do we want to go first? The flying thing is behind us now, as are two seperate passages. We might not find the invisible thing, but on its own it doesn't seem like a big threat, but we have no idea what else is down those corridores that it could get. We could try to shut and block the north door while we head south as a starting point"

[Spore]

First of all, take these. Adalbert hands out potions to Lebwen, Silna and Justin. Second of all, I can follow its trail of illusion magic. Adalbert wiggles with his fingers and rubs his eyes. They then start to glow in an aquamarine color.

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hands out CLW potions, casting detect magic.

[u-b]

Adalbert casts the spell and looks around, trying to find traces of magic. He does not find a trail after the flying ceature, but has the opportunity to study the pool, which turns out about a foot deep and radiates faint transmutation magic. The vargouille, somewhat affected by alkali, is lying in the pool, bleeding and partially dissolved from the surface, but the waters of the pool seem to remain clear and non-contaminated.

The room with the statue turns out completely non-magical.

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Adalbert know (arcana): (1d20+7)[17]
Adalbert spellcraft: (1d20+6)[11]

Unless told otherwise, I am moving you south, as per #352.

[CasualViking]

Following Lebwen's suggestion, Lizuga takes up point as the party goes south.

[u-b]

You close the door leading north from the statue room and jam it in place with several crossbow bolts. Then you head south. The corridor turns east then south again, then ends with a door, not locked, leading into a room filled with rubble (mostly pottery). The wall to the west has been torn down to reveal a tunnel leading west, back to the entcance of this underground complex. You return to where another section of the corridor is leading east and follow it there. After about 60 feet, the corridor widens into what appears to have once been a small shrine, for to the northeast, steps lead up to a platform of gray stone. Sitting atop the platform is an ancient altar, little more than a jagged block of black marble with a shallow concavity on top of it. This basin is filled with what appears to be filthy water. From a "safe" 5-feet distance, Adalbert promptly checks it for magic. The altar radiates a faint conjuration aura. There is a pair of closed doors leading south-east.

Spoiler

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Adalbert know (arcana): (1d20+7)[19]

[Spore]

The halfling continues to school the people around him. The pool is of faint transmutation magic. I originally theorized it to be some kind of magical transportation but that would be conjuration magic. It is entirely possible the pool transforms decapitated heads into those monstrosities.

As they continue: It seems my theory about the track of illusion magic was wrong. This altar however summons creatures or was used to summon something recently. It is possible the small flier is also a demon or daemon or something.

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I got a question about the altar: Are there arcane altars as well, or is the word exclusively reserved for divine uses? That is more a linguistic curiosity than a rules question.

[Erloas]

"Well lets see if it changes anything." Lebwen then looks around for something small like a rock to drop in the water and then tries to find something living, like a bug, to drop in the water and see if that reacts differently.

[CasualViking]

Lizuga guards the door, to see if anyone is going to come through it while they dither.

[u-b]

The room with the altar is rather clean of any debris or insects, but Lebwen gets back to the cave and gets some pottery shards and a small centipede. He puts the pottery shard into the water filling a shallow concavity on top of the altar. That does not seem to do anything to the shard, the altar or the magus. Then Lebwen puts there the centipede. It promptly gets out of the water onto a dry place on top of the altar, but seems to have troubles moving straight. Soon Lebwen notices that various links of the centipede are deforming, some of it's legs are growing larger, some bend more than usual, some seem to cease to move properly, and all of this cause the deformed centipede a lot of problems as it tries to move.

Spoiler

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Not sure if Lebwen wants to experiment on the pool with the flying heas's remains (which shines Transmutation) or shallow concavity on top of the altar (which shines Conjuration). Went with the later and, lo and behold, it does change!