The Dawnflower Library

[hedgeknight]

Khawla - "If you can supply a couple of flasks I can certainly bring some back. We are planning on going soon, tonight or morning I think."

Vandy nods and says, "Sure thing, love. I'll have a few flasks ready whenever you get ready to return to the underground shrine. I wonder what those pesky kobolds are up to?" muses the librarian and priestess of Sarenrae.

While the two women sit quietly...there comes the sound of a ruckus of some sort coming from outside. A door bursts open and in runs a young woman. Her face is bloody and she holds a trembling hand to her right cheek. Her eyes are wild and her tunic and boots are filthy.
Vandy jumps to her feet and says, "What in the wild wild world of shoe shining is going on here?!? Explain yourself, Tildy!"

The young woman, Tildy, begins to cry, clearly terrified, although Khawla can't say if the girl's fear is based upon upsetting Vandy or from whatever bloodied her face. Vandy shushes the girl gently, taking Tildy's free hand in both of hers. "Now, now, get yourself together. Tell us what happened."
The girl nods and takes a couple of deep breaths before blurting out, "Me and Bert were...were sweeping the floor and...and...dusting in the mausoleum. Just like...just like..."
"Just like you do every morning," Vandy says, encouraging the girl.
The girl nods again and sniffs, then says, "Yes, milady, just like ev-every morning. I was sweeping and Bert was dusting cobwebs from the niches when...when all of a sudden, he hollers in surprise and then screams. I run over to where he was and I see his feet on the ground in the shadows. They was, they was twitching and there was some animal or something attacking him! So I, so I...raised my broom to hit it and something came out of the shadows and clawed my face. It was horrible looking!"
Tildy shudders and begins to cry again and Vandy soothes her as best she can, glancing at Khawla with wide eyes.
After a few seconds, Tildy finally says, "I-I didn't know what else to do. I ran and ran as fast as I could. Oh Bert!" she manages before breaking down in heaving sobs.

[Rex]

Khawla

If she knows the way she will rush there, scimitar drawn. If not "Quick, lead me there."

Either way, "Were they giant rat like creatures?"

[hedgeknight]

"I don't want to go back!" the girls cries, her face buried in her hands. "I don't want to go back!" she repeats.
Vandy looks up at Khawla. "I can lead us there. Let me get my bag."
As she leaves the room, Khawla presses with another question.
"Were they giant rat like creatures?"

The girl shakes her head. "N-no, they were standing. I first thought...well, I thought they were some fellow acolytes, maybe in a tryst or something like that. Except their faces...and their claws..." she cries and shudders, shaking her head, trying to clear the image from her mind.
Vandy returns fairly quickly. She is carrying a small staff and a mace. "Are we ready?"

[Rex]

Khawla

"Yes, lets hurry. It sounds like humanoids, maybe Kobolds."

[hedgeknight]

Vandy leads the way out of the library and along the path to the mausoleum. In no time, you see a squat stone building tucked near the back of the cemetery. There is a long set of steps leading to a dark opening. Vandy doesn't hesitate as she quickly climbs the steps, stopping just beyond to allow her eyes to adjust to the dark.
"Although there should be lanterns, you may need some light to see in here. Especially since I see no lanterns burning."
Vandy waits and listens for a minute or two. She glances back to Khawla and whispers, "I hear...something, but can't tell exactly where it is coming from. Do you hear it?"

[Rex]

Khawla

Whispering, "No, I don't hear anything. About to get bright."

She casts light on her scimitar.

[hedgeknight]

The light from Khawla's scimitar shows a large entrance room with steps leading down into two side rooms, and another set of steps ahead. Pillars support the low ceiling and there are niches all along the walls with urns holding the ashes of the dead. There are also four large tombs in the room; all undisturbed.
There are some stains on the floor, however, to the left. They are dark and appear to be blood...leading into the dark chamber on the left. There is also a broom cast aside in haste perhaps.
Khawla thinks she can hear strange sounds coming from the chamber on the left.

[Rex]

Khawla

Moves to enter the chamber on the lest, scimitar lighting the way and ready to defend herself with scimitar and shield.

[hedgeknight]

ghoul.jpg (20.06 KiB) Viewed 3194 times

Entering the chamber on the left, Khawla eases down the steps and as she comes to a landing, she hears the unmistakable sounds of growling and snarling. By the light of her scimitar, she sees two gray-green figures hunched over a bloody mess on the floor; they are between two coffins, tearing and chewing at...a body.
Then a third creature steps around a small fountain in the center of the room. It is a hideous creature with blood all over its face and chest; it has an man's arm grasped in one of its clawed hands. It sees Khawla at about the same time she sees it; it is chewing slowly and snarls when the priestess looks its way.

Actions!

[Rex]

Khawla

She will rush the ghoul that is separated from the others, using her shield and attacking with her scimitar.

Note the shield is magic but I don't know what yet so her AC may be better.

Scimitar [1d20+5]=10+5=15 to hit [1d6+2]=3+2=5 damage

Hopefully the priestess with her is more powerful then she is or we have a problem.

[hedgeknight]

Mausoleum Murders - Ghouls 1
Initiative Order: Khawla & Vandy (24), Ghouls (22)

Khawla rushes the Ghoul on the left, shield up, scimitar raised. The creature drops the hand it had been gnawing on and crouches slightly as the priestess approaches. When she slashes with her blade, it bends slightly right and the blade misses.
The Ghoul hisses and reacts swiftly, clawing at Khawla's face - which is deflected by her new shield. However, the claws push the shield aside and the creature bites at her face...its horrid teeth snapping inches from her nose.

Behind her, Vandy unleashes a searing bolt of fire so hot, Khawla can feel the heat from it! One of the other ghouls shrieks in agony, and Khawla can glimpse it thrashing on the floor out of the corner of her eye. The other Ghoul is a blur as it charges Vandy. She hears the Halfling gasp in surprise (pain?) and then curse under her breath.

Actions!

Rolls:
Khawla Initiative: [1d20+6]=18+6=24
Vandy Initiative: [1d20+6]=18+6=24
Ghouls Initiative: [1d20+2]=15+7=22
Ghoul Claw/Bite: [1d20+9]=4+9=13 [1d4+1]=4+1=5 [1d20+9]=7+9=16 [1d6+1]=6+1=7
Ghoul Claw/Bite: [1d20+9]=17+9=26 [1d4+1]=1+1=2 [1d20+9]=3+9=12 [1d6+1]=6+1=7

[Rex]

Khawla

She attacks again. Still using the shield.

Scimitar [1d20+5]=7+5=12 to hit [1d6+2]=3+2=5 damage

[hedgeknight]

Mausoleum Murders - Ghouls 2
Initiative Order: Khawla & Vandy (24), Ghouls (22)

In the mausoleum of the Otari cemetery, two women battle creatures of the crypt!
Khawla attacks again with her scimitar, but the ghoul's tough skin deflects the blade. It snarls at her and comes at her with tooth and claw! Its nasty black talons rake the face and shoulder of the priestess, latching on and dragging her toward its teeth! It gnaws at her face, its breath making her gag, but her new shield prevents the Ghoul from biting her nose off!
She pushes the creature off her and her legs begin to cramp...as paralysis threatens to shut her down!
(I need 2 Fortitude saves at DC 15)


Rolls:
Ghoul Claw/Bite: [1d20+9]=13+9=22 [1d4+1]=3+1=4 [1d20+9]=10+9=19 [1d6+1]=5+1=6

[Rex]

Khawla

Fortitude Save [1d20+6]=10+6=16
Fortitude Save [1d20+6]=20+6=26

She shrugs off the paralysis and attacks.

Scimitar [1d20+5]=12+5=17 to hit [1d6+2]=4+2=6

[hedgeknight]

Mausoleum Murders - Ghouls 3
Initiative Order: Khawla & Vandy (24), Ghouls (22)

The divine power of Sarenrae rushes through Khawla and she shrugs off the paralytic effects of the ghoul like one would a fly. She answers the foul creature's attacks with steel, cutting a chunk out of its chest!
The Ghoul howls and attacks again, clawing Khawla deeply in the shoulder! Behind her, Vandy screams in agony...but she can't spare a moment to help because paralysis threatens her once again!
Another FORT save please!


Khawla - 4/17
Vandy - ?
Ghoul 1 - down 6 hp
Ghoul 2
Ghoul 3 - dead
Rolls:
Ghoul Claw/Bite: [1d20+9]=10+9=19 [1d4+1]=2+1=3 [1d20+9]=2+9=11 [1d6+1]=5+1=6

[Rex]

Khawla

Fortitude Save [1d20+6]=18+6=24

She fights on.

Scimitar [1d20+5]=20+5=25 to hit [1d6+2]=3+2=5 damage
Natural 20.

[hedgeknight]

Mausoleum Murders - Ghouls 4
Initiative Order: Khawla & Vandy (24), Ghouls (22)

Clawed and bleeding, Khawla soldiers on, her faith preventing her from succumbing to the paralytic effects of the Ghoul's talons. With a prayer on her lips, she hacks at the Ghoul intent on killing (and eating) her, and this time her scimitar cuts off most of its face and head! As it falls with a sickening thud, she turns to see Vandy in dire straits.
The high priestess is on her knees, a stunned look on her face, unable to move. And the last remaining Ghoul is licking the blood running down her arm. The creature notices Khawla and hisses as if to say, "This one is mine!"


Khawla - 4/17
Vandy - paralyzed and severely wounded
Ghoul 1 - dead
Ghoul 2
Ghoul 3 - dead

Rolls:

[Rex]

Khawla

Khawla rushes the final ghoul.

Scimitar [1d20+5]=5+5=10 to hit [1d6+2]=4+2=6 damage

[hedgeknight]

Mausoleum Murders - Ghouls 5
Initiative Order: Khawla & Vandy (24), Ghouls (22)

The high priestess is on her knees, a stunned look on her face, unable to move. And the last remaining Ghoul is licking the blood running down her arm. The creature notices Khawla and hisses as if to say, "This one is mine!"

Khawla rushes the Ghoul, slashing at it with her scimitar, hitting nothing but air as the creature dives out of the way.
With a snarl, it returns with tooth and claw, leaving deep gouges on Khawla's armor, narrowly missing the jugular in her neck!

Suddenly, the combatants are bathed in light as reinforcements from the Library arrive!
The Ghoul hisses and retreats to the darkness, trying to drag Vandy with it, as four acolytes descend into the room bearing torches and weapons. Seeing their paralyzed leader, the balk and look at Khawla, who is likewise bloodied and barely standing.
"What do we do?"

Khawla - 4/17
Vandy - paralyzed and severely wounded
Ghoul 1 - dead
Ghoul 2
Ghoul 3 - dead

Rolls:
Ghoul Claw/Bite: [1d20+9]=8+9=17 [1d4+1]=2+1=3 [1d20+9]=3+9=12 [1d6+1]=5+1=6

[Rex]

Khawla

"Try to get her clear while I keep it busy and any healing you can do on me."

She attacks the ghoul again.

Scimitar [1d20+5]=19+5=24 to hit [1d6+2]=3+2=5 damage

Not the best damage, but at least a hit.