Tracks In The Desert

[Rex]

Drest

"Whatever you did works. You now look like one of the snake priests. Why does this place smell like fungus, but I don't see any. Did we miss something?"

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

The warrior seems surprised by the sudden change. "Yes, you changed. No I wonder what the real form of those priests was. Since you, as a human, can change into snake looking man.

Anyway, It wouldn't be a bad idea if two of us take a peek down the stairs? I don't know if I should go. I think a priest carrying scale armor and shield doesn't look credible..."

[Rex]

Drest

"I suspect the head over there without a charm on is what they really look like."

[The_Wanderer]

Cyril

"Yep, I definitely got it to work." He is looking at his hands and arms as he says this. Then he focuses his thoughts on what the snake priest looked like in it's "fake human" form, hoping he changes out of the snake appearance. He moves over to where the rubble is blocking the stairway leading downward and pokes at some of the debris with his quarterstaff, trying to see if the smell is coming from underneath the blockage.

[shaidar]

Xenos

"I'll go down with someone. I'll happy to wear one of those charms and priest robes with my armour and sword hidden underneath."

[The_Wanderer]

Cyril
Still poking at the blockage, Cyril says, "I would be willing to go down and it's possible I could scare off any interlopers who attempt to stop us. I also like my chances at replicating their uncanny stares and head tilts. With that being said, there are two key issues here -
First, we are not nearly at full strength, yourself included Xenos.
Second, we will not be able to communicate very easily with anybody who tries to talk to us.
All that said, we can at least scope it out and run if necessary.

[Rex]

Drest

"We are in rough shape and really should not be splitting up. It is a recipe for disaster. If we go down we should all go, even if it is a little bit behind the person pretending to be a priest. We should be close and able to communicate at the talking, not yelling level."

[shaidar]

Xenos

"So, are we peeking downstairs first, or checking out the final areas upstairs first? If Cyril doesn't want to be first downstairs as a priest, or doesn't want to do it on his own then I'll join him up front. "

[Rex]

Drest

"How about we finish searching upstairs first."

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

"Let's check everything upstairs first. I know we're not in the best situation to go on exploring the basement, but we haven't seen anyone that we haven't killed yet. I mean, all the people we've seen, we have killed, excepting the slave-women and the children, who might be hiding downstairs. I bet there's no one to oppose any resistance. Otherwise they would have come already.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be careful. We're not in the best of shapes right now, but leaving this place like this, after having fought our way through, leaves all the potential treasure open for others. We should reape the fruits of our efforts before going back to Xambaala, I say."

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ruined Warlords Palace
The Aftermath, Mid Morning

Cyril tries to mimic the look of the priests the snakemen were emulating, his scaly skin slowly morphing back into a vaguely human form, much like the vision of them he saw earlier. Despite figuring out how to work the amulets, the party decides to check out the areas they skipped in the ruined first floor of this palace before descending any deeper below.

Cyril pokes around in the rubble, but cant locate the underground stench, eventually realizing it was the snake-men themselves who bore the odor they smell.

Moving back through the open courtyard, they approach the area where the vine covered steps lead up into another room beyond. (6) At the base of these steps rest a pair of human skeletons with most of their possessions in tatters. Strips of leather from armor, clothing, or packs remain intact, and a laminated white shortbow can be seen sticking out from under one of them.

After approaching for a closer look, a frightening man-sized creature appearing to be carved from grey stone suddenly crashes through the curtain of vines, flittering on stone colored wings to fly above the broken ruins of the stairs to perch atop them. It hisses in a Thracian dialect that only those who speak Ixian can understand. "NONE SHALL ENTER THE PRIVATE CHAMBER OF THE WARLORDS PALACE!"

Gargoyle.jpg (7.56 KiB) Viewed 402 times

Actions?

Xenos AC:6 5/12 1st:2/2
Akhilleus AC:4 19/32 (2 Ioun stones)
Drest AC:7 7/16
Cyril AC:8 5/5 1st:2/3

[shaidar]

Xenos translates for the others, then adds

"I'm not sure we're in a state to take this thing on, and maybe we don't need to if we back up and head downstairs. It only seems interested in protecting the stairs."

[Rex]

Drest

"I agree, lets not mess with it if we can help it. But I would like to take a look at that bow."

He will try and dart in and grab the bow and dart back away.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

"Agreed. Let's go back. Drest, take the backpacks too."

[Rex]

Drest

Once Drest has the bow, if the gargoyle doesn't attack him he will go back for the backs.

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ruined Warlords Palace
The Aftermath, Mid Morning

Ignoring the warning of this stony creature, Drest darts forward towards the skeletons trapped in the vines at the base of the steps, hoping to get his hands on the bow.

As soon as he does, the monster dives in to attack him, raking him with one clawed hand before circling around for a second attack. 3 dam

Actions?

Xenos AC:6 5/12 1st:2/2
Akhilleus AC:4 19/32 (2 Ioun stones)
Drest AC:7 4/16
Cyril AC:8 5/5 1st:2/3

TWP.jpeg (120.35 KiB) Viewed 385 times

[Rex]

Drest

"It looks like if we want anything we will have to kill that thing first."

He backs away, if it continues its attack he defends himself.

Short Sword [1d20]=8 to hit [1d6+1]=1+1=2 damage

[shaidar]

Xenos keeps an eye on the creature as Drest backs off.

If it looks it will continue to swoop down to attack Drest even after he has backed off then he will throw a javelin at it:

Initiative: [1d6]=3
Javelin: to-hit [1d20+2]=4+2=6; dmg [1d4+2]=3+2=5

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

"This is stupid. Let's back off NOW." The warrior will interpose himself between the creature and Drest and start backing off, forcing his friend to do the same.

If it attacks, he defends.

Broad sword (one-handed) - To hit: [1d20+2]=19+2=21; Dmg: [1d8+3]=5+3=8

Broad sword (one-handed) - To hit: [1d20+2]=7+2=9; Dmg: [1d8+3]=3+3=6

[OGRE MAGE]

The Ruined Warlords Palace
The Aftermath, Mid Morning

Once the group backs away again, empty handed, the gargoyle flies back up to the top of the steps and perches there, watching the party from above.

The temptation to grab the treasure is apparently not as strong as the Scouts will to survive.

Actions?

Last area to explore is #7. You want to access that through #14?

Xenos AC:6 5/12 1st:2/2
Akhilleus AC:4 19/32 (2 Ioun stones)
Drest AC:7 4/16
Cyril AC:8 5/5 1st:2/3

TWP.jpeg (120.56 KiB) Viewed 382 times