Quest #21 "Island Hopping"

[ravenn4544]

Alordan swings again and tries to cut off the cora-things arms to prevent it from reaching it's next victim.

Long Sword Attack [1d20+1] = 12+1 = 13 (THACO=18)

Long Sword Damage(+1 str/+1 weapon) = S/M: [1d8+2] = 7+2 = 9 / L: [1d12+2] = 12+2 = 14

[Storm11]

Saracen lashes out again as the undead creature rushes at our climbing Cleric (of Pelor?)

[1d20+3] = 17+3 = 20 : [1d8+4] = 2+4 = 6 : [1d12+4] = 2+4 = 6 (Not including the +2 to hit for Faerie Fire)

Whatever you are now creature, in the name of the blinding light begone! he cries as he stabs at the monster.

[wolfpack]

Gramble swings again but misses

[1d20+3] = 2+3 = 5

[ravenn4544]

OOC: Alordan's roll didn't include the +2 to hit from the faire fire if it would apply.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche breathes a sigh of relief as his healing spell takes effect on Sir Crestbrook, noticing the paladin beginning to stir from unconsciousness, his chest moving rhythmically again. In his spellcasting concentration he barely noticed Maag grasping Sir Crestbrook, hauling with his extraordinary strength to break the unnatural grip on the paladin's throat. Perhaps he was wrong about the half-orc's morals? This flicker of thought at the edge of his mind. Nothing is indeed as it appears on this island …

Refocusing on the continuing battle he recalls the reaction to his interference. The creature was angry at my words to Cora, it had to be, unless my senses are deceived. Could there yet be a vestige of her left in that corpse? Is she indeed fighting back?

"Miiiiiine!"

As the undead monster releases its grip on Sir Crestbrook and lunges again with both arms at Lerrick desperate to reclaim what it considers stolen, Andron becomes even more certain there is an evil entity yet holding dominion over the fallen priestess of Athena. This emboldened him further in his attempt to reach Cora.

Whether any part of her still remains, the young cleric of Rao believed it necessary that he try, in atonement for her unfortunate fate. Drawing himself up to his full height, he presents again his holy symbol to the skeletal horror. This time attempting to draw upon the divine surge not to turn the decayed corpse but distract it, help Cora fight back.

"Yours it is not, fiend! Release Cora, you shall have no power over her!"

[kruk]

Sir Crestbrook the Mighty

Not being able to breath and feeling the intense pain from the fiend's grip the paladin falls into to state of unconsciousness. The pain fades away as his body becomes completely numb and his mind dazed in total darkness. This...is it for you His mind has quick flashbacks at his adventurous life before his mind starts to slip into oblivion. But then something happens. A voice... What? Set Cora freeee. Slowly the paladin's mind becomes more aware. Set Cora freeeee! Sir Crestbrook now feels strength and vitality flow through his body I will help her Ssssset Coooora Freeeeee! Yesss YESSSS I'm coming for you Cora!! SSSET COOOORAAA FREEEEEEEE! With the words echoing through his mind the paladin snaps back into consciousness. He's grateful that the undead creature's hands aren't around his neck anymore, but horrified to see that the creature is lunging towards the cleric. No time to grab his sword or shield, the mighty paladin lunges at the undead creature's legs with the intention to grab them to prevent the creatures advancement towards the Lerrick.


Lerrick

With two successful hits on the skeleton foe the cleric the cleric now sees that it is coming for her.

"Miiiiiine!".

NO! It belongs to Cora! Not you!
Seeing that the full attention of the skeleton is on her with its boney hands reaching for her neck she strikes one more time with the mace downward onto the skull.

I'm not making these rolls up
The mace wants Cora released too

to hi and damage rolls respectively: [1d20+2] = 17+2 = 19 [1d8] = 6

I wish Sir Crestbrook would hit something

[OGRE MAGE]

Back In The Cave
Moonday, 15th of Goodmonth
Mid Morning, Damp, Dim, Humid

Andron looks impressive as he continues to call out to the monster with his holy symbol presented. Again, he senses is a hint of comprehension, but it doesn't last long, as the onslaught against what was once the devote priestess of Athena is swift and brutal. Blades of magically augmented steel tear her aged bones to shreds as she makes one final lunge towards Lerrick's throat. Before its greedy claws can envelope living skin, the half-elven priestess of Pelor swings down hard and clubs the last hint of un-death from the re-animated Cora. The dried rack of bones and hanging skin topples to the cave floor and doesn't move again.

Crestbrook fights away from Maag just in time to rush over to tackle the legs of the unmoving body.

Once the noise of battle subsides, the hissing of the snakes in the pit and the dripping of the water in the pool are the only sounds you can hear inside the winding passages.

Actions?

Original descriptions of these rooms starts here: viewtopic.php?f=446&t=8259&start=220#p417928

map:

A9D8FE4E-CF5E-4EBF-9F6E-CEDD2699D545.jpeg (644.5 KiB) Viewed 341 times

Sir Crestbrook 6/11 LoH
Gramble 13/16
Lerrick 11/11 2/4 1st (torch: 40'r/3.6T)
Tlachtga 8/8 0/4 1st (torch: 40'r/4.4T)
Cu AC:3 13/13
Saracen 28/33 4/5 1st 2/2 2nd
Alordan 15/18
Andron 6/6 1/3 1st CL, DM, RM / 1/1 1st
Maag 12/12

[ravenn4544]

Alordan steps away from the undead heap and keeps busy by looking behind the rags for any other potential secret passages.

[Storm11]

Saracen moves over to Crestbrook, and helps him to his feet. He casts a spell of healing over the paladin to close his wounds.

[1d8] = 2

Heal yourself as well if you can, he suggests, before heading over to the altar, once again looking it over to see if there are any discernible symbols or religious dedications he can decipher or draw for later research, and perhaps a secret compartment within it.

[wolfpack]

That's it, I'm killing everything

gramble says angrily.

He pours oil on the undead remains and sets them on fire. Once that is done he walks over to the pit, using his axe to check reflection down inside it first, and will pour oil into the pit a light up the snakes.

[Rex]

Tlachtga

Tlachtga will search the room and check the exits, keeping Cu close by and paying attention to any warning signs that he senses something.

"We all need to pay attention to any warning signs from Cu, he sensed her before any of us. It may be the same with another creature that means us harm."

[Jernau35]

Maag

Having fallen on his backside when the monster let of Crestbrook, Maag stands up and brushes himself off. He looks at the paladin wrapped around the creatures legs.

"Let 'er go Cresty. She's a throat rippin' monster from beyond der grave. An' you're a Gemini. Der's no future in it".

He then wanders over to poke around in all the bottles and things on the shelf.

[kruk]

Sir Crestbrook the Mighty

Saracen moves over to Crestbrook, and helps him to his feet. He casts a spell of healing over the paladin to close his wounds.

Attempting to speak a few times before words are understandable, the paladin speaks Thank you Saracen. May Cora's spirit finally be at ease. He then gathers his sword and shield. He then closes his eyes and channels his power to heal on himself.

Lay hands on self for 2 hp

Maag
"Let 'er go Cresty. She's a throat rippin' monster from beyond der grave. An' you're a Gemini. Der's no future in it".

Ok Maag...you're right. He then wipes a tear from his cheek with his forearm, the same arm containing the sword in his hand. In wiping the tear he almost impales the half-orc. Err...Sorry Maag. Almost nicked you there.

Turning to the other healers in the party. Thank you for keeping me alive. With Cora gone we can now focus on the medusa.


Lerrick

Lerrick inspects the mace that did so much damage to the foe while she finally catches her breath as the adrenaline slow subsides. The cleric is not used to close combat. She makes a mental note not to do that again knowing that if any of her attacks would have missed she would most likely have been killed. She then inspects each of the party members to see if they are in need of healing. Seeing that the paladin is the only one, she moves to him and inspects his neck. Oooh...that's going to leave a mark. She gives the paladin a warm smiles. Seeing that most of the wounds received by the paladin are now healed, she decides to hold on to her healing powers for future battles.

[Quonundrum]

Thank you for keeping me alive. With Cora gone we can now focus on the medusa.

Andronichishche, still shaking from the adrenaline dump, smiles weakly at Sir Crestbrook and attempts to ease the tension with humor. "You are quite welcome, paladin. Although, as it is your mission to face evil wherever it may hide ... try to not stick your neck out too much." He glances down now at the skeletal remains of Cora, a much more somber expression replacing the mirth of just a moment ago. "I am certain she heard me, if but very briefly. Let us hope she is indeed free from from the evil that was contained in the amulet ... and as for the evil itself which possessed and reanimated her, is it now gone, permanently destroyed? We should complete our search of these tunnels, ensure any vestige of this evil is expunged from this plane."

Andron kneels down next to the corpse and performs the last rites as prescribed for a follower of Rao. "I am sorry lady Cora, I know not the rites for the faithful of Athena, but may Rao help guide you to your final destination." After completing the ritual he slowly stands and surveys the dimensions and features of the two rooms, silently making mental notes on required corrections to his map. He walks into the room with the altar and the kobold statues all facing the western wall. "Now these are definitely not minotaurs, strange ... and what about this wall has captured their attention, I wonder." Andron will first examine the statues, then the western wall, probing for hollow areas as he does so with the hilt of his dagger.

As Andronichishche begins the methodical and monotonous task of tapping the wall, his mind begins to dwell on recent events, the surge of power he felt with the turning and the brief contact he achieved with Cora's spirit. He remembers attempting to draw upon that power as he confronted the evil inhabiting her corpse. It was a flash of inspiration born of desperation and hope. It was crude and unfocused ... but it worked! He continues the staccato tapping, his thoughts wandering even more, to the events of two days ago when he arrived on the island. In particular he recalls Liam's speech to the gathered and panicked townspeople, how adroitly he addressed their concerns and the sheer presence he projected ...

That's it! If I could somehow merge the bolstering invocation of the turning ritual with the fundamental principles of the Command spell, it should be possible to enhance my presence, project the power of Rao to engender a peaceful response. Per the tenets of Rao, the greatest gift is reason, which leads to discourse, which leads to peace, which leads to serenity. The challenge is establishing the discourse. I'll need to ruminate on this when we return to town ...

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag steps back adroitly to avoid the paladin's blade. "Woah der!....Not a problem, Cresty, me ol' tin plate, not a problem..."

He goes off to examine all the jars and containers on the shelf, crooning to himself as he does.

"Summer lovin', 'appened so fast
Met a girl, she was a ghast
Met a boy, cute as Cresty
Summer days, chokin' airways
But oh!! Oh those summer knights!

[OGRE MAGE]

Back In The Cave
Moonday, 15th of Goodmonth
Mid Morning, Damp, Dim, Humid

Alordan, seeing that there is clearly one secret door in this place, searches for more. He moves Cora's cleaning rags aside so he can check over the entire chamber, but he finds no sign of any more secrets. Tlachtga moves around the room as well, checking the 2 exits often for intruders. She pats Cu on his massive head for giving them his early warning, suggesting they use that to their advantage in the future. Andron administers the Last Rites of Rao upon Cora's corpse as Gramble splashes it with oil, the burning kind, not the ceremonial kind.

Saracen uses a prayer of healing on Crestbrook, who then touches himself for some further aid, almost stabbing Maag in the process. The hideous half-orc moves into the next room with Andron, checking over the areas already searched a few days before. Andron looks at the strange kobold statues, wondering why they would be facing the wall in such a way. He finds the last one in line has been spun back around and is looking towards the altar again. The other party members just shrug, not sure why one would have been moved since they were last here. He doesn't find anything suspicious as he taps and prods the stone, but his prior actions in here appear to have inspired him to consider a bit of new magic in his future. Nothing new is found on or in the altar.

Humming an original ditty to himself as he searches, Maag finds nothing new amongst the jars and bottles of spices, liquids, foodstuffs, and make-up that line the shelf in Cora's room. None of it looks overly special in any way. Gramble strikes a spark to his oil and the corpse of Cora slowly ignites, right there on the floor of this chamber. The acrid smoke from the burning corpse is incredibly smelly and almost impossible to breath as it begins to fill the low ceilinged chamber. Coughing a bit, the stoic fighter moves to the snake pit next and digs in his pack for even more oil.

Anyone who wishes to stay in the smoky lower chamber will need to make a Save vs, Poison in order to successfully act this round. Thanks!

Actions?

map:

E140A6A6-4D81-4E06-8056-41A39E41C0B5.jpeg (607.04 KiB) Viewed 292 times

Sir Crestbrook 10/11 LoH
Gramble 13/16
Lerrick 11/11 2/4 1st (torch: 40'r/3.4T)
Tlachtga 8/8 0/4 1st (torch: 40'r/4.2T)
Cu AC:3 13/13
Saracen 28/33 3/5 1st 2/2 2nd
Alordan 15/18
Andron 6/6 1/3 1st CL, DM, RM / 1/1 1st
Maag 12/12

[wolfpack]

Gramble will move into the altar room

[Storm11]

Saracen continues to search the altar and take any symbols if he can scrounge some writing equipment from someone.

The statues are a puzzle he says after his inspection, looking over the kobolds to see if it’s the same one or these statues are of differing kobolds, any differences in looks or equipment as well as their poses.

[Rex]

Tlachtga

Tlachtga and Cu also move into the altar room and search it.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche was completely oblivious to Gramble's intentions as he administered last rites to Cora. He was accustomed to the anointment of oil during the rites, and so at most was pleasantly surprised the stoic fighter had a religious bent. He was well into the next room before Gramble produced his tinderbox ...

Andron noticed quickly that the last kobold was facing inward towards the altar, not the wall. He didn't think much of this initially as the others may not have noticed this detail in their first trip here. So, as he was completing his examination of the western wall, he called out a question about the curious orientation of the last kobold. Among the articulate and not quite so articulate responses was what sounded to him like a ditty from Maag and a coughing spasm from Gramble ...

Before he could solicit some clarification, Saracen joined him next to the kobold statues and offered his input and assistance. "Oh, yes. I also have a pencil and sheet of parchment you can use for the altar inscriptions." He procures these from his backpack and hands them to Saracen. Upon completing their joint examination and Saracen returns to the altar to record his findings, Andron finally turns back towards the southern room ...

"Sorry Gramble, I didn't quite hear you ... OH, DEAR LORD, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THERE!", he exclaims as oily black smoke billows from the other room.