Jarrith stops short as the three Flamists come upon the main chamber and spot the figure of Lord Sergei. As the current resident of the keep addresses them and Emil, the blood within the Stalker runs cold. His eyes narrow, and the impulses that have carried him through his life within the Order of Illumination are brought back to the forefront. He steps forward a pace, knowing Khensu and Marot are right behind him.
"My apologies, my Lord... we fools dilly-dally about this castle because we do so admire its architecture... but yet we keep finding poor souls that have been imprisoned within! First the young girl tied to the bed upstairs, and now this poor man locked within the cells below! Goodness knows what they both were doing here... but I guess it's just of those things which, as you say, we just couldn't possibly understand." He says this last phrase dripping with as much sarcastic poison as he can muster.
Jarrith throws a smirk back to Marot and Khensu, and gives a slight chuckle to himself. "I wonder who's the more foolish? Us wandering around Barovia doing the Flame's work... or our Host believing that he is so much more high-minded than everyone that his little time-wasters are somehow incomprehensible to the rest of us?" He snorts in derision, then addresses Sergei one last time. "We invade your home, because we have reason to believe crimes against your populace are being committed. And before you give me the same tired song and dance where you tell us that as the Lord of this land that your word is Law... I'll remind you that we serve the Flame. And thus... this means that if you want to stop us... then you'll have to... STOP... US."
The lord does something uncharacteristic—he smiles. A small thing, and not warm. A cold smile of the superior, or so he thinks. In the shimmering mist, it looks almost sinister.
I say you do not understand because that is the truth. Gretchen? She was no more my prisoner than Emil was. It is she who sought the bosom of my protection, to escape the prison of her former life. And she was well warded in that place, wards that you and yours destroyed in your stumbling about.
And Emil? One of my servants. The man, as Sergei speaks, stands straighter, and begins to move to the lord's side unless stopped. A hunter who apparently failed in his task. The witch woman still lives then? The question is sharp, and Emil is stung by it. As I thought. Sergei stares sharply at Jarrith, Khensu, and Marot in turn. Likely, she awaits your companions even now.
It is then that Jarrith, Khensu, and Marot realize something is wrong. The feeling of dread ever present in the Castle has gotten stronger, as if playing tricks on their minds; the fog seems to intensify it. Its strongest when Sergei glares at them. To Khensu, it almost feels like the confusion that overcame him in the battle that Sergei shared in. Jarrith and and Khensu fight it, but Marot seems a little dazed by it, his mind wandering. He clutches his head and whispers, The mist... a fog of the mind. Weakens will.
Something weird is going on; with an AP from Jarrith and Khensu, it is resisted by them. Marot's concentration is off (he failed). Marot correctly identified the mind fog effect.
Downstairs, the water is brakish, and all are cold.
Actions? Or just waiting?
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Avron slushes through the water in front of the others, in the direction where the disturbance was localized. The scholar lets divine energy arc through him and out into the water. "Oh I bet it's one of those waterlogged zombie abominations!. MARCO!"
ooc
Storm bolt in a 20' line of water in the area where Ashlyn indicates.
Ashlyn looks at Avron a moment before speaking, "It was behind that door which I heard a disturbance in the water, but I think we should check behind this door first to be sure that we leave no undead behind us."
Ashlyn indicates the north door as the one that she thinks we should check while we wait.
Jarrith steels himself as he feels the fog wash across and then past him, and sets his jaw when Marot mentions that he is unable to resist it. He turns to Khensu and says simply "It's time to shed some light, Brother."
And with that, Jarrith pulls both of his rapiers free and attacks Emil. Khensu pulls out his greatsword and goes after Emil as well, trying to flank the former prisoner on the far side of Jarrith.
Jarrith and Khensu, finally fed up with the obfuscation and evil, lash out at the "helpless" prisoner. But as the first blow is struck, Emil growls deeper and deeper, growing in a towering abomination of fur and fang. At the same time, the stone statues ringing the entryway come to life!
As he fades on the wide of a spell, Sergei's last words are, So be it. You shall be protected no more.
Downstairs
As Ashlyn prepares to see to the north door, there loud creaking noise from above as if something was settling... or moving. Suddenly, Ravika, Tessa, and Ladreth vanish from sight with an explosion of water! Their screams can be heard from the other side of the western door!
Update with inits/maps/etc tonight.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Hovering overhead, the stone statues come to life with malign intent, the dragon statues with the flaming mouths soon following. The now fanged Emil makes clear his ill intent.
Downstairs
Ladreth, Tessa, and Ravika suddenly find themselves in deep brakish water surrounded by vile undead and hideous ape-like creatures with wicked cleavers. A hooded figure, whom Tessa recognizes as the foul Ebon Claw necromancy that attacked the caravan, looks dispassionately down. Kill them she says, the ghostly image of a woman whose face is nothing but gore following.
The instant the three appear in the room, the depravity of them assaults them. Tessa recognizes a spell of evil warding and fights off its immediate effects, but knows the undead will be strengthened here. Ladreth, however, does not fight it off, and suddenly all around him is silent at the undead assault them!
Round 1
Upstairs
Jarrith knows he must spring into action...
Downstairs
The necromancy ducks behind the curtain, disappearing from sight. Beside here, the ghastly apparition floats down beside the stunned Ravika. The shifter can only scream silently as the undead reaches inside and tears something vital. [Incorporeal touch attack hits; 7hp and 2 levels drained]
The zombies grown as they spring out of the water and thrash at those nearby. Armor spares the three from the brunt of the attack. All miss
The fire boiling inside while all is silent, Tessa knows she must act now...
Round 1
Maps
Put these here to stop stretching the display.
Map Notes: Water is difficult terrain (3 squares, not 2, of movement). The is a ledge (dotted portion) upstairs 20' that the Gs and SDs can land on. Grey circle around Ladreth is a silence effect.
OOC: Is Tessa affected by the Silence? Can she use Turn Undead if she is Silenced?
OOC: She is in the silenced area (the grey circle around Ladreth). Turning, your aberrant mark, and all its abilities are not affected by silence; only spells w/ verbal components.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Tessa felt a sensation of heat rising within her, focused upon the mark across her arm and shoulder. It was the call of flame, aching to be unleashed...
She focused her will, at least for the moment, keeping the call of the surging flame in check through stubborn will, and the strength of her faith. With the hand that held the wand, she reached down and grabbed the Icon of Ravenloft from her belt and raised it, presenting it towards the ravening undead. Her mouth moved in a soundless call, focusing the powers of the Sovereign Host through the potent talisman.
A fiery glow seemed to hold around Tessa, emanating from all around her, but she fought it, instead raising the cool raven statue of Ravenloft. The fire raging within her, her unfamiliarity with its magic, or the dark magic warding the area made the light the icon gave out weaker than expected, but it was enough for starts: Three of the zombies burst into ash. They were nothing before the Host. Rolled a 1 on the Turn check. Ouch. Still enough to get some, though, esp with the icon canceling some of the unhallow effect in the room
Meanwhile, the abominable ape-creatures sludged through the water at Ladreth.
In the hall, Ashlyn had to react to her companion's sudden disappearance.
Map (downstairs)
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Ashlyn, seeing her companions dissappear and hearing their screams and yells from behind the door at the end of the corridor, yells at the top of her voice for her other companions, hoping that they can still hear her, "MAROT, HELP!"
Ashlyn then moves quickly to the door at the end of the corridor, and tries to open it. If it is locked, then she starts to hack the door open.
[If the door is locked then Ashlyn's attack is: +11, damage: 1d10+3]
Last edited by Stormwind; 2nd November 2009 at 08:31 PM..
Ladreth, ready to strike down the pathetic zombies before him, is momentarily baffled as they dissipate into ash right when his sword was about to fall. Instead, he waited for the abominations to get closer, so that he can bring them both down. Invisible creatures, ghostly apparitions, intangible evil-air, those frightened the warrior, but these fleshy beasts can be torn apart by a sword, and that's exactly what he intends to do.
5' Step to be between the two, while full attacking the upper one. Power Attack only 2, so that should be +13/+8 2d6+14 (If they're undead then it goes to 2d6+18).
(When it comes to mapping my move actions, I'm using the assumption that the doors next to Marot that go into K14 are the ones that head towards the chapel. Also, for ease of description, I'm calling the top of the map "north", although I do not know if that is technically true.)
As the form of Emil grows larger and the statuary around the main hall comes to life... Jarrith knows exactly where they need to be to keep this fight under control. "Marot! The doors!"
With the chapel down the hall from the set of double doors Marot stands in front of... the Flamists all know the best place to fight these monstrosities is in the circle of the blessed altar. Marot quickly throws open the set of doors behind him, (Move action to open doors) then steps a few paces into the hallway (Move 2 squares east into K14)
Jarrith thrusts his rapier into Emil, (standard action attack vs Emil) then tumbles past him and Khensu to get as far into the hallway as he can. (Move action w/Tumble and go 6 squares east with 1 square north: to the space that is NE of where Marot's image on the map is - i.e. just to the right of the northern door of that double door set.)
When Khensu comes up, he also swings his blade into Emil, (standard action attack) then takes three steps east to get right through the doorframe and slightly into the hall. (Ends one square directly below Jarrith, and one square west of Marot - yes, he knows he will probably be receiving some attack s of opportunity)
In the next round, both Marot and Jarrith will hold their actions until Khensu's turn... then as a group all three will do a defensive double move down the hallway and into the chapel.
Ravika panics as the very essence of her being is drained away at the undead horrors in front of her. She steps out of their reach and calls upon the fury of the winter storm's to descend upon the basement, turning the water icy cold and hopefully blinding her foes.
ooc
5 ft step southeast. Cast Sleet Storm (want the edge of the spell to be in the space she just vacated)
Spells:
0 — (Save DC 15) Detect Magic x2, Light x2, Mending, Create Water
1st — (Save DC 16) Entangle, Lesser Vigor x2, Produce Flame x2, CLW
2nd — (Save DC 17) Creeping Coldx2, Heat Metal, Soften Earth & Stone
3rd — (Save DC 18) Call Lightning, Sleet Storm, Protection from Energy
4th — (Save DC 19) Flamestrike, Murderous Mist <- lost access due to level drain
Marot nods quickly as Jarrith cries out about the doors. An aura springs up around Marot as the warlock begins to seethe with anger over Emil's deception.
Trusting that his directional sense is accurate, he throws open the door behind him.
He looks down the hall to verify if that is indeed true -- hopefully he can tell if the hallway looks familiar.
As he turns around to the others, he calls out,Close ranks before me!"
He then takes aim at Emil and sends an irridescent ray bursting forth from his gloves towards the foul shape-shifter.
OOC
Activate Aura of Menace.
Point Blank ranged touch +8 Use 1 charge from Gloves of Eldritch Admixture for 2d6 acid damage 4d6+4 (untyped) + 2d6 (acid)
Plan is to use Flee the Scene on Marot's initiative next round and take Jarrith and Khensu 40' down the hallway, where they can then act.
Hopefully the gargoyles will attack the remaining image of Marot in the room.
Avron steps closer to the room. "See I told you, water logged undead!" The young-bearded man chants softly. A warm rain begins to fall, burning the undead flesh.
Actions
Move two squares to left. Cast holy storm 20' radius, 20' high. 2d6 damage to evil creatures in the area at the start of their turn. 7 round duration.
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