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Shilsen's Eberron SH (Finished - The Last Word : 9/20/15)
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<blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 3110387" data-attributes="member: 198"><p>Saala’s corpse has literally been hacked apart and lies near one of the chamber’s walls. The area around it is stained yellowish-green, Korm and Luna recognizing the signs of a <em>rejuvenation cocoon</em> that was destroyed or <em>dispel</em>led before it could complete its work. Nearby, backed up against the wall, and gibbering to herself, is Thlie.</p><p></p><p>Of more immediate concern are the two other people in the chamber, standing over Saala’s corpse. One is a muscular female orc, wearing ornate plate-mail armor that the Angels instantly recognize was worn by the fake Dala during the battle with Desro. She carries the same saw-toothed falchion, blood still dripping off its blade. Behind her is an older, slimmer male orc, in well-worn traveling garb. The latter is rising to his feet from Saala’s corpse, and simultaneously tucking the Key, glittering in his right hand, into his clothes.</p><p></p><p>As the adventurers appear, the male orc smiles and casts a spell, causing rubbery black tentacles to erupt from the ground around them. Korm and Gareth bull their way through the tentacles to open ground. While Nameless is seized by the tentacles, as is Luna, who is still in her normal form, he simply <em>dimension door</em>s the pair of them outside the spell’s grasp.</p><p></p><p>The delay, however, is what matters. The swordswoman steps forward and takes a ready stance. As she does, she calls back over her shoulder, “Can we kill them this time or do we have to pretend to lose again?” The other laughs. “No – you can kill them now. They have served their purpose.”</p><p></p><p>Luna snarls at the glib confidence of their enemies and transforms into her favorite bear form, also calling on her shifter heritage for added fortitude. As she transforms, her senses sharpen, especially that of scent. The bear Luna wrinkles her snout, recognizing the same combination of mustiness and wet hair that she smelled at the camp a couple nights ago.</p><p></p><p>While she is transforming, Korm rushes forward to engage the swordswoman. As he hacks at her, he again finds that her resistance to damage, whatever its source, takes the edge of his blows. Hers, however, bite through his defenses and the Gatekeeper is soon bleeding heavily.</p><p> </p><p>His attack, however, keeps her occupied enough for Gareth to rush by at the spellcaster. Nameless casts a spell at the same time, causing three of his wolves to appear, two rushing at the spellcaster and one at the swordswoman. To Korm’s relief, though the one attacking his opponent barely scratches her, it uses its bulk to shove her off her feet.</p><p></p><p>The other two wolves leap forward, their innate <em>true strike</em> ability making it impossible for them to miss. And yet they do, as they slam into an invisible barrier a foot from their target. He simply smiles past them at a momentarily flabbergasted Nameless. “You didn’t think it would be that easy, would you?”</p><p></p><p>What in the Planes is that? wonders Nameless.*</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, Gareth sets his feet and swings, crying, “In the name of the Flame!” Kizmet kindles with silver fire as it comes down, and then clangs harmlessly off multiple layers of magical protection.</p><p></p><p>“Please!” says the untouched target. “I was killing your kind when being a paladin meant something.” He gestures dismissively, sending three <em>scorching ray</em>s burning into Gareth’s chest, and following them instantly with a coruscating <em>ray of enfeeblement</em> that saps the paladin’s strength.</p><p></p><p>Beside the apparent protection against Nameless’s summoned creatures, the spellcaster apparently has other unusual spellcasting abilities. As the fight progresses, he casts a <em>greater command</em>, ordering each of the Angels to sleep. Though they fight off the magical compulsion, they realize that their enemy, so far apparently an arcanist, just used a spell normally used only by clerics. Moreover, he cast it in a unique form modified to be arcane in nature.</p><p></p><p><em>What is this guy?</em></p><p></p><p>Unknown to the others, Luna soon has an answer. While they are unable to do much to the spellcaster, his ally is not as lucky. Though her resistance to damage and heavy armor protects her almost completely from the wolves (all three of which Nameless now sends after her), they constantly snap at her and often manage to pull her off her feet. And they distract her from Korm and Luna, allowing them to inflict more and more minor nicks and cuts on her.</p><p></p><p>The spellcaster, after almost taking an already wounded Gareth off his feet with a quick volley of <em>magic missile</em>s, targets Nameless with a <em>dispel magic</em>. Nameless grins as his ring automatically counterspells it, and replies, “You’re not the only one who learns.”</p><p></p><p>Knowing that responding in kind is likely to be useless, Nameless targets the swordswoman, currently involved in dispatching one of the wolves. His <em>dispel</em> does take hold, stripping off the magical protection she has. It also causes her magical disguise to shimmer for just a second. Only Luna is keen-eyed enough**, the mystical connection to her guardian beast spirit letting her see through it in the moment of weakness, and her brow furrows as she sees something she cannot identify. Unfortunately, as a bear, she cannot communicate what she sees.</p><p></p><p>As a near-unconscious Gareth shouts, “I could use some healing,” she growls and hurries to his side, slapping a big paw against him and invoking a <em>cocoon</em> around him. The irritated spellcaster turns to Luna and slaps a hand against her head, his hand glowing with dark energy. The druid shudders, barely managing to fight off the killing energy of the <em>harm</em> spell due to her unusual fortitude, emerging alive but severely wounded.</p><p></p><p>Even worse, her movement to Gareth’s side leaves Korm alone facing the swordswoman with the single remaining wolf. As she, having just been knocked off her feet, rises, Korm takes the opportunity to land as powerful a blow as he can. Seconds later, he is down, bleeding and unconscious. </p><p></p><p>Nameless hurriedly summons a set of wolves, but only gets one. Luckily, reinforcements arrive at exactly the right moment. A large crocodile hurls itself out of the water in the next chamber and Six leaps off it and races forward. Even as the swordswoman dispatches another wolf, he reaches her and the chain lashes out, again pulling her to the ground.</p><p></p><p>“Gurr’khan!” shouts Six, throwing a quick glance at Saala’s corpse and the weeping form of Thlie, who has crawled to it. “Talk to Thlie! Get her in the fight!”</p><p></p><p>Behind him, the crocodile changes form and the Gatekeeper hurries forward too.</p><p></p><p>Luna growls her appreciation of the incoming allies. Having discovered that the spellcaster is incredibly hard to hit, she simply rears up, throws both paws around him, and pulls him into her grasp. For all of a second, before he slips out with magical alacrity, grins at her and steps quickly to the swordswoman’s side. “We’re leaving,” he says.</p><p></p><p><em>He has a</em> Freedom of Movement <em>too? Come on!</em> “Stop them!” yells Nameless. “Luna! Gurr’khan! Blast them!” He takes to the air, flying forward as fast as he can.</p><p></p><p>The druids respond immediately, two <em>flame strike</em>s smashing down on the pair. Nameless, stopping short just outside the area of the blast, simultaneously unleashes a <em>cone of cold</em> on them. The spellcaster emerges completely unscathed, but the swordswoman cries out as she is badly scorched and frozen at once. She concentrates for a moment, making sure that her resistance to magic doesn’t affect her ally’s spell, and then he <em>teleport</em>s them away.</p><p></p><p>“Son of a bitch!” </p><p></p><p>With the enemies gone, Gurr’khan rushes to Saala’s corpse, while Gareth, having emerged from his <em>cocoon</em> completely healed, rushes to revive Korm. </p><p></p><p>Once Korm is back on his feet too, an angry and sorrowful Gurr’khan returns to join the others. “What happened before Six and I got here? Was Saala alive when you got there?”</p><p></p><p>The others explain what happened. After they do, Gurr’khan rubs his forehead wearily and says, “I could try to <em>reincarnate</em> Saala, since she has never been before***. But I will need to travel to a place where I can easily find the ingredients for it, and so I could not do it before tomorrow.”</p><p></p><p>Luna, who has changed back to her shifter form, quickly says, “Actually, I’ve got the ingredients right here.”</p><p></p><p>“What?”</p><p></p><p>“Yes. We were planning to use it on someone who was killed by those two things we just fought, and we didn’t get to. We can use that for Saala.”</p><p></p><p>“Speaking of which,” says Gareth, “What in the Hells were they? The Flame and Kizmet let me overcome the resistance to damage of just about every kind of creature, but they seem completely unaffected by that.”</p><p></p><p>Luna looks around with a puzzled expression. “I was going to ask what they were, but you saw it, right?”</p><p></p><p>“Saw what?” ask the others, sounding just as puzzled.</p><p></p><p>“Through the disguise when Nameless hit her with the <em>dispel</em>. You didn’t see her face?”</p><p></p><p>“No, Luna – we don’t all have your abilities where vision is concerned. What did you see?”</p><p></p><p>Luna waves her hands expressively as she explains. “Its head was that of a tiger, even though the body was human-shaped. With big teeth and glowing red eyes. Body had fur on it, which must be where that wet hair smell came from.”</p><p></p><p>Nameless, Gareth, Korm and Gurr’khan all say at the same time. “Rakshasa.”</p><p></p><p></p><p>* I house-ruled Protection from Evil (and Magic Circle from Evil) to only protect against evil summoned creatures, just as the other “Protection from X” spells only protect against whatever “X” is. So a protection against neutral summoned creatures, as pseudonatural creatures are, is unknown to the PCs. </p><p></p><p>** Rolled a 19, for a DC 40 spot check. Should just have penetrated the disguise but not revealed its real nature, but I thought it was an interesting way to handle the revelation. And much better than just some NPC doing it.</p><p></p><p>*** Returning from the dead is significantly difficult in my game, because I prefer it that way and also think it better fits Eberron. One of a few house rules on the subject is that anyone brought back by a certain spell can never be brought back by the same spell again.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="shilsen, post: 3110387, member: 198"] Saala’s corpse has literally been hacked apart and lies near one of the chamber’s walls. The area around it is stained yellowish-green, Korm and Luna recognizing the signs of a [i]rejuvenation cocoon[/i] that was destroyed or [i]dispel[/i]led before it could complete its work. Nearby, backed up against the wall, and gibbering to herself, is Thlie. Of more immediate concern are the two other people in the chamber, standing over Saala’s corpse. One is a muscular female orc, wearing ornate plate-mail armor that the Angels instantly recognize was worn by the fake Dala during the battle with Desro. She carries the same saw-toothed falchion, blood still dripping off its blade. Behind her is an older, slimmer male orc, in well-worn traveling garb. The latter is rising to his feet from Saala’s corpse, and simultaneously tucking the Key, glittering in his right hand, into his clothes. As the adventurers appear, the male orc smiles and casts a spell, causing rubbery black tentacles to erupt from the ground around them. Korm and Gareth bull their way through the tentacles to open ground. While Nameless is seized by the tentacles, as is Luna, who is still in her normal form, he simply [i]dimension door[/i]s the pair of them outside the spell’s grasp. The delay, however, is what matters. The swordswoman steps forward and takes a ready stance. As she does, she calls back over her shoulder, “Can we kill them this time or do we have to pretend to lose again?” The other laughs. “No – you can kill them now. They have served their purpose.” Luna snarls at the glib confidence of their enemies and transforms into her favorite bear form, also calling on her shifter heritage for added fortitude. As she transforms, her senses sharpen, especially that of scent. The bear Luna wrinkles her snout, recognizing the same combination of mustiness and wet hair that she smelled at the camp a couple nights ago. While she is transforming, Korm rushes forward to engage the swordswoman. As he hacks at her, he again finds that her resistance to damage, whatever its source, takes the edge of his blows. Hers, however, bite through his defenses and the Gatekeeper is soon bleeding heavily. His attack, however, keeps her occupied enough for Gareth to rush by at the spellcaster. Nameless casts a spell at the same time, causing three of his wolves to appear, two rushing at the spellcaster and one at the swordswoman. To Korm’s relief, though the one attacking his opponent barely scratches her, it uses its bulk to shove her off her feet. The other two wolves leap forward, their innate [i]true strike[/i] ability making it impossible for them to miss. And yet they do, as they slam into an invisible barrier a foot from their target. He simply smiles past them at a momentarily flabbergasted Nameless. “You didn’t think it would be that easy, would you?” What in the Planes is that? wonders Nameless.* Meanwhile, Gareth sets his feet and swings, crying, “In the name of the Flame!” Kizmet kindles with silver fire as it comes down, and then clangs harmlessly off multiple layers of magical protection. “Please!” says the untouched target. “I was killing your kind when being a paladin meant something.” He gestures dismissively, sending three [i]scorching ray[/i]s burning into Gareth’s chest, and following them instantly with a coruscating [i]ray of enfeeblement[/i] that saps the paladin’s strength. Beside the apparent protection against Nameless’s summoned creatures, the spellcaster apparently has other unusual spellcasting abilities. As the fight progresses, he casts a [i]greater command[/i], ordering each of the Angels to sleep. Though they fight off the magical compulsion, they realize that their enemy, so far apparently an arcanist, just used a spell normally used only by clerics. Moreover, he cast it in a unique form modified to be arcane in nature. [i]What is this guy?[/i] Unknown to the others, Luna soon has an answer. While they are unable to do much to the spellcaster, his ally is not as lucky. Though her resistance to damage and heavy armor protects her almost completely from the wolves (all three of which Nameless now sends after her), they constantly snap at her and often manage to pull her off her feet. And they distract her from Korm and Luna, allowing them to inflict more and more minor nicks and cuts on her. The spellcaster, after almost taking an already wounded Gareth off his feet with a quick volley of [i]magic missile[/i]s, targets Nameless with a [i]dispel magic[/i]. Nameless grins as his ring automatically counterspells it, and replies, “You’re not the only one who learns.” Knowing that responding in kind is likely to be useless, Nameless targets the swordswoman, currently involved in dispatching one of the wolves. His [i]dispel[/i] does take hold, stripping off the magical protection she has. It also causes her magical disguise to shimmer for just a second. Only Luna is keen-eyed enough**, the mystical connection to her guardian beast spirit letting her see through it in the moment of weakness, and her brow furrows as she sees something she cannot identify. Unfortunately, as a bear, she cannot communicate what she sees. As a near-unconscious Gareth shouts, “I could use some healing,” she growls and hurries to his side, slapping a big paw against him and invoking a [i]cocoon[/i] around him. The irritated spellcaster turns to Luna and slaps a hand against her head, his hand glowing with dark energy. The druid shudders, barely managing to fight off the killing energy of the [i]harm[/i] spell due to her unusual fortitude, emerging alive but severely wounded. Even worse, her movement to Gareth’s side leaves Korm alone facing the swordswoman with the single remaining wolf. As she, having just been knocked off her feet, rises, Korm takes the opportunity to land as powerful a blow as he can. Seconds later, he is down, bleeding and unconscious. Nameless hurriedly summons a set of wolves, but only gets one. Luckily, reinforcements arrive at exactly the right moment. A large crocodile hurls itself out of the water in the next chamber and Six leaps off it and races forward. Even as the swordswoman dispatches another wolf, he reaches her and the chain lashes out, again pulling her to the ground. “Gurr’khan!” shouts Six, throwing a quick glance at Saala’s corpse and the weeping form of Thlie, who has crawled to it. “Talk to Thlie! Get her in the fight!” Behind him, the crocodile changes form and the Gatekeeper hurries forward too. Luna growls her appreciation of the incoming allies. Having discovered that the spellcaster is incredibly hard to hit, she simply rears up, throws both paws around him, and pulls him into her grasp. For all of a second, before he slips out with magical alacrity, grins at her and steps quickly to the swordswoman’s side. “We’re leaving,” he says. [i]He has a[/i] Freedom of Movement [i]too? Come on![/i] “Stop them!” yells Nameless. “Luna! Gurr’khan! Blast them!” He takes to the air, flying forward as fast as he can. The druids respond immediately, two [i]flame strike[/i]s smashing down on the pair. Nameless, stopping short just outside the area of the blast, simultaneously unleashes a [i]cone of cold[/i] on them. The spellcaster emerges completely unscathed, but the swordswoman cries out as she is badly scorched and frozen at once. She concentrates for a moment, making sure that her resistance to magic doesn’t affect her ally’s spell, and then he [i]teleport[/i]s them away. “Son of a bitch!” With the enemies gone, Gurr’khan rushes to Saala’s corpse, while Gareth, having emerged from his [i]cocoon[/i] completely healed, rushes to revive Korm. Once Korm is back on his feet too, an angry and sorrowful Gurr’khan returns to join the others. “What happened before Six and I got here? Was Saala alive when you got there?” The others explain what happened. After they do, Gurr’khan rubs his forehead wearily and says, “I could try to [i]reincarnate[/i] Saala, since she has never been before***. But I will need to travel to a place where I can easily find the ingredients for it, and so I could not do it before tomorrow.” Luna, who has changed back to her shifter form, quickly says, “Actually, I’ve got the ingredients right here.” “What?” “Yes. We were planning to use it on someone who was killed by those two things we just fought, and we didn’t get to. We can use that for Saala.” “Speaking of which,” says Gareth, “What in the Hells were they? The Flame and Kizmet let me overcome the resistance to damage of just about every kind of creature, but they seem completely unaffected by that.” Luna looks around with a puzzled expression. “I was going to ask what they were, but you saw it, right?” “Saw what?” ask the others, sounding just as puzzled. “Through the disguise when Nameless hit her with the [i]dispel[/i]. You didn’t see her face?” “No, Luna – we don’t all have your abilities where vision is concerned. What did you see?” Luna waves her hands expressively as she explains. “Its head was that of a tiger, even though the body was human-shaped. With big teeth and glowing red eyes. Body had fur on it, which must be where that wet hair smell came from.” Nameless, Gareth, Korm and Gurr’khan all say at the same time. “Rakshasa.” * I house-ruled Protection from Evil (and Magic Circle from Evil) to only protect against evil summoned creatures, just as the other “Protection from X” spells only protect against whatever “X” is. So a protection against neutral summoned creatures, as pseudonatural creatures are, is unknown to the PCs. ** Rolled a 19, for a DC 40 spot check. Should just have penetrated the disguise but not revealed its real nature, but I thought it was an interesting way to handle the revelation. And much better than just some NPC doing it. *** Returning from the dead is significantly difficult in my game, because I prefer it that way and also think it better fits Eberron. One of a few house rules on the subject is that anyone brought back by a certain spell can never be brought back by the same spell again. [/QUOTE]
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