stonegod's Expedition to Castle Ravenloft: Ch. I [IC]

Thanking the Flame for allowing his thrust to aim true and to take down the first witch without issue, he begins rushing across the courtyard to get closer to his fellows. He wants to make sure he is within range to heal as soon as possible. He lithely dances around the bonfire before doing a last minute flip to position himself against the wall right next to another witch and within a few feet of his fellows. "Let's take them down, people! Let's end this thing!"

(Double move 60': N12 (10' first diagonal/rubble); N11 (5'); N10 (5'); O9 (10' second diagonal); O8 (5'); N7 (5' first diagonal); M6 (10' second diagonal); M5 (10' tumble to avoid N5's AoO)

Marot the Deadly

After appearing in the thick of the ceremony, Marot quickly takes note of his surroundings, then makes a bee-line towards a clear lane to the Green Lady.

"Invisibility!" Marot cries to the others as he recognizes the words and gestures. "Foul woman, you cannot hide from me!"

Thinking that someone intuned with the natural world would revile anything caustic, Marot activates his gloves while channelling his eldritch might. The coruscating ray that emits from Marots hands contains streaks of a noxious green color.


OOC: Move to K6 and eldritch blast the Green Lady w/ 1 charge of Gloves of Eldritch admixture: +8 touch attack with 4d6+1 (untyped) + 2d6 of acid damage (1/3 charges left for the day)

Marot's See the Unseen ability should allow him to still strike at the invisible Green Lady.

Also, the above figures includes the bonus from Marot levelling, if that hasn't happened yet today, then subtract one from his attack and 1d6 from his eldritch blast. Plus, he has 46 hp now as lvl 8.

Tessa hurried forward to join the fight. With the enemy spread out, and some of her friends already fighting close in, there was no easy target for a fireball, but she had other weapons. As she moved into position, she pointed a wand at the witches, unleashing several tiny arcane bolts.

OOC: Move up 30 feet, use 1 charge from Milosh's wand for a CL 5 Magic Missile (44 charges left)- if the Green Lady is visible, target her, otherwise whichever witch is closest.

The Summoning: Round 1 (Partial)

Bursting into action, Jarrith dashed across the ruin, ducking and pushing his back against two walls of the ruins. [Tumble] Janis started to close the distance, blue lightning dancing around her hands. [30' away] Ahead of her, Ladreth steps forward, and brings his sword down heavily on the witch before him, her shrill shriek piercing the night. [AC 19 hits for 19hp; near death] Staggering, the witch steps back, mutters a few words, and vanishes from sight! Marot quickly identifies the magic of invisibility. [Spellcraft]

The crone who spoke glares at the gathered party. "Kill them all! Their blood will make the grass grow!" Barking a quick syllable, she too vanishes from sight under another invisibility spell. [Marot's Spellcraft]

Approaching from the south, Tessa just sees the crone vanish. Cursing lightly, she triggers Milosh's wand at the closest witch. Three blue bolts slam into the cloaked man, who grunts in pain. [magic missile; 12hp, severely wounded; Tessa 30' away.] In response, the witch intones a few words, and a livid bolt of fire shots forth at the cleric; it goes wide in the darkness. [scorching ray misses]

The remaining witches, spurned into action, all begin chanting various imprecations to darkness. The one closest to Marot and all steps forward, calling forth a sheet of fire. Ladreth ducks most of the fire, and Ashlyn side-steps most of it, but Marot is caught full on. [Marot fails reflex save; 9/4hp damage] Behind him, two others emerge from the building. More rays of fire shoot forth, one catching the Stalker on the shoulder, the other searing Lady Ashlyn! [searing rays, 12hp Jarrith, 18hp Ashlyn]

Now the paladin must decide what to do...

The Summoning: Round 1 (Partial)


Map Key: A: Ashlyn, B: Green Lady, b: The bear, C: Fiend, J: Jarrith, J: Janis, L: Ladreth, M: Marot, T: Tessa, W: Witches.

Conditions: Moving through dense rubble (rocky-looking squares) cost 2 movement. Green area is a fire that provides light to 30 feet and shadowy illumination to 60.

The rest of the party is about 60 feet away at the edge of the clearing.

J: 21 [19/31, 5/5 turns]
J: 21 [35/35, 1 Con damage, 10/11 AP]
L: 21 [51/55, 10/11 AP]
W: 21 [near death]
B: 20
T: 20 [35/35]
W: 19 [O12 dead, K12 severely wounded]
A: 12 [27/49; 1/2 smites, 5/7 turns, 0/24 lay on hands, 0/8 AP]
M: 10 [32/41, 7/8 AP]
C: 9
b: 4 [36/51]

Ashlyn steps forward with blade in hand and it is only in that instant as she strikes that she realizes that the blade she holds is not her old blade, but the blade she recovered from the pool deep in the forest. The long blade moves in her hands as if it were almost weightless, flowing effortlessly from one strike to the next, as the short blond paladin moves against the witch before her.

[sblock=Actions]5ft step to P4
[Dormant Sunsword] +9/+4 (1d10+3)[/sblock]

The Summoning: Round 1 (Complete)

The Lady Ashlyn steps forward and deftly plants the sword in the nearest witches thigh, but the newness of the blade spoils her follow-up thrust. [AC 21 hits, 6hp; Miss]

Marot calls a challenge to the vanished crone, and runs around the building to get a better aim at something only he can see. A virulent green pulse shoots from his palm, but Marot watches the sneering grin on the crone's face at the magical energies dissipate without effect! [AC 24 touch hits; does not negate SR (acid damage from gloves is not conjuration, so its affected)][sblock=Marot]The crone is at L7, the other witch at N6. You had to move the other way to get a shot and not provoke AoO[/sblock]
The fiend of thorn and shadow bellows, and shoots forth from his hands a blast of pure night. Janis notes the twisted runes of the circle glow red as it does so, somehow changing the attack. The dark force of it strips away the flesh on Ashlyn's arm, and then it arcs forth to Ladreth and Jarrith! [Chained ray attack; 13hp to Ashlyn, 6hp to Ladreth and Jarrith] The darkness of it burns the three's eyes, but while the paladin and the guard fight it off, Jarrith is horrified by the sudden blot over his sight! [Jarrith fails Fort save; blinded 1 round]

The bear lumbers next to the Pale Lady.

The Summoning: Round 2


Map Key: A: Ashlyn, B: Green Lady, b: The bear, C: Fiend, J: Jarrith, J: Janis, L: Ladreth, M: Marot, T: Tessa, W: Witches.

Conditions: Orange Border: Blind. Moving through dense rubble (rocky-looking squares) cost 2 movement. Green area is a fire that provides light to 30 feet and shadowy illumination to 60.

The rest of the party is about 30 feet away at the edge of the clearing.

J: 21 [13/31, 5/5 turns, blind 1 round]
J: 21 [29/35, 1 Con damage, 10/11 AP]
L: 21 [51/55, 10/11 AP]
W: 21 [invisible, near death]
B: 20 [invisible]
T: 20 [35/35]
W: 19 [O12 dead, K12 severely wounded, P5 lightly wounded]
A: 12 [14/49; 1/2 smites, 5/7 turns, 0/24 lay on hands, 0/8 AP]
M: 10 [37/46, 7/8 AP]
C: 9
b: 4 [36/51]

Tessa's face set in grim lines- but she allowed herself the barest flash of a grin. With most of her friends gathered in one area, the witches were tightening their own formation as well. And that was something they had prepared for... She pulled the scroll tube from her belt and intoned the words carefully, trying to master the unfamiliar words- but though the words were all-but unknown, she could still feel the thrill of flame within.

OOC: Reading the CL 4 Fireball scroll, targeting the group of witches (centering on M/N 11/12)

Janis continues to make her way toward the combat with a fierce scowl on her face.

"Argh! My eyes! My blasted eyes! Curse this!" Jarrith shouts, more to himself than to anyone in particular.

With his back safely nestled into the corner against the wall, he dares not try and advance forward... knowing there is a bonfire ahead of him. He instead drops one of his rapiers and then sets about trying to heal himself... dismissing a Deific Vengeance for a spontaneous Cure Moderate Wounds. Once completed, he quickly pulls his wand of Cat's Grace out from his forearm sheath for use shortly.

The Summoning: Round 2 (Partial)

Cursing his sudden lack of sight, Jarrith entreats the Flame for healing. His touch much needed vigor, but his foes still are nearby. [18hp healed; 31/31]

Raising her hands as she stalks forward, the Stormhand lives up to her name. The bolt of blue fire catches the witch unawares, and with a scream, it falls to the ground twitching. [12hp; dead]

Ladreth steps beside Ashlyn and casually decapitates the witch before her. His good eye searches for others nearby. [19hp; dead]

Somewhere in the fight, the voice of the invisible witch calls out, an apparent supplication for healing. [Spellcraft]

Helpless to do anything, Marot watches at the crone steps up to Jarrith and lashes out with her hands. It is only then that everyone sees the materialized witch's hands are wicked claws! The force of the blows slams Jarrith into the stone wall, belying the old woman's preternatural strength! [23hp; near death] Cruelly, she calls back with Jarrith's voice, "Cursed this indeed! Ahahaha!"

Working at the unfamiliar words, Tessa successfully calls forth the fiery destruction. With a WHOOMPH! it catches the two standing witches who manage to throw themselves aside to avoid most of the damage. [Reflex save; 6hp] However, a scream from somewhere indicates the hidden witch was hit!

The witches pull forth loaded crossbows and let fly bolts. But neither hit their intended targets.

Ashlyn is up.[sblock=Marot]The other witch is at O8, and is near death after the fireball[/sblock]

The Summoning: Round 2 (Partial)


Map Key: A: Ashlyn, B: Green Lady, b: The bear, C: Fiend, J: Jarrith, J: Janis, L: Ladreth, M: Marot, T: Tessa, W: Witches.

Conditions: Orange Border: Blind. Moving through dense rubble (rocky-looking squares) cost 2 movement. Green area is a fire that provides light to 30 feet and shadowy illumination to 60.

The rest of the party is about 30 feet away at the edge of the clearing.

J: 21 [8/31, 5/5 turns, blind 1 round]
J: 21 [29/35, 1 Con damage, 10/11 AP]
L: 21 [51/55, 10/11 AP]
W: 21 [invisible, near death]
B: 20 [invisible]
T: 20 [35/35]
W: 19 [L10 lightly wounded, N11 lightly wounded, O12 dead, K12 dead, P5 dead]
A: 12 [14/49; 1/2 smites, 5/7 turns, 0/24 lay on hands, 0/8 AP]
M: 10 [37/46, 7/8 AP]
C: 9
b: 4 [36/51]