Kulan: Knightfall's Crisis in Bluffside Game [IC]

[Tellerian Hawke]

Spoiler: OOC: Tim's Strength Stats

When Tim is at full strength, a thousand pounds is a medium load for him.

 

[Knightfall]

The infernal word spoken by the cleric had left Vitus unable to move, and his knees had turned to jelly. He could no longer drag the unconscious woman and, instead, stood there awe-stricken that anyone would call upon such terrible power. Then, after the loud thunderous crash, everything went quiet.

OOC: At this point, Vitus, Vincenzo, Eeldai, and the two prisoners (Gattas and Lithia) are all in the corridor. The dead (and smelly) orc lies 20 feet north of the noble djinni. All the other characters are still in the portal room.

Akos comes out of the antimagic zone, feeling lucky he escaped Blasphemy. He heard the words, but the magic in them was negated.

He isn't sure what happened with the cleric even witnessing the effect of the construct. He comes closer to check on the cleric firing up detect magic as he goes. Concentrating on the cleric he removes his holy symbol first, casting foci and materials second and the weapon third throwing them all back toward his companions. Only then he focuses on the magic items, pulling them off as fast as he can. If the creature wakes up somehow, it will be weakened.
"I'll disarm the cleric just in case. But we should hurry."

When he's done, he looks over the rest of the loyalists, checking them for magic items and any lingering auras.

Akos quickly determines that the cleric is very dead. The knight comes to stand next to the Loremaster and signs to the fey man. "How did you kill him?"

OOC: Okay, so Akos casts detect magic in round 8 after the bugbear dies. In that round he detects the presence of magical auras. In round 9, Akos can determine the # of auras and power of most potent aura (the lingering overwheliming aura on the ceiling). In round 10, strength and location of each aura. I will post all of this on the OOC thread. There is a lot for me to go through.

"What just happened?" Custodio says with a groan.

Vitus was thinking the exact same thing as he dragged himself back into the room. He was so weak that he could hardly carry the armour he was wearing - which looked ridiculous since his glamoured chain mail looked like nothing more than a tabard of the Exemplars. He saw the charred and dead form of the bugbear,

"Cavolo, that was crazy."

"Every minute is one hour. I guess we don't have time to lose. Vincenzo. Tyche, protect this man against the poison that runs through his body.*"

"Yes, but I can help you reduce the time dilation," The living altar speaks telepathically for all to hear. "I am the source of it, but I cannot change it without someone's help. The one you know as Falen was able to "shift" the entry point of the portal to another room here in labyrinth. It now stands open in the temple of Straevok the Soulkeeper and will remain active for another hour."

"If the time dilation is reduced, however, it might remain active longer. I cannot say for certain. The portal is a corruption of what my sires created here. Corrupted by the one you know as Phelix Del Cannitha. He came here seeking the Ancients' power. The portal in the temple is probably just as corrupted."

Custodio comes out of the daze and looks around to those in the room. "That's the altar I'm hearing in my head, right?"

He casts lesser restoration on himself. The healing energy flows into the Vanquisher cleric and he able to move once more. He heads over to Tuck to check to make sure the kobold is still alive. "Hang in there, my friend, we'll get you out of here."

All Tuck can do is lie there motionless. The kobold urban ranger's mind races.

"It is," Eeldai says. "Be wary. Do not trust it." She stands at the edge of the open doorway and peers into the room. She seems unwilling to enter the room completely, but she puts all of her strength into pushing open the closed door. The body of the dead Loyalist is pushed over towards the chest sitting against the wall. She takes a single step into the room with her weapon still at the ready.

When the knight sees her, he rushes over to kneel in front of her... unconcerned about waiting for Akos answer to his signed question. She barely acknowledge him.

"I cannot apologize to you enough, Princess Eeldai of Nuzhikhat," the altar says. "As I told you, I was placed here by the Ancients to guard this room from all who set foot in it. In your fight with the sorceress..."

"Sansal Akalin."

"Yes, I remember her name."

"You should have helped me, creature!" Eeldai shouts in anger.

"Ting! Please don't be mad! The guardian did not know! How could they..." The tiny floating crystal zooms from its hiding place to zoom around the djinni's head.

"Get you're little thing away from me," Eeldai growls. "Before I cut it in two."

The tiny construct lets out a tinging noise and flies away to hover over the altar. "Calm yourself, Ting. She has every right to be angry."

OOC: I've noted in which round each of your actions takes place in relation to the first combat and the one that starts new in what would have been round 11 of the first combat. | Lesser restoration says it dispels any magical effect reducing the subject's ability scores, so I think it and restoration will get rid of all of the effects of the blasphemy at once.

He looks to the genie and the knight,

"I may as well do what I came here to do. Madame,"

He said to the Genie as he walked towards the knight,

"If I might, I've been tasked to protect the Knight against the time dilation of this room and, if you wish, I can include you in Tyche's graces."**

"And, so you don't starve to death when you return, Sir Knight, I will provide sustenance to you....and Sir Tymbeck because he eats so much that it should give the cooks a bit of a break when we return! "***

Eeldai nods to Vitus. "You have helped free and save me, so I will take your protections, although I doubt I'll need them. My people are nearly immortal. I may have been trapped here for a few years, but that will be nothing to me."

"You have been trapped here in this room for just over 8 years, princess," the altar says. "Give or take a few days or months. I cannot say with exact certain how long it has been." The altar mentally sighs. "However, I'm sorry to say that time here is not the same as on the Material Plane. While you've only been here in this room for 8 temporal years, on the Material Plane, over 480 years have passed."

"Wh- what..." The news leaves her speechless.

"Again, I am so sorry."

The knight looks confused by the djinni's reaction. At first, the knight shakes his head at Vitus when the cleric speaks to him. He doesn't really understand what Vitus is saying but he senses the young cleric of Tyche means him no harm, so he nods his head and lets Vitus cast his spell.

OOC: A reminder that while the knight can read lips, he only knows the language known as Novarese. Ticin is the roots language that lead to Novarese, however. I think I said that he might understand roughly 50%(?) of what is said to him in Ticin.

"Lady Eeldai, is it safe to damage the circle that held you? Would it prevent any other creature from being held that way?"
In sylvan he thanks the unicorn and the animal poofs out of existence in the next heartbeat.

For a moment, the djinni remains in shock. "Why... why didn't father send help?"

"You might want to give her a minute," Custodio says to Akos. He looks at the altar. "While it's not my place to judge you, creature, it sounds like you were in the wrong." The Vanquisher cleric glances towards the genie and the knight.

"How long has he been here?"

"Here in this place, nearly 2 years, which is around 100 years on your plane," the altar replies. It goes silent for a few seconds and then shouts out a mental warning. "No! Too soon! They are coming through the other portal in the temple!"

"Where!?"

"To the northwest, pass the stairs! There is a secret passage that leads to the temple! Prepare yourselves! There are at four of them! No, wait! Six!"

"Can you close it!?"

"No! I have no power over Phelix's dark magic! You can dispel it, but they are already here!"

"There will be even more of them!" Gattas warns as he stays close to Vincenzo. "If Phelix thinks he can beat you here and now, he'll send dozens of them through. All will be enhanced with magic like we... they were. They will be strong, faster, tougher. And they will just keep coming. They'll overrun this whole place."

He shakes his head in frustration. "I tried to get a warning out of the enclave, the other demiplane, but the mages the Wizard Council sent into that place were defeated before I could make contact... Blast! I was sure my cover was fine! It seems Phelix knew who I was the whole time! I was not supposed to be sent here to face you!"

OOC: @Neurotic, when Akos dismisses the unicorn, he comes up against one of the labyrinth's many protections. Roll a level check to beat the room's unique SR. If he fails, the unicorn cannot return to its place of origin. It is stuck in the labyrinth until it can be moved out of the room. If Akos succeeds, he forces the unicorn back to its place of origin. The room's SR (and PR) is 25.

"Akos, I can't help the wizard anymore because I prayed for healing instead of Stone Shape. I'm going to see what kind of magic was left behind here."****

" I believe I have memorized stone shape " gasps Vincenzo after suffering from the hellish blast of dark magics

OOC: For @Aust Thale...
Falen is the first to sense the invading Loyalists with his mindsight, but their exact location is fuzzy. He can sense four minds appear as if out of nowhere. Then, two more arrive through the portal.

"The invaders, they are coming!"

Akos keeps collecting items keeping an eye on his companions for the signs of movement.
"Exemplars, I have restoration prepared, it will not help with the paralysis, but will help anyone weakened by poison. When you can talk, let's discuss who needs it most. We don't need to wait for the rest of the cultists. I am unwilling to leave this poor mage in traitors hands. But it is a stone statue, anyone has any idea how to move it? Anyone has floating disc prepared? Telekinesis? Reduce object?"

“I thought we would use stone shape to fix the statue and then some kind of scroll to revert him back. Like Break Enchantment?”

"As I understand, we should get out of here, we got what we came here for. There may be no time to sculpt him and it is not something that should be rushed!"

OOC: Can Vincenzo take 20 on the shaping roll once we're outside?

The altar's mental warning slams into you all as you are talking about the petrified wizard.

"Yes, if you must flee, then take him with you! There is no more time! Do not worry about me! I can teleport from this room and hide from them in one of the other Sanctuaries." He pauses. "No, no! I cannot take any of you with me. I am sorry! Go! If they come for me, I will try to hold them off for as long as I can! Do not let them take the princess or knight again!"

"We should stay and f-"

"NO! GO! I will be fine!"

The altar's mind hits Falen once again. "Please take Ting with you! I cannot allow another one of my children to die! It is how Phelix controlled me!"

Nooooo! I don't want to leave!" Ting bawls like a child.

"Ting! You must survive! you can help them!" The altar's powerful mind slams into Falen. A connection is transferred from it to the half-hobgoblin. It is very painful. "I am sorry for hurting you again, mindbender, but Ting must survive!"

OOC: Since Craft skills are supposed to be done either by "per day" or "per week," I'm not really sure. I would say probably not since there is a risk to petrified wizard. Aust Thale, Falen takes 2d6 points of lethal damage and 4d6 points of nonlethal damage. He can save for half damage, but it will make the bond between him and Ting... unstable.

"Sorry for the question barrage, but time is short: Are you a personification of this specific altar or a guardian of this place? What is your name? Do you know how to access the upper levels of the Citadel in Bluffside? Anything we can use against Phelix would truly be useful.

"Eeldai, will you come out with us? There is so much to discuss and it is not safe for you here. Phelix was using you to power his portal and he won't hesitate to use you again."

"There is no time for that, young Vitus! Take my child with you. He knows much of what I do! Go, there is isn't much time!"

OOC: After being dazed (rnd. 8): *[Round 1 (rnd. 9)]Is there another save against the secondary effects of the poison? If so, I give Vincenzo +8 to the next save he makes within the next hour. As discussed in the OOC thread and on Discord, Vinny made his save with Vitus' help. **[Round 2 (rnd. 10)]Attune Form on the Knight and the Genie. Done. ***[Round 3 (rnd. 11)]Sustain on the Knight, Big Tim, Akos and Spritewing (so Rockhorn doesn't have to worry about them) This is the round that the living altar mentally warning the characters that more Loyalists are coming through the "shifted" portal into the Temple of the Soulkeeper. This is Round 1 of a new combat even though the PCs might not be 100% aware of where the Loyalists are located. New initiative rolls will be required even if you all choose to flee the labyrinth. You must hold them off as you get the petrified wizard and all the others out of the labyrinth. Or, you can choose to stay and fight against the new group of Loyalists that have come through the "shifted" portal.

OOC: Restoration will help with permanent strength damage, the rest will recover in a minute, right?

OOC: Ability damage recovers at a rate of 1 per day in v.3.5. However, the ability damage caused by the blasphemy is recovered at the end of 5 rounds (30 seconds). That will be Round 2 of the new combat, if you choose to stay and fight. Vinny is the only one, I think, who suffered permanent Strength drain... 1 point.
=========================
Fight or Flee?

 

[ScottDeWar_jr]

gerrrrr "I fear we must flee" grumbles Vincenzo.
"Come, we must go."

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Spoiler: Vitus - Mini-sheet

Race: Human HP: 38/52 SD: 3 AC: 22; FF:19 T:14	Spot:+5 Listen:+5 Search+2	Spoiler: Cantrips []Cure Minor; [] Detect Magic; []Detect Poison; [] Amanuensis []Create Water ; [] Mending
Fort:+9 Will: +12 Refl: +6	Initiative: +3 Range:+9/+4 Melee: +7/+2 (+1)	Spoiler: Spells lvl 1-4 1st [6+1](DC16) [X]Bless; [] Entropic Shield[ ]Comprehend Languages; [ ]Endure Elements [ ] Divine Favor; []Lesser Vigor 2nd[4+1](DC17) [X]Avoid Planar effects; [X] Benediction; [X] Status [X] Lesser Restoration 3rd[4+1](DC18) [ X] Stone Shape [X]; Invisibility Purge; [X ] [X]Speak with Dead 4th: [3+1](DC19) [X ] Attune Form(extended) [X] Sustain; [X] Mass, Lesser Vigor (extended)
Spoiler: Stats STR:13+1 DEX: 16+ 3 CON: 14 + 2 INT: 14 +2 WIS: 20 +5 CHA:15 +2	XP: 28,000/36000	Spoiler: Domain Spells Level Studied Used Spell.................................................................................. 1 Longstrider 1 X X Sanctuary 2 X Locate Object 2 Shield Other 3 x X Protection from Energy 3 Fly 4 Spell Immunity 4 X X Dim Door

---

"NO! GO! I will be fine!"

The altar's mind hits Falen once again. "Please take Ting with you! I cannot allow another one of my children to die! It is how Phelix controlled me!"

Nooooo! I don't want to leave!" Ting bawls like a child.

"Ting! You must survive! you can help them!" The altar's powerful mind slams into Falen. A connection is transferred from it to the half-hobgoblin. It is very painful. "I am sorry for hurting you again, mindbender, but Ting must survive!"


"There is no time for that, young Vitus! Take my child with you. He knows much of what I do! Go, there is isn't much time!"

"OK! Come on Ting, I'll protect you!"

Vitas holds his hand out for the crystal then moves ponderously towards the exit his armour still too heavy for his weakened body,

"Let's get out of here! I'll hold them off while you get the Wizard out....don't forget to pick up the bits n pieces!"

---

Spoiler: OOC

Initiative: 1D20+3 = [10]+3 = 13

---

Active Spells:
Benediction (Rockthorn): 56 mins, 4 rounds
Protection From Fire (Tellerian Hawke Big Tim): 6 minutes and 5 rounds -protects from 96 points of fire damage
Invisibility Purge 6 minutes, 6 rounds
Avoid Planar Effects 67 rounds
Mass Lesser Vigor: 16 rounds:
Bless : 72 rounds

---

Spoiler: Things to do later

To Do:
OOC and OOC
-Speak to Oppia Nazaria

 

[Neurotic]

"Tim, Rockhorn, get the wizard! You two and Spritewing can surely move with it faster than the rest of us. And if Spritewing alone can do it, we can hold the line."
"Here is something to help! Eeldai, knight! Pay attention to this effect so you can recognize it. Rockhorn, Spritewing, stand still!"

OOC: Not sure if I have to roll to blast a friendly outside of combat - if they are willing they can just move into it?

Spoiler: Actions

Cast Healing blast in the first round: Rockhorn and Spritewing
neurotic: D20 + 9#akosblastonrockhorn → 13(4 + 9)#Akos blast on Rockhorn - touch attack
neurotic: D20 + 9#akosblastonspritewing → 23(14 + 9)#Akos blast on Spritewing
neurotic: 3D6#akoshealingeffect → 8(5 +2 +1)#Akos healing effect GAH! you guys are contagious with the low rolls
Then Tim and Vincenzo if we're not in combat
Then Eeldari and the knight

 

[Knightfall]

When the bugbear's word hit Tuck, he crumbled to the floor. Fear gripped the kobold. He was sure that he was going to die. Then he heard a shout of telepathic anger towards the cleric and saw a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. He watched as Akos moved out of the antimagic field away from him towards the battle.

'I should have been more careful', he thinks.

The next thing he knows, Custodio is standing over him. "Hang in there, my friend, we'll get you out of here."

He listens as the Vanquisher cleric speaks to the living altar. It seems the living construct and the genie have a past. That's not surprising since the genie has been trapped in the room. Tuck lies on the ground, frustrated.

His mind flashes. He remembers that he bought a potion to help counteract any poison. Two actually. One specifically to neutralize any poison and another meant to restore severe trauma from magic or venom.

"Custodio, in my pack," he says weakly. "I bought some potions from that shop. There should be one that might help me. And another that will purge poison."

Custodio bends down and begins going through Tuck's haversack. "I think I found them. There are others here too."

Tuck nods weakly as Tuck moves to pour the lesser restoration potion down Tuck's throat. The healing liquid undoes the effects of the blasphemy and strength returns to the kobold urban ranger's limbs. He stands up a moment before the altar mentally warns the room that more Loyalists are on the way.

Tuck stands up and takes his pack from Custodio. "We need to give the other potion to Tim. I think he got hit by a poisoned blade. You did too, right?"

Custodio nods. "Yes, but I'll be okay for a while. Delaying magic."

OOC: Initiative checks for Custodio and Tuck: 1D20+2 = [13]+2 = 15 1D20+4 = [3]+4 = 7 Getting up from prone will be Tuck's main move action for the first round of the new combat. I will have him drink one of his healing potions as well

 

[Neurotic]

OOC: Knightfall, what are the other auras for detect magic? Did I miss it? Also, should I roll for knowledge devotion again for the new batch of cultists or the original roll stands? Timeline as I see it: Detect magic on the round 8, 'looting' the cleric and scan in round 9, final round of detect magic in round 10, heal in round 11. Is that right? Did he manage to get anything from the cleric?

When the young knight signed the question, Akos started answering, but into the empty air as the protector rushed off. Shrugging, he kept doing what he did. He will explain everything later.

But when the altar said he can change the time dilation, he immediately shouted an interruption
"DO IT!" even as the powerful mind kept going.

Akos can't do anything with or for the statue, he busies himself with healing the worst affected and collection of magic items to weaken The Loyalists. Wands, small things, rather than weapons or armor. But weapons are at least thrown toward the door and away from potential enemy users.

 

[Aust Thale]

Falen: (starting at last round of previous fight):
Upon realizing the confusion of his comrades, Falen halts his retreat, turning abruptly toward the bugbear cleric as psi-construct-altar and interrupts his withdrawal. He weathers the cleric’s spell, watching it wash over himself and the others in the room. He braces himself, aware of evil washing over him. His disinterest in Phelix and especially the bugbear’s notions of evil do not protect him. He feels the drain of anger and hate, if not the darkness pervading the spell.

Fighting the weakness, he mentally addresses the Altar and his comrades as calmly as possible, “Phelix is again farting his minions into this place. Remember the mission: save the genie and the knight; close the portal if we can.” He weathers the Altar’s connecting him with Ting without resistance accept to control the connection. He grits through the pain and damage, biting a leather tie at the top of his mithral tunic. His brief time as a telepath limits his prowess at doing so, and he feels the weight of the connection as a splitting headache, much akin to that which afflicts those who chew ice too quickly. “Ting, you shall be safe…I hope…if I can persuade my friends here to attend to the mission.” Attempting calm vs. the pain, Falen focuses on the mental map of the loyalists. He continues his telepathic message, “The blaspheme spell limits what I can tell you about where the portal is burping additional advisaries. But it is, and they are coming.”

“Tym, can you carry the statue of the wizard? If the Altar can hide, we can attempt to untether her later. We should withdraw until we secure our position, regroup, and attack in force. We have been on a rescue mission; we must get it behind us to finish the fight.”

 

[Knightfall]

gerrrrr "I fear we must flee" grumbles Vincenzo.
"Come, we must go."

Moments before Custodio feeds the potion to Tuck, Vincenzo moves back into the portal room to pick up the quarterstaff lying on the floor.

"Gattas, make yourself useful and help me get the unicorn out of here," he says to the prisoner.

The man doesn't object and moves as far as he can in his weakened state. Soon, he and Vinny are dragging the unicorn towards the open doorway.

"Pardon me, mi'lady," Vinny says to Eeldai as he drags the unicorn past the noble djinni out into the corridor. Gattas runs out of energy just inside the doorway, so the Sectarian is forced to drag the unicorn the rest of the way by himself.

As soon as the magical beast is past the genie, it shimmers out of existence... no longer trapped by the power of the Ancients' sanctuary. Vinny takes a few seconds to catch his breath and then casts a spell to increase his stamina.

The unicorn being dragged past Eeldai snaps the genie out of her doldrum. She steps back out into the corridor and focuses her attention on its northern half. She hears stone scraping against stone and the sound of footsteps. Shadows flicker within her vision at the end of the corridor.

"Someone, or something is coming," she whispers to Vincenzo. "I'm not sure how many."

OOC: After this, Custodio feeds the potion of lesser restoration to Tuck and the knight moves to the table and picks up the dagger. Both Falen and psicrystal delay until after the link is formed. That moves them to initiative count 2. @MetaVoid, Rockhorn and Spritewing's actions are next in the order. I will wait until after your next post. (But, no rush.) @TaranTheWanderer, Vitus casts Sustain on both the genie and the knight (right after Rockhorn and Spritewing's turns), as well as Spritewing assuming the dungeonbred pegasus doesn't move out of range on her turn.

 

[MetaVoid]

"Hiya, Spritewing, I know you're weakened, but we may need to move fast. And having that statue strapped to you might be easier than having the knight drop his shield and weapons. Let's do this!"
Spritewing bolts forward, flying over the middle of the room with the altar, and lands next to the statue. Rockhorn was ready for it and as the pegasus slowed on contact with the ground, he swung a leg over the saddle and landed next to the statue.

Spritewing folded his wings and turned, leaving his back accessible from behind.

Rockhorn rumaged through his backpack getting out the rope while waiting for Tym to come closer. He feels the effect of blasphemy still, but two of them should be able to secure the wizard. He considers it for a moment, estimating the weight of the stone. Luckily the wizard wasn't fat, but the volume of the robes increase the normal contours he would have. But it should be possible, stone is not so much heavier than a dwarf.

"Tuck, how good are you with knots? We don't want to drop the wizard!"

Rockhorn focuses on the statue and it wobbles slightly as his magic tries to lift it onto Spritewings back.

OOC: Now would be good time to know if the statue weight is over 900 pounds. If it is, Rockhorn could levitate it (him?). Of course, how would he realistically know without trying? So he does, but I'll let @Knightfall describe it if it happens.

Spoiler: Actions

Spritewing moves and turns
Rockhorn dismounts as a free action: Free dismount: 1D20+18 = [14]+18 = 32
Move: take out the rope? no idea what kind of action this should be
Standard: cast levitate on the statue