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Caerth is not bothered by the smell of the undead troll; he once smelled the blossoming carrion flower and compared to that awful stench, this is like daisies.
Deciding that throwing a giant boulder over the heads of his allies is not a great tactic, the half-orc decides to throw one at the distant army instead. Standing up from behind the pallisade, he takes a quick look at the now illuminated cave and then throws another pebble down towards the enemy.
This pebble, too, becomes a huge boulders the moment it flies from his hand, and before it crashes into the enemy with a crash, Caerth is already focused on where he should throw the last one.
OOC:
Throwing the next one at the nearest cultist, which should be possible with the range increment of 120 feet.
Caerth knows the cultists are out there. He can hear two of them talking and the sound of Tarrak's voice is obvious and chilling. Still, he can't see them. The light cast by Maur's gem ends at the same range as his own natural darkvision. There were zombies a moment ago, but they have moved back out of the field of spike stones. That is keeping them at bay, at least.
"Hell hounds, over there," Phar points to the evil outsiders. "Just beyond the light. Look for the red glow."
Caerth looks towards where the paragon elf is pointing. He can see them cloaked in the same reddish glow that was cast by the Hell Forge back on the island. There are four of them. The half-orc druid has only seconds to make a decision.
OOC:
The light projected by the gem is only 35 feet beyond Maur and another 35 of shadowy light. Since Maur is 10 feet behind Caerth, the shadowy light ends exactly where Caerth's 60-ft. darkvision ends. The zombies that moved backwards out of the spike stones are now just beyond where Caerth can see. Caerth could see them before they moved backwards, and he suspects that there are more beyond his range of sight. He can target where they moved to but there will be a 50% miss chance, as they have Total Concealment.
He could also try to guess where the closest female cultist is standing in the dark beyond his sight and the light. While she's not being quiet, she does have Total Concealment (50% miss chance). So, Caerth can try to pinpoint her location on the map (using listen). The base DC for people talking is 0. The distance between Caerth and the closest cultist adds 8 to the DC. There is a -10 penalty to your Listen check for the sounds of combat against the undead wolftroll.
I'm going to rule that Caerth can target the hell hounds, if you so choose. They have a natural evil reddish glow and Phar points them out to Caerth. There is still a 20% miss chance, but they are well within the range of Caerth's boulder.
Note! Maur can see farther than the other PCs with darkvision due to the fact, as a deep dwarf, he has 90-ft. darkvision. Still, he can only see another 4 squares beyond where Caerth's darkvision ends. Phar can see all the bad guys with his low-light vision, although the elf he spotted, quickly disappeared. He cannot see that foe anymore and on my next update of the map, that foe will not be shown.
Aureus decides to leave the wolftroll to Maur and the others. She looks towards the edge of the light. She can hear the zombies shuffling and the voices of the two acolytes. "You should not be so loud," she whispers to herself. She twitches her ears and zones in on the female voice who was casting a spell. Aureus's bowstring twangs three times. She likes being hasted. It gives her an edge.
The arrows fly out of sight and Aureus hears one of them hit something. The woman yells out in pain, surprised. One of her arrows sounds like it was defected away by a shield, but hutaaken rogue knows she got her at least one. Her tail swishes with happiness.
"Sister! What happened?"
"Do not move!" The voice rings out and then there is a short silence. "One of them stuck me with an arrow and somehow the magical field on the floor has grown somehow. I can sense it."
"I felt it," Tarrak says. What is it?
"I-I almost lost my spell," she gasps. "There are two auras. The power of them isn't strong. I will need more time to know more."
Aureus and the others can hear the voices but cannot see them.
Phar can see them. The ghast lord looks unconcerned, but the two woman seem uncertain what to do.
OOC: will wait to have the second acolytes perform her action until Phar's action is completed. The first acolyte is concentrating on maintaining her spell.
Caerth knows the cultists are out there. He can hear two of them talking and the sound of Tarrak's voice is obvious and chilling. Still, he can't see them. The light cast by Maur's gem ends at the same range as his own natural darkvision. There were zombies a moment ago, but they have moved back out of the field of spike stones. That is keeping them at bay, at least.
"Hell hounds, over there," Phar points to the evil outsiders. "Just beyond the light. Look for the red glow."
Caerth looks towards where the paragon elf is pointing. He can see them cloaked in the same reddish glow that was cast by the Hell Forge back on the island. There are four of them. The half-orc druid has only seconds to make a decision.
OOC:
The light projected by the gem is only 35 feet beyond Maur and another 35 of shadowy light. Since Maur is 10 feet behind Caerth, the shadowy light ends exactly where Caerth's 60-ft. darkvision ends. The zombies that moved backwards out of the spike stones are now just beyond where Caerth can see. Caerth could see them before they moved backwards, and he suspects that there are more beyond his range of sight. He can target where they moved to but there will be a 50% miss chance, as they have Total Concealment.
He could also try to guess where the closest female cultist is standing in the dark beyond his sight and the light. While she's not being quiet, she does have Total Concealment (50% miss chance). So, Caerth can try to pinpoint her location on the map (using listen). The base DC for people talking is 0. The distance between Caerth and the closest cultist adds 8 to the DC. There is a -10 penalty to your Listen check for the sounds of combat against the undead wolftroll.
I'm going to rule that Caerth can target the hell hounds, if you so choose. They have a natural evil reddish glow and Phar points them out to Caerth. There is still a 20% miss chance, but they are well within the range of Caerth's boulder.
Caerth picks the cultists voice as his target. The hell hounds can be dealt with later. The flung rock streaks out, turns into a boulder, and slams into the cultist with full force. She didn't even see it coming. Her detect magic spell fizzles as she yells in pain.
"Sister!"
"Damn! I hate adventurers," the woman yells towards Caerth and the others. "I'm going to eat your heart while it's still beating for that!"
"Calm yourself, Omen," Tarrak insists. "If you fall, I will give you Malotoch's blessing."
"Yes, mi'lord," the woman says stoically.
Phar quickly goes over the situation. He could use his bow against the wolftroll in melee. It's elven design gives him that advantage, but it is a poor weapon against the undead creature. It's magic only works as a bow, and he doubts it would hurt the creature. Better to risk a spell but if he isn't careful, the wolftroll could skewer him with its claws. If only he could shift away and cast more safely, but the angle of the floor makes everyone's footing treacherous. If he moves, the wolftroll will be able to attack him.
Better to risk a spell and try to thin out the cultists. Unlike the others, he can see these foes, which gives him an advantage. Best not to risk losing his fireball spell to the wolftroll. A quick casting of magic missile sends five of the force projectiles into the same cultist slammed by Caerth's boulder.
The woman whimpers... "Sister... help... me."
"You will not help her," Tarrak orders. "You will save your magic for yourself. That is what I expect from a Priestess of Malotoch."
"Yes, Lord Tarrak," she replies.
"Now, go, kill these bastards. I will join you shortly," the ghast lord says.
Phar watches as the other woman grabs her cloak and raises it in a flourish. She disappears in a puff of smoke and reappears behind Aureus. The palisade stands between the priestess and Quinn and sir Ghal.
"Oh no," Aureus glances over her shoulder. "They can teleport!"
"Now, heroes, let see if you can stand up to my goddess's magic!" Tarrak yells. His voice booms across the cavern as he casts a spell. "Chaos is the hammer of Malotoch!"
The ghast lord finishes his spell and a powerful blast of chaotic energy slams into those gathered around the palisades. There is the sound of dying people and crows cawing over and over as the energy thrums into your souls. Angus feels nothing and neither does Phar but they can see the effect on the others.
Aureus takes the full force of the spell and cries out in pain.
Priestess activates magic item with dimension door.
Tarrak - Chaos Hammer: 4D8 = [7, 7, 7, 3] = 24 (damage to lawful creatures) 1D6 = [1] = 1 (slowed for 1 round) Chaos hammer does full damage to lawful creatures and half damage (12) to creatures that are neither lawful nor chaotic to all within a 20-ft-radius burst. (Creatures of chaotic alignment take no damage.) Creatures effected are also slowed. A successful Will saving throw reduces the damage by half and negates the slow effect. The save DC is 19.
The burst is set on the corner right between Aureus and Maur. It hits all of these characters: Aureus, Caerth, Sir Ghal, Henry, and Quinn. While both Angus and Phar are in range of the spell, it does not hurt him (both are CG). Since Quinn has been leaning towards law while using Cruel Justice, he takes damage as if he is lawful, not neutral.
Since this is a Will save and not a Reflex save, the palisades offer no protection.
"Go, kill and feed," Tarrak orders the monstrous ghast next to him. "Fly."
The creatures roars in delight. Phar watches as two wings seem to peel off of the creatures back. There is the sound of bones cracking and flesh reshaping. It flaps up into the air and then then moves towards the palisades.
"That doesn't sound good," Sir Ghal says as he gasps for air. The spell didn't hurt him as bad as it did Aureus. He can't tell how Maur and Quinn are doing.
"One of them can fly," Phar warns the others. "Maur, Angus, kill that wolftroll... and fast."
OOC: Monstrous ghast flies straight up 10 feet (20 feet of movement) and then towards the palisades (another 40 feet).
@Tellerian Hawke, you're up! Did you post your attacks already? I can't remember.
Angus growls in a gutteral manner, and re-doubles his efforts. He slices twice at the smelly fiend, but only one of his blows feels as if it had any true impact.
OOC:
Angus hits once, hopefully; Hit AC 31 for 15 pts. damage.
Angus growls in a gutteral manner, and re-doubles his efforts. He slices twice at the smelly fiend, but only one of his blows feels as if it had any true impact.
OOC:
Angus hits once, hopefully; Hit AC 31 for 15 pts. damage.
The undead thing is fast but Angus manages to slice a deep wound into the wolftroll. It howls in anger... and pain? Does it even feel pain.
"I eat you!" The mockery of life speaks.
One of them has breeched the magical stones," Lady Pendour exclaims to her soldiers. "Prepare yourselves for anything!"
The soldiers of Carnell steel themselves. What happens next they could not have foreseen.
"Galzadar, are you there?"
"Yes, my lord," a low distant voice replies in the dark.
"Can you see her?"
"I see everything, my lord."
"Then take me to this lady who would challenge Malotoch by sending pathetic adventurers to my island!" Tarrak says the word lady with great disdain. "I will kill her as I did her husband!"
"Yes, mi'lord," the voice says. "What about Omen?"
"Bah! Let her find her own way there, if she can. Bring a ghast with us. Drop me right on top of her!"
The voice chants a spell. Phar sees the wizard come out of hiding just long enough to notice the elf has a spectral hand already hoving near him. He finishes his spell and the hand moves to touch Tarrak and one of the ghasts.
"No! If you leave, my babies will surge forward! They'll be destroyed!" The woman named Omen exclaims.
Tarrak, the wizard, and one of the ghasts disappear from Phar's sight.
There is a scream near the back of the gathered soldiers. Phar looks behind and sees Tarrak high in the air above Lady Pendour and Wieland. A ghast near him falls 40 feet to the cave floor and lands on Scarborax... snapping and clawing at the Stump Sorcerer.
Tarrak does not fall. He begins to float towards the floor of the cave. He is laughing manically.
"You're so-called heroes will not save you from my wrath!"
All Lady Pendour can do is look up at the thing in horror.
Phar looks for and sees the elf wizard high on the raised outcropping above the two dwarf militia fighters. The elf's face is passive but senses the wizard is very smug.
"Get off you blasted thing," Scarborax stabs at the ghast on top of him with his spear but fails to hit the thing. "Everyone, beware the smell."
"Ugh, not again!" Wieland curses.
Syndra discards the idea of casting light on Meridith's arrow. She reaches into her pouch and pulls out a flask of oil from it. She fumbles with the cork to try to get it open. She pours the oil onto her spear and it begins to shine with magic. The light quickly fades.
Syndra uses a Oil of Magic Weapon on her masterwork spear.
The ghast's stench affects all within 10 feet. This includes Lady Pendour, Scarborax, Wieland, the male dwarf militia fighter, the female halfling Gala, one of the militia warriors, and Temperance Redding (the other halfling). Saves will posted on the OOC thread.
Maur moves his shield a bit to better see the creature. Winding the hammer down, he swings with all his might into the creature "Moradin!"
Even the hardened flesh of a cave troll, dead as it was, gives in under the magical assault of Thors Moradins hammer. But the need to return to balanced position and the fact that the armored bulk despite hasted reflexes had mass and inertia that is hard to stop once moved means the other two swings harmlessly deflect of the thick skin.
Still, the shield is in place, celestial gem burns and Moradin is with them. All is right with the world.
"Phar, can you dispel this thing? It is too hard even for its current state! Must be bespelled."
OOC: I cannot say if it is stone skin, protection from good/law or some other spell, but it IS enchanted, we can tell, right?
Maur can only watch from his position as the cultists begin teleporting into the midst of the gathered defenders. He thinks he hears Phar say something about one of them flying. He tries to shrug off the effects of the chaos hammer as he smites the undead wolftroll with all his might. The blow gets past its defenses. It howls... this time Maur is sure it is in pain.
The creature does not go down, but Maur senses he and Angus have hurt it badly.
Though his spiked chain would have been preferred, he has his bow and he will use it until he can't.
Posting my attack in case I am not near-by on my turn:
base: +14 att; 1d8+5 damage
Hasted: +1 att, AC, ref saves +20 mvmt; +1 full bab att with full round att action
+1att/dam; conviction from Maur +3 moral bonus to saving throws
+16 att; 1d8+6 dam; +1 AC; +1 Reflex saves [haste]; +3 all saves [conviction]
[+1 ench long bow, composite +4]
Shield of law effects
1+4 deflect bonus to AC; +4 resistance bonus to saves
SR 25 vs chaotic spells and spells cast by chaotic creatures
blocks possession and mental influence by chaotic creatures as protect fm chaos
if a chaotic creature succeeds with a melee attack, creature is slowed [sv neg, dc is per the spell (poss. 22)]
Quinn considers turning to fire at Tarrak, but he knows they need to kill the undead abomination on the wall first. His arrows either don't find the mark or fail to penetrate the wolftroll's hide.
Wieland feels his stomach lurch. 'Ugh, not again,' he thinks. 'I must protect Lady Pendour.'
He points his crossbow up at Tarrak and fires a bolt at the undead monstrosity. It doesn't even come close.
"Pathetic," Tarrak says.
Meridith turns towards the undead creature and fires her lighted arrow at the ghast lord. Her arrow gets through the undead's defenses.
Tarrak pulls the arrow out as ghast lord feather falls. "Better, but hardly a pinprick."
"Ailward, protect Lady Pendour!" Sir Ghal yells. "I'm coming!"
The young battle sorcerer quickly casts a ray of frost spell. It's the only offensive he's got left.
Tarrak laughs at him. "Your spells cannot hurt me, pup!"
The wilderness rogue, Henry, manages to barely lift the enchanted crossbow and fire a single shot. It doesn't come close. Tarrak doesn't say anything glib.
Sir Ghal rushes to defend Lady Pendour's life.
Samantha moves as she's going to cast a spell but Lady Pendour motions for her to stop. "Remember what the dwarf said. It can't see us."
"But Lady Pendour, it's looking right at you."
"I see you little fly. Now stand still so I can swat you."
"Forget what I said! Everyone shoot it down!"
Samantha moves and casts a protective spell on Lady Pendour. "Do not move. Do not attack," the Gala orders.
The ranger, Benedict, rushes back towards his wife and fires an arrow at the undead lord. It doesn't come close to bypassing Tarrak's defenses.
The wolftroll takes Angus up on his offer. The beast turns away from Maur. Angus watches as its eyes flash red in the light and some of the damage done to it seems to heal.
Regeneration of Darkness (Su) As per the regenerate spell (CL 10th, 4d8+10), except it is a free action to activate and it only functions underground or at night, and if the undead wolftroll is within the radius of any light source (not including shadowy illumination), the benefit is only half for the healed damage (2d8+5). The undead cave wolftroll can use this ability once per day. Dispel magic has no affect on this ability but a daylight spell cast directly on the undead wolftroll will suppress this ability for the duration of the daylight spell.
