March 2-3: The Old 19th and Events Thereafter

[Grognardsw]

Biblo walks up, intrigued by the wax men, recalling the words to a spell. He hangs back out of melee range, holding his action to see how the fighters fare.

Can I hold action to cast at beginning of next round?

[Inferno]

Zaent Darkhand, elvish rogue:

Zaent was startled by the thing, and glad to have the hulking man-monster at his side to take care of it.
"We've got company!" he yelled to his companions.

Then he saw Morgan was in trouble. Zaent shouldered his bow and grabbed one of the torches that the guards had planted here.
"Bal! It's made of wax!" Zaent said. "Melt it!"

Zaent charged the creature with the lit torch, using it like a flaming sword.

To hit with torch: [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12

Don't know if we're rolling initiative separately or as a group. If the former, here's Zaent's roll. Thanks.
Initiative: [1d6] = 2

[Mister-Kent]

Grog, I'll allow it

Combat Round 1
Sounder Initiative = 3
Initiative: [1d6] = 3

As the moaning wax figure has Morgan cornered against the wardrobe, Ballar Uh cleaves at it, striking it in the shoulder. (-6hp). It's left arm practically peels from its body, dangling at its side. The creature seems mildly agitated, and turns towards Ballar.

Morgan leaps at the chance, and as her foe turns she scrambles out from the corner. "More outside!" she shouts, and digs into her bag as Zaent rushes in with a blazing torch…

As the stealthy elf charges with the flame, he burns the groaning sounder on its , causing its waxy skin to bubble and ignite (-3hp). The dangling arm bursts into flame, and looks as if it could drop at any second like a drip from a candle.

The smoldering sounder steps forward, both its faces now turned frontwards, their features writhing all over its face as if competing for room. Raising its right hand, balled into a clammy fist, it pummels Zaent square in the chest with a heavy THUD (Zaent takes 13 damage).

Sounder vs Zaent: [2d8] = 13

Actions and (Group) Initiative for next round, please! Grog, you may declare action for Biblo.

[Marullus]

Gul-Marach walks into the room, grim and determined. He calls to the others, "Open the doors! If I succeed in calling them all in, burn this place down. Oil, torches! Go!"

He holds his massive sword unthreateningly at his side with one hand, seeming comforted by it. His other hand pulls a chain and gilded object from beneath his tunic as he intones the words to a prayer to Vorn. As his words complete, he begins to shake the reliquary, eyes fixed on Wax-Face.

This round, cast Sanctuary. That gives eight rounds to succeed in this gambit.

[Pulpatoon]

Assuming Zacharias Tar has made it to the others at this point, he grips his his quarterstaff and intones, "Storm-blast come, tyrannous and strong—strike with o'ertaking wings, with sloping masts and dipping prow, and drive our foes upon the rocks."

cast Shillelagh (good for 4 rounds)Shillelagh (THAC0: 17) [1d20+2] = 3+2 = 5 damage: [2d4+1] = 3+1 = 4

[Fulci]

Ballar Uh, fighter/assassin

Ballar Uh doesn't understand the details of Gul-Marach's plan, but during their short time delving together he has grown to trust the priest of Vorn. Also, obeying commands somehow makes him feel... better, and more useful. None the less, the direct threat has to be taken care of - setting the whole building on fire (and also making sure that the adventurers themselves don't fall prey to the flames) will need some preparation.


He shuffles to the right (to get between the entrance and the Sounder, and also to give space for everybody else emerging from the steps to attack it) and slashes at his for once again.

Initiative: [1d6+1] = 1+1 = 2
(all that heavy thinking lead to hesitation!)
Attack roll (+2 from Str.) [1d20+2] = 19+2 = 21
If hit, Long sword damage [1d8+2] = 2+2 = 4

[Inferno]

Zaent Darkhand, elvish rogue:

Raising its right hand, balled into a clammy fist, it pummels Zaent square in the chest with a heavy THUD (Zaent takes 13 damage)

Served Zaent right, putting others first. Lesson learned. Again.
With Morgan in a relatively safer position, Zaent backed up, returned the torch to where he found it, unshouldered his bow, lit an arrow off the torch and fired the flaming arrow at the candle creature's unsettling, undulating faces, if only to make them stop.

Bow: to hit: [1d20+3] = 18+3 = 21, damage: [1d8] = 7 (Damage doesn't include fire damage.)

"Use the oil to make a protective line, or ring around us, that they won't cross," he said to Gul Marach.

[Grognardsw]

Biblo, illusionist-fighter

"Beware that which isn't!" Biblo obliquely warns the others, trusting they know an illusion attack is forthcoming. As the doors open and creatures rush in Biblo unleashes a greater phantasmal force fireball upon the whole lot of them.

[Marullus]

"Use the oil to make a protective line, or ring around us, that they won't cross," he said to Gul Marach.

"Waste no time for defense!" Gul-Marach bellows. "If they come towards me, ignite the building with oil and torch, and flee! My fate is in Vorn's hands."

[Mister-Kent]

Combat Round 2
Sounder Initiative: [1d6] = 5

The damaged sounder finds his elf prey out of reach, and so grasps for the nearest delver, staggering towards Morgan, and swings his intact arm at her, fist splayed in a waxy claw (Morgan takes 7 damage). She drops her small sack and staggers back, her shoulder bleeding profusely.

Sounder vs Morgan: [1d20] = 12 dam: [2d8] = 7

The doors crash open, and three more sounders of similar shape and grotesque mien stagger into the chapel. As they cross the threshold, the gaunt mage across the room raises his arms in a fantastical gesture…

Mustering his considerable mystic might, Biblo casts his great phantasmal fireball at the beings! The doorway is wreathed in illusionary flame, and it drives the trio back. As they reach the bottom of the church steps, two of them turn back, tilting their heads. Multiple faces bubble up bearing angry expressions. Though the third sounder has been driven back and will not approach again so long as the phantasm persists, the other howl, and begin to look beyond the flames. The injured sounder's faces blink and turn away from the "blast" briefly, then maintains its focus on its foes...

Save vs Spell: [1d20] = 13
Save vs Spell 12: [1d20] = 5[1d20] = 18[1d20] = 11

Still smarting from the swift blow to the chest, Zaent's collarbone aches as he draws back his bowstring and lets a flaming missile fly into sounder-one's neck (-7hp). It imbeds itself deeply into the oozy creature, and the flame causes the waxy flesh to sizzle (-7hp from fire). The creature roars angrily.

Flaming arrow vs sounder: [1d8] = 7

Gul Marach draws his holy relic and begins luring the sounders towards him. The injured sounder immediately swivels its head to face the priest, and the two disillusioned sounders also moan eagerly at the rattle. (7 more rounds of Sanctuary left.)

Wax-Face remains at Gul Marach's side, but hesitates to act. His eyeless face darts from side to side, confused by the action.

Zachariah Tar wields his now-enchanted staff against the lumbering sounder, but his blow bounces with dull thud on the thing's shoulder-blade area, irritating the creature but doing no harm.

Ballar Uh positions himself well, right between the sounder and the "flaming" door, hits the sounder square in the back of the head as it walks towards Gul Marach, his blade splitting his doughy cranium right in half (-4hp).

***

Zaent = 23hp
Morgan = 6hp
Sounder 1 = 3hp
Sounders 2,3,4 = full hp

Actions and Group Initiative please!

[Marullus]

: initiative [1d6] = 5
"It is working! Get them inside! Pour the oil!"

[Grognardsw]

Biblo maintains the illusionary flames, pushing and licking them out to the Sounders. He hopes in their belief they will take damage, for such phantasms can "hurt" those who put real stake in them.

[Fulci]

Remind me, please, where do we get the oil from?

Ballar Uh, fighter/assassin

Ballar Uh starts looking for flammable materials to add reality to the illusory havoc. He heads for the entrance/exit, doing his best to fulfill Marullus' plan. Even though he doesn't fully understand his thoughts, Ballar Uh is definitely impressed by the charismatic priest, standing their, arms outstretched as a statue, flames and wax-monsters emerging from every corner...

[Pulpatoon]

Zacharias Tar

The vagrant prophet is not clear on what exactly the plan is, but remains poised to follow the other's lead. In the meantime, he might as well keep swinging his shillelagh:

Shillelagh (THAC0: 17) [1d20+2] = 9+2 = 11 damage: [2d4+1] = 2+1 = 3

[Marullus]

Remind me, please, where do we get the oil from?

Dude, it is an D&D... Doesn't EVERYONE have the lamp oil?

Gul-Marach removes his pack and slides it across the floor to Ballar-Uh. He stands upright in the midst of the chamber, shaking his reliquary, the Sounders many faces fixed upon him. He bellows again, "Get them in, ignite the building, get out! I will lure them in! Have faith in Vorn! Go!"

(10 pints of oil provided. )

[Fulci]

Ballar Uh, fighter/dumbo/assassin

Ballar Uh changes course, if possible, to get the supplies provided by Gul-Marach. Ten pints of lamp oil is, of course, not enough to set a huge cathedral on fire. But, on the other hand, there are just enough loose wooden beams and flammable rubbish here to get things to work. Blocking the entry points with blazing walls of fire is the priority.

[Inferno]

Zaent Darkhand, elvish rogue:

"Duchess! Get the hell out of there!" snarled Zaent as he fired a second flaming arrow at the waxwork demon that attacked Morgan.

Bow: to hit: [1d20+3] = 12+3 = 15, damage: [1d8] = 5
Flame damage in flaming arrow: [1d8] = 4

[Mister-Kent]

Combat Round 3
Sounder Initiative: [1d6] = 5

Doing nothing else in the moment, Ballar Uh has of time to retrieve Gul Marach's oil and begin spreading it around the chapel undisturbed...

As Zaent calls out, Morgan hobbles across the room to the open window. Tucking the treasure bag close to her chest, she hops outside, taking a few shards of stained glass with her.

Zaent's arrow flies into the sounder, driving the arrowhead right into the damaged creature's eye. The sounder's head pops with a sound like a raw egg being cracked, and like runny yolk, its body loses cohesion, dripping down into a wax puddle on the wooden floor of the chapel. (Sounder 1 is dead!)

Biblo's phantasmal flames roar, entrancing one of the three remaining sounders. Luckily for the illusionist, the two unaffected creatures are drawn to Gul Marach's strange holy relic, sluggishly dragging their feet as they approach the priest.

The sounder who remains transfixed by the great phantasm feels the heat on its skin, and the wax begins to bubble and scorch under the imagined fire (Sounder4 takes 13 damage).

The sounder affected indeed should take "phantasmal damage" ~
Biblo's Phantasmal Phyres: [1d8] = 8
Biblo's Phantasmal Phyres: [1d8] = 5

When the two sounders drawn to the Reliquary of Cannloch the Martyr shamble to their destination, Gul Marach's spell of sanctuary is still going strong. The first sounder to reach Gul Marach moans loudly, and as it does its face stretches as if attempting to tear itself in two. It swings wildly at the priest and misses. The other sounder lingers at Gul Marach's periphery with a dopey look on its faces...

Sounder2 spell save to atk: [1d20] = 20
Sounder2 vs GulMarach: [1d20] = 7
Sounder3 spell save to atk: [1d20] = 1

Zachariah Tar sees the two sounders approaching the Priest of Vorn, sees one attempt an attack in vain, strikes that one with his enchanted shillelagh (Sounder2 takes 3 damage.)

Unexpectedly, Wax Face--er, Bartholomew--balls his fist and lashes out blindly at the nearest sounder! He doesn't hit anything, but he has a rather determined look on his chin! Well, at least he tried...

Sounder 2 = 27 hp
Sounder 4 = 17 hp
Sounder 3 at full health

Actions and Initiative for Round 4 please!

[Marullus]

Gul-Marach continues to stand heroicly, shaking the Martyr's bones in the reliquary. "Are there more outside? Get them in before we light!" He shifts slowly, eyes on the near sounders, to get closer to the door and ensure the rattle is heard in the courtyard beyond.

[Grognardsw]

Biblo, pyromancer

The phantasmic phires continue to consume Sounder4 as Biblo moves in position to avoid the oil flames and exit the door at the right moment.