Gnome's OOTA Story Thread [CLOSED]

Horkas is next up the ladder, leaving Skitter and the Guardian below so they don't break the ladder with their bulk...the artificer comes up swinging, able to cleanly get on the floor thanks to Traydark and Khessa's (and Dawn's!) combined destruction of one of the shadow demons. He swings his magical warhammer at the remaining shadow, bludgeoning the dark form with a fierce strike! (Attack: 25 magical damage: 9)

Horkas easily smashes the shadow making it swirl. (57/66)

Katryl tries to take aim at the remaining shadow demon, avoiding the guardian and Horkas. If she doesn't think she can avoid them, she'll hold off on her shot. Otherwise, she holds her place (Steady Aim) and fires her short bow. 
(Short Bow Attack: 31, Damage: 15 + 24 sneak attack)

Katryl is also able to find an angle through the trapdoor and pierces the shadow hard with her roguish tricks! (18/66)

Lulu, after Katryl takes her shot, leans over the genasi's head to try and line up a similar angle. "Pardon me, love," she winks as a flash of radiant light streaks from her hand at the shadowy creature. 

((2nd level Guiding Bolt. To hit: 13+4 (bless) 17 | 15 radiant dmg))

Lulu's blinding beam is more than enough to dispel the demonic shadow back to whatever hell it came from. (combat over)

Sending the earth elemental outside in a sentry mode, the noble drow then climbs up the ladder to search the second floor for anything of value.

Investigation assisted by Grax'xt: 15

Katryl too climbs up to the second floor, alert for any additional threats first. (Perception: 11)

'Good work, my friend!' Khessa looks fondly at Dawn, satisfied with the role played by the rescued sentient weapon in quickly and painlessly defeated the disturbing shadow demons 'It's nice to see you shine like this!'

The blonde arcane warrior also compliments the other party members, patting on the shoulder anyone who comes within reach: "Well done, my friends! We took them out before they even had time to say 'ouch'!"

The tall adventurer, despite her enthusiasm, does not forget her prudence and remains at the head of the group when it continues its exploration.

Ascending to the second floor you find another ladder leading up to the now cracked open trapdoor to the roof of the tower, but the rest of the floor is completely bare.

Lulu brings up the rear and settles her hands on her hips as she looks around the empty space, the tower still glowing faintly gold in her enhanced vision. 

"'spose ye could Identify the tower, Horkas? Can ye do something this large? Might could tell us why it's all aglow."

"Sure, I can get my contraption to tell me about the magical composition and properties of the tower - let's check out the top level first, then I'll work on it!" Horkas says, doing a quick check of this level before heading to the ladder leading to the roof. 

"Ready to go up to the next level?" he asks the group...looking up the ladder and ready to move to the roof.

"Aye, let's see about those statues." Lulu says, also ready to head up. 

"Yea, it certainly doesn't look like anything here," Katryl says in response to Horkas. "Let's stay cautious, but hopefully there's nothing out to get us up there."  She starts up ladder after the others. 

As soon as Horkas reaches the roof, the 4 statues comes to life and ready to attack! 

(Simplified combat: party first, then statues)

(As a reminder, the tower is 20ft on each side)

(Just to understand - the statues are in the corners of the 20 ft x 20 ft space? Or are they stationed at the corners outside of that space?  Does the ladder come up in the middle on one side of the statues?)  

"Of course!" Katryl mutters under her breath as her hopes are dashed. "Horkas! Maybe drop back down. See if they follow."  She turns to Traydark. "Get your thing up there to watch them."  Katry herself tries to position herself on the 2nd floor so that she can see through, if possible, to see any of the statues. 
(If she can catch sight of a statue - Shortbow Attack: 14, Damage: 12) 

(The trapdoor is in the middle of the roof. The statues are on each corner of the battlements around the edge of the roof.)

Although Katryl can glimpse one of the now animated statues as it unfurls stony wings, her arrows just miss the creature as it turns in place to face the intruders. (attack miss)

Taking Katryl's lead, Lulu makes room for Horkas to come back down and waits to see if the statues follow. Her hands are poised with a spell at the ready.

((Will ready a Guiding Bolt at any of the statues that come near the trapdoor. If one does: 19 to hit (if Bless is still in effect) | 15 radiant dmg))

The noble drow groans over the situation, attacking up through a trap door into enemies waiting to melee them. He instead hurries down, calling his earth elemental servant too meet him as a massive cover as he seeks a position from the ground where he can get his purple eyes on the winged enemies.

Khessa agrees with the proposed strategy - not so much in the hope that the statues will give up the fight, but rather to force them to fight on the party's terms. She tries to position herself under the trapdoor, taking advantage of her height, the extension of her arm and Dawn's length to try to block (and force them to fight in the limited space of the trapdoor, therefore one at a time) the awakened enemies.

The blonde arcane warrior, not knowing their nature, this time decides to protect herself with a different spell: a few well-pronounced esoteric syllables and her figure becomes Blurry.

[[ OOC: Attacks against Khessa have Disadvantage, unless the enemy does not rely on sight or can see through illusions ]]

In the meantime, the tall adventuress orders Sylrien Havennor, Olaf Renghyi and Elias Drako, the three Gauntlet infantrymen that she was allowed to bring with her, to position themselves not far from her, ready to shot crossbow bolts as soon as an enemy appears... and, possibly, to intervene to intercept any adversaries who manage to enter the room and threaten the other party members.