Greyhawk: The Tides of War - Campaign Thread

The flask shatters spreading acid all across Eron’s torso smoking and burning his eyes and nose and corroding bits of his current armor…  He turns eyes wide in fear as a second bottle is intercepted from arching towards him.  Leo flys in the face of the skeleton nearest him, he desperately swings to crush it.

action attack 24 with advantage for 5 slashing.  
bonus action attack 23 for 5 bludgeoning. (If 1st attack drops target 2nd attack will be ranged at next skeleton standing.)

movement if not in melee north into corner near wine cellar.

A mischievous grin crosses Tilliman's face as the skeleton blocks the door, then turns his attention on the robed skeleton that just burned Eron with acid. He strings his bow, remaining unseen, then looses an arrow at the ex-alchemist then quickly scurries back to hide behind another table.

TURN BREAKDOWN:

The blue-haired half-elf backs off to the west far enough to get her eyes on the flask flinging foe, placing her hex on it before unleashing another dark azure beam of eldritch crackling force towards it.

Eldritch Blast: 25  Force: 15 Necrotic: 3

She then, if possible, again prudently steps back north into full cover.

Dex:  4  21  17

Fane's magics burn tatters off of the skeleton's and worsen their conditions, but don't bring any down, while Arlynn's blast is errant.  Eron, meanwhile, obliterates the skeleton in melee with him before he retreats from further acid attacks.  Tilliman strikes a mighty blow against the robed skeleton, his arrow lodging deep into its right eye socket.  A mortal wound for any any mortal creature, the skeletal alchemist is able to shamble onward.

The first skeleton through the caltrops is able to limp forward, but can't make it to Arlynn due to the metal spurs in its metatarsals.  

DEX:  17

The next skeleton makes it through the obstacle without hindrance.  It bypasses its bony ally and closes on Arlynn, attacking with its golden rib.

• Rib Attack:  19  Damage:  9

DEX:  5

The skeletal alchemist doesn't see the caltrops and stumbles right into them, taking 1 damage and halting.  It hisses in contempt.  Spying the little gnome across the room, it hurls two vials of acid at him in frustration.  [Disadvantage for range and Tilliman has half cover behind the table, even though he isn't hidden this time.]

• Attack: 9
• Attack:  10

The acid splashes harmlessly on the table, sparing Tilliman any painful burns.

The party is back up!

Eron chokes back his fear at the sight of the 2 skeletons shambling around the corner squared off with Arlynn.  “Arlynn watch out!”  He charges to the square south west of Arlynn attacking each skeleton…

Action attack 10 miss.  
Bonus action attack 12 miss.

Fane will move 25 feet away towards the west to spread out the party, and shoot her crossbow at the skeleton closest to her (or next if it dies), with Leo's help.

attack Crossbow, Light 13 dmg:  10

Eron fails to hit either skeleton but at least helps bottleneck them.  

Fane's shot it true enough, finding and bringing down the skeleton closest to Arlynn.  It collapses into just another pile of disarticulated bones.

Tilliman and Arlynn are still up!

Tilliman's eyes go wide at the dissolving tabletop in front of him. "Oh dear!" He exclaims. "Oh dear oh dear oh dear...."

He takes another quick shot at the undead alchemist with his short bow then tippie-toe runs to hide behind one of the crates along the northern wall...

TURN BREAKDOWN

Not retreating quickly enough, the blue-haired half-elf is overcome by the pursuing undead, taking a solid strike to her forehead, making her let out a high-pitched sceam in pain.

Concentration check for Hex: 11

Dazed by the strike, Arlynn stumbles back, reflexively unleashing another dark azure beam of eldritch crackling force from her tentacle-shaped wand towards the closest standing skeleton.

Eldritch Blast: 21 Force: 7

She then flees back to any cover she can reach.

OOC ‘it’s been a minute, but I think the npc’s are up.’  Eron’s exorcising some personal demons…

Arlynn blasts the last gold rib wielding skeleton, its body disintegrating into a pile of bones and dust.

Tilliman, meanwhile, plants an arrow into the other eye-socket of the skeletal alchemist, which staggers in the doorway to the once-sealed room.  It looks up, two arrow shafts sticking out of its face.  "It... it looks like you thieves have learned your lesson," it rasps, before stumbling forward and falling to the floor, loose bones scattering from inside its robes.

[We are out of combat!  The halls are clear, but Fane saw a hidden room in the back of the 'Danger' room where the skeletal alchemist emerged from.]

"Wow, that was painful" Fane says, blood visible on her robes where she she's holding her hand. "That alchemist skeleton came from the secret room, there maybe more back there. How about I have Leo take a quick peak in the secret door room before we proceed there?

As the last undead falls, the blue-haired half-elf stumbles over to and slumps down on a nearby bed, drawing a sigh of relief, blood trickling down her forehead. "Sure, in the meantime I'll just take a little breather over here." She says with a weak smile.


(Perhaps we could afford taking a short rest before pressing on? :-)

Eron is beyond relief as the alchemist falls, in disbelief he goes and checks the remains, “What about a phylactery don’t liches regenerate unless you destroy it!?”  As he says that he gets up and rushes to the secret room and begins searching…

investigation 21

"OK Leo, go ahead and see what..." but she never finishes the sentence as Eron rushes off. Still in her blade song, she will follow him and instead say to Leo, "come with me."

Tilliman waves his hands around like a ninny and screeches in objection.

"No no no! I must object. I must object." He insists. "Please, no destroying anything, my dear friend! We must-em... Gather all items of items of Arcane nature for-eh... proper research and classificationyes. Something of such power would have immense value. Ehr... Scientific value that is."

He'll gather the gold bones and conduct his own investigation of the Alchemist's robes and the chamber for anything of a magical nature. All the while muttering to himself "Fascinating, fascinating..."

ROLL

Eron concerned about Tillman’s motives simple steps aside and watches as Tillman swoops into the room.

Tilliman quickly tosses carefully examines the bodies of the skeletons.  Each of the 'lesser' skeletons was possessed of a singularly remarkable rib bone.  These all appear to be dipped in pure gold.  Of the alchemist, his robes look to once have been impressively decorated, but have deteriorated with time and don't appear to be magical.  He does have several interesting items on his person, however.  

• Two vials of Acid
• A flat, gray-and-black river stone inscribed with an unknown arcane symbol.  It feels cool to the touch.
• A leather satchel slung over its shoulder.  Unlike the robes, this satchel appears untouched by the weathering of time, it's fine stitching still intact.

While Arlynn catches her breath and Fane and Leo follow close behind, Tilliman and Eron approach and sweep the secret room from whence the skeletal alchemist emerged.  No further threats present themselves.  Stepping inside the room, they see the room is lit by a dim bluish glow, a clutter of broken glass and earthenware piled on the floor. Three small copper pots lie amid the debris.

A bench runs down the west wall of what seems to be a laboratory.  On the bench are jars of powders and liquids and several pieces of chemical apparatus.  There is a table against the south wall, forming an L-shape with the bench. A book is open on the table.

Also on the table is a candlestick, with a tiny stump of a candle still in it, the candle burning with a small blue flame that produces no heat.  There are a variety of other items on the table that, even in the dim light, shine with the warmth of pure gold.  One of these objects looks like a human skull.

Inside this room, Tilliman and Eron are able to locate the following items:

• The heavy book, left open on the table.  Its title is Ye Secret of Ye Philosopher’s Stone.  Though it appears to be written in common, a brief glimpse at the text reveals it to be an incredibly dense work full of obscure and esoteric alchemical terminology.
• A collection of items that appear to be made of pure gold.
  • A skull
  • An apple
  • A rose
  • Five small metal discs, a little bigger and heavier than coins
• Stacks of gold coins, adding up to a total of 47 gp.
• A full set of alchemical apparatuses and reagents, old and dusty, but otherwise well-preserved.

But wait, there's more!

Examining the desk, Tilliman locates a hidden drawer.  Inside, he locates what appears to be a spellbook... the second such tome you have uncovered here in these cellars.

Eron looks closely at the golden skull…

Arcana 21