Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

"Ulthan no like arrow in eye, but more arrows nice" Ulthan says as he points to the arrow slits. He makes sure the shield on his back is properly in place, and he wets a blanket for use as a stiff board and to use as another shield of sorts to protect him from the potential arrow slits. Unless of course there was some decent sized bark near the entrance that he could use without spending more than the time they rested. He will not damage a growing tree, and would use deadwood only. Nonetheless, you'd think the ones ahead would get shot first nonetheless...

The glowing stone's light is muted beyond 20 feet but it's better than the inky blackness.  The lit stone flies out across the edge of the balcony and plummets below before landing and skittering across a floor.  Its light is just visible from this angle.  It must have fallen no more than 20 or 30 feet.  Lionel ignores the arrow slits and strides boldly down the center of the 20 foot hallway.  No arrows, traps, or other unpleasant things happen as he emerges onto the black balcony and looks about the large room.  The party follows.

A twenty-foot-wide balcony of black marble with a shattered railing overlooks a vast temple. Black marble staircases at each end of the balcony descend thirty feet to the temple floor. The vaulted ceiling is thirty feet above the balcony. The walls and ceiling are covered in an amber glaze, lending the gloom a golden sheen. A set of amber doors stands closed at the west end of the bal­cony. A similar pair stands open to the east.

Three arrow slits adorn the upper east wall, and another three the upper west wall, looking down into the dark temple.  For most of you, beyond the arrow slits remain darkness beyond your vision. 

Mordekai, with your extended vision, as you move forward down the hall and onto the balcony, you can take in the entirety of the massive vaulted room. 

Mordekai, you alone see this, though for others, he describes it to you: 

Four black marble columns support the vaulted ceiling of the temple, at the north end of which stands a forty­ foot-tall statue of a cowled figure in flowing robes. The statue's stony hands are outstretched as if in the midst of casting a spell. Its face is human like and carved to appear twisted in anger, and the eyes appear to be missing, just holes leading into the carved things head.  The ominous statue stands between two black marble balconies, one of which has partially collapsed and fallen on the temple's black marble floor, in front of an open doorway. The walls of the temple are sheathed in amber, and the doors leading from it are made of amber as well. Arched hallways coated with amber lead away from the temple to the west and east. Flanking these exits are alcoves that hold white marble statues of robed human wizards with pointed hats and golden staffs. One of them has toppled over and lies shattered on the floor.

 Squares on this map are 10x10. 

After Mordekai has finished describing the scene, he asks, "Do we want more light? I can light up the far end of the room if you'd like. Or would we rather avoid announcing our presence? I particularly don't like the state's eyes, or lack of them."

Ulthan shakes his head as he squints through the feathered goggles he put on before entering here. Between his hide armor and the goggles, he starts looking more and more like an owlbear. Ulthan spends most of his time looking backwards when party stops 25% forward /75% backwards vs 75%/25% when moving. He listens intently now and then turning his head sideways now and then, and almost twisting his head like an owl but not inhumanly so. Perception 5

((Lionel need his Int to be set lower - I read description of balcony as a means that we passed arrow slits already without accidents. Otherwise he would crawl there)) 

"I do not like anything here. Can not say what is worse - the cold or that ... sense of evil. Usually I need to concentrate to find that sensation, but here ... it is everywhere, like a stench. It does feel the birthplace of all evil." Lionel shook his head. "I say light it up. Whoever is hiding here does not need light to see and surely can sense us anyway. May be with the light we can spot tracks of that Strahd's henchman and follow them to the place he went."

Lionel begun with activating his sword, trying to understand if the weapon has something to "tell" about the place. 

Mordekai casts Dancing Lights to create 4 floating lanterns of light spaced 20ft apart to span the width of the temple, just before the statue.

(Mordekai can see normally in this darkness, and the lights cast dim light for 10ft around them, so presumably they won't add to what Mordekai can already see? But it will help the rest of the party see, and might cause a reaction from something or someone) 

The light stone sits in the middle of the floor down in the main temple...having already announced your presence. Mordekai casts his spell, lighting up the far end of temple for the rest of the group to see.  The air is frigid and sparkling with ice crystals.  The walls and floor coated in amber make everything feel like golden ice. The top of the 50 foot statue is still locked in darkness as the light from the globes doesn't reach that far.  

Lionel's sun blade shimmers up from the handle...the glowing blade shimmering and casting light further around the group.  Ismark looks about with the extra light.  

As the spell resolves and the light globes begin dancing, there is a sudden a violent blast of lightning that comes from the darkness near the top of the statue!!   

(Mordekai, you see the blast emerges from the eyes, and through the holes you think you see movement, from within the skull.) 

The blast strikes Lionel, ripping through him with a thunderous boom, and then travel at an angle striking Ismark, then blasting through to strike Olin, then Ulthan.  It leaves a zig zag of wicked light streaked across your vision, your ears burning, and the pungent scent of ozone. 

Lionel, Ulthan, roll Dex saving throws.   25 lightning damage on fail, half on save.   Olin's save: 25.  Ismark save: 4

Everyone roll initiative.  (If you go before Bad guy (s) then take your turn)

Bad guy (s) : 12

Dex save:  9

Initiative: 3

((Did we have 11 Temp XP from Mordekai?))

Something ominous in the air thinks Ulthan split second before he Dex save 20. Drats... so much for being at the back thinks Ulthan...At 11 Ulthan lets loose with some arrows hoping to knock off the head of that statue, or at least its smile. Attk1 Attack: 11 Damage: 20 and Attack: 15 Damage: 15. So much for that thinks Ulthan as he dodges to take more cover.

Meepo initiative: 13

(It was 12 temp HP last time I used it. I didn't use it after the long rest because no one had taken damage since last time. I think the temp HP sticks around until you lose them right? And by the time I saw the thread we were a few posts into the new day, so I didn't want to interrupt and retcon what I figured was probably irrelevant anyway.  So I'm sure DM will confirm, but I think we should all have 12 temp HP?)

Mordekai Initiative: 6 

(Then Lionel will use TmpHP now)

Yes, everyone but Ulthan has 12 temporary HP's.  Ya, the temporary HP's are the first ones that get taken away.  

Ulthan, you're unable to target the head of the statue, since you can't see it.  It's 50 feet up and the light from the faerie fire doesn't reach that far. Even if you could see it, from the size of the statue you can see, it's head is quite large. At least 8 feet around. An arrow probably isn't going to knock it off. 

Olin init:  9

Kasimir init: 21

Ismark init: 20

Kasimir hisses, and then vanishes, the sound of his footsteps padding away to the left of the balcony. 

Before anyone else can act, you all notice that the arrow slits near the ceiling on the left side of the room begin to fill with green light, as something from their other side arrives, giving off a waving green light, and you catch glimpses of green flame and red glowing eyes from through the narrow gaps.  

Behind you, blocking your path, two large five foot spheres of flame suddenly appear, filling the hallway with hot flames.  (Ulthan, they're right behind you, their heat intense and burning). 

And then the whole balcony erupts in fire as a fireball explodes in your midsts. (Dex Save DC 13 or 29 fire damage for everyone, half on a save.)

Olin save: 16

Ismark save: 23

Zombie 1 save:  15. Zombie 2 save: -1

Both skeletons collapse in a pile of charred bones. One zombie collapse, a pile of stinking meat, the other one remains standing. (8 hps remaining).  (Note, skeletons and zombies do not get temporary hp's.  They can not be inspired.)

Alright, everyone's actions. Let me know what you do. The two flaming spheres are blocking your escape back down the passage you just came from. Kasimir is invisible and has moved away.

(Note: It was Dancing Lights, not Faerie Fire. I think you know that but just used the wrong name, but just in case - because dancing lights won't give you a headache to track in combat! ...if it survives an upcoming concentration check.)

DEX save: 4

CON save for concentration on dancing lights, DC28 or 14 depending on the above roll: 12

Well, that went well, at least! Mordekai runs down the steps to the right, crouching behind the pillar, a couple of steps from the bottom, and casts Mage Armor on himself.

(OOC: I really should remember to cast that regularly whilst out of combat!) 

Mepo dex save: 11

Mepo casts absorb elements to give him some protection from fire.

He then casts magic missile shooting 4 darts up at the glowing eyes behind the arrow slits.

Damage: 15

Is there anywhere he can move where he is out of sight of the arrow slits and the statue's head?

As the flame wraps around Meepo, some of the energy seems to spiral and sink into his flesh, but he's still smoking and hurt by the time it's done.  He looks around for options to be hidden from the statue's head and the arrows slits and comes up with the following options, that won't require a dash action: 

1) If you move 30 feet to the left and stay up on the bannister, you'll be close enough to the left wall that the arrows slits in the wall won't be able to see you.  It will also position one of the main pillars between yourself and the head.  (this seems to be a similar direction to where Kasimir ran). 

2) You could leap (or misty step) the 30 feet down to the main floor off of the balcony, and run to near the bottom of the stairs, right behind the pillar, giving you protection from the head by the pillar, and the arrow slits by the stairs. 

3) There's a door behind you on the left.  You could try to get through the door, and if it's locked, you could just keep going and be in position from option #1. 

That's pretty much it.  Any other options will require a dash. (such as going through the open doors to the right at the top of this balcony).  

I'll hold off on resolving the magic missiles until you decide.