"I too have wondered if our visit to Worlo has had anything to do with this. Though I did not handle the letter, there must have been something there that triggered a spell on me. Valindra already knew of us, that is true, or at least of Sthara. That's before we get to the magical disappearing act of Laskilar." A thought occurs, "what if triggering those swords back at the pirate cove also put a spell on me? Anyway, it would make sense for her to have more than one way to track the party." He frowns. "Say the pendent was lost, or the wearer killed. I have heard of objects which can be used to find people using a lock of hair, or blood. They can be put in a compass of sorts and the holder can find the person who's hair or blood it belongs to."
The bard is watching Nenne work with curiosity, before continuing. "The earlier dreams have passed from my memory, but I do remember that first night it felt like my skin was on fire. I don't remember many of the others apart from the ones a few nights ago. Laughter through a thick yellow mist, demonic laughter it felt like, harsh and gutteral." He unsuccessfully tries to keep down a shiver, which runs down his spine and makes him jerk spasmodically. "Teeth chattering on a string, and a leather sack. I couldn't see inside the sack, but it was squirming away like...like it was full of snakes."
He sits in silence for a while. "They may be prophetic, they may not. If I have any more, I will be sure to write the experience down," he looks up at the cleric, "it may at least shed some light on things....or deepen the mystery. For now they have just been dreams and have done no real harm, but I am convinced if we find the soulmonger that will change."
"We did encounter undead bearing Nsi's mark upon their flesh near Mezro, but I have a feeling that cold we experienced in the jungle was unrelated–it was so much further away."
Sthara thinks about the gods here a bit more before asking, "These gods–they're old, yes, Orvex? What is their relation to Ubtao, the originator? More importantly, shall we head to one of the temples to see what they've got to offer? I'm sure the secrets they might hold are worth learning, either for our own benefit or to at least learn of the dangers we will be experiencing here."
A long silence passes before the cleric responds. "If you would like, I can attempt to dispel her magic," she offers, quiet. "If it were me, I would risk anything not to be beholden or connected to a vile creature like her. Nothing may happen. Or I may succeed without harming you. Or I may not. Or," she flips a page in her prayer book a little too aggressively, "it may anger the lich and summon her here before we are prepared. Though since we are so close to her goal, I'd wager she'd wait to teach us our manners."
Nenne recites a short phrase and weaves more signs. Red light gathers around the corpse as her ritual progresses. "I'm sorry you are so burdened. I will do all I can to help. Simply tell me what you would have me do."
She continues her ritual, moving on to the portion of song, when she stops abruptly in the middle of a phrase. "I wonder if he had nightmares after his hair was stolen," she muses aloud, completely forgetting the bard is with her. "I'll ask tonight."
He shrugs and then holds his hands out wide in a sign of unknowing, "I can't say, but if there is a relation between the two, maybe it lies withing the ruins. I have only just started my investigation." He looks up to the sun and eagerly asks, "Perhaps there is yet time to peer inside one of the temples today?"
Boosey gives the cleric a warm smile. "I think I would be rid of this magic, or attempt it at least. If it is Valindra, I like the idea of tweaking her nose. It might bring her down a peg or two to disrupt her perfectly laid plans. I have no doubt she knows what is happening here, besides she wont come until she's certain we've found it" His face turns more serious. "If it's not Valindra…" He raises his eyebrows to Nenne, meaningfully.
The bard's voice startles Nenne slightly, pulling her out of her thoughts. She blinks as her mind catches up to what she heard. "Yes, very well then," she says after she overcomes her momentary fluster. "With any grace, all my fears will be for naught. One way or another, storyteller, we will address what ails you."
With a little smile of encouragement, she turns back to the corpses she's sanctifying and resumes her song. The smile fades. The pewter remains.
Before entering the temple, Funderburk asks for his friends to wait but a moment so that he may cast a spell in order to detect if there is any magic surroundings. (Detect Magic cast as ritual. If no one waits then I'll use a spell slot).
"The eastern temple is dedicated to Shagambi." Orvex claps his hands excitedly as the five of you set out, leaving Nenne to work her magic over the corpses of the fallen. Plantlife is thick throughout the city, growing up in what should have been well travelled areas in days long gone. The party takes their time wanting no sort of nasty surprises to come out at them with so little time left in the day.
Once Orvex spots the temple, he points out the ruined shrine. It stands at the heart of a walled compound, much smaller than the one your campsite is in. Tall monoliths flank the entrance, decorated with images of a jaguar with six snakes sprouting from its shoulders. A broken stone door lies on the ground below the door frame. The monoliths and walls are covered heavily with vines.
Funderburk gets out his materials for ritual casting and begins the motions required for detect magic. His words echo off the low walls as the other four look on. Energy gathers in his hands as they weave this way and that. One by one, light motes hang in the air, storing the magic for its time of completion. Six minutes in Funderburk swoops across his body to ignite another light mote. Having heard the commotion, two large cats let out ferocious growls accompanied by the hiss of several serpents that give tell of the stealthing cats leaping through the air, claws and fangs out and ready to strike.
One of the cats is barreling in on Funderburk outside the wall while the other leaps out from behind a bush inside the tiny courtyard towards Allister and Boosey.
Moments before the cats were revealed, Funderburk's mind took a detour. Flashes of raking claws and stinging fangs lashing out at Allister interferes with his ritual casting. So much so, that the velaken knows the event to be imminent. He calls out for the fighter to be wary of the courtyard. Allister turns with his cutlass blocking just as the claws come at him. The blow sends the fighter skittering backwards and the cat comes in fast with its serpents. Fangs beared the strikes only hit air as Funderburk calls for the fighter to move left. Allister is grateful for the heads up, but the feeling doesn't last long.
Funderburk fails to notice the approaching kamadan with attention fully turned towards the fighter. The cat pounces on the wizard hard, pressing its claws into the meat under the shoulder blades. (4 damage) Using the momentum of the impact, the cat bites down on Funderburk's shoulder (9 damage) as several serpent heads bite into the wizard (8 damage). Popping sounds can be heard as they blow through his clothes, but what's worse is the venom they inject inside (19 damage). The poison burns badly, causing the wizard to scream out in pain and then go silent. The cat strikes the wizard with its claws again (4 damage) followed by the stinging serpent heads (4 damage). At this point, the wizard does not even feel the venom coursing into his veins (20 damage).
The first cat breathes out a grey mist that falls over the party since it cannot seem to land a blow against the warrior (dc:12 con save). The mist should have put Allister to sleep and the fighter can feel the sluggishness of his body at the dosage, but with the probably death of his companion, he only sees rage in this moment. (half speed/ dis on attacks for one round instead of sleep).
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Allister is collecting his senses and drags his sluggish body to the snake cat that attacked Funderburk, hoping to distract it from mauling him to death. As fast as his leaden arms allow he stabs the creature as ferociously as possible. Attack: 14 Damage: 9
As the attack on Allister comes in Boosey hears the screaming behind him. Seeing the fighter struggling he shouts encouragement at him (1d8 bardic inspiration), then turns to see Funderburk lying on the ground with the cat stood over him. Snarling with rage, the bard creates a quite horrific scream and sends it blasting into the mind of the cat, casting dissonant whispers at the animal.
Witnessing Funderburk fall and her companions rush to take revenge on the creature that fell him, Sthara feels panic and then rage. "Faster, fighter. Faster, storyteller. Fight faster." She raises a hand and a pulse of air fires away from it (Haste, twincast on Boosey and Allister).
She then moves back to protect Orvex and redistributes some magical energy through her body (swapping a level 2 spell slot for sorcery points).
Orvex screams and cowers down behind the sorceress. Once his initial fear is in check, he remains quite silent, but Sthara can hear his heavy breaths panting. The feared kamadan comes on growling low as cats do charging at Allister. The warrior braces for the impact as a ruse and side steps the charge right at the last minute slamming the cat against the stone wall with its own momentum. The move puts the fighter too close to the snake heads though and they bite deep (5 damage). The poison surges into the fighter, setting his shoulder ablaze with pain (9 damage).
The cat towers over Boosey, but with the gnome's enhanced speed he manages to duck away from the raking claws and teeth of the cat. The thing lunges to Boosey's left, but the bard isn't prepared for the cat's tactics and attacks him from the side with its snakes. He doesn't pull away quick enough costing the gnome greatly. The serpents tear into Boosey's belly (7 damage) injecting its deadly poison (24 damage).
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"I too have wondered if our visit to Worlo has had anything to do with this. Though I did not handle the letter, there must have been something there that triggered a spell on me. Valindra already knew of us, that is true, or at least of Sthara. That's before we get to the magical disappearing act of Laskilar." A thought occurs, "what if triggering those swords back at the pirate cove also put a spell on me? Anyway, it would make sense for her to have more than one way to track the party." He frowns. "Say the pendent was lost, or the wearer killed. I have heard of objects which can be used to find people using a lock of hair, or blood. They can be put in a compass of sorts and the holder can find the person who's hair or blood it belongs to."
The bard is watching Nenne work with curiosity, before continuing. "The earlier dreams have passed from my memory, but I do remember that first night it felt like my skin was on fire. I don't remember many of the others apart from the ones a few nights ago. Laughter through a thick yellow mist, demonic laughter it felt like, harsh and gutteral." He unsuccessfully tries to keep down a shiver, which runs down his spine and makes him jerk spasmodically. "Teeth chattering on a string, and a leather sack. I couldn't see inside the sack, but it was squirming away like...like it was full of snakes."
He sits in silence for a while. "They may be prophetic, they may not. If I have any more, I will be sure to write the experience down," he looks up at the cleric, "it may at least shed some light on things....or deepen the mystery. For now they have just been dreams and have done no real harm, but I am convinced if we find the soulmonger that will change."
"We did encounter undead bearing Nsi's mark upon their flesh near Mezro, but I have a feeling that cold we experienced in the jungle was unrelated–it was so much further away."
Sthara thinks about the gods here a bit more before asking, "These gods–they're old, yes, Orvex? What is their relation to Ubtao, the originator? More importantly, shall we head to one of the temples to see what they've got to offer? I'm sure the secrets they might hold are worth learning, either for our own benefit or to at least learn of the dangers we will be experiencing here."
A long silence passes before the cleric responds. "If you would like, I can attempt to dispel her magic," she offers, quiet. "If it were me, I would risk anything not to be beholden or connected to a vile creature like her. Nothing may happen. Or I may succeed without harming you. Or I may not. Or," she flips a page in her prayer book a little too aggressively, "it may anger the lich and summon her here before we are prepared. Though since we are so close to her goal, I'd wager she'd wait to teach us our manners."
Nenne recites a short phrase and weaves more signs. Red light gathers around the corpse as her ritual progresses. "I'm sorry you are so burdened. I will do all I can to help. Simply tell me what you would have me do."
She continues her ritual, moving on to the portion of song, when she stops abruptly in the middle of a phrase. "I wonder if he had nightmares after his hair was stolen," she muses aloud, completely forgetting the bard is with her. "I'll ask tonight."
He shrugs and then holds his hands out wide in a sign of unknowing, "I can't say, but if there is a relation between the two, maybe it lies withing the ruins. I have only just started my investigation." He looks up to the sun and eagerly asks, "Perhaps there is yet time to peer inside one of the temples today?"
Boosey gives the cleric a warm smile. "I think I would be rid of this magic, or attempt it at least. If it is Valindra, I like the idea of tweaking her nose. It might bring her down a peg or two to disrupt her perfectly laid plans. I have no doubt she knows what is happening here, besides she wont come until she's certain we've found it" His face turns more serious. "If it's not Valindra…" He raises his eyebrows to Nenne, meaningfully.
„I’m with you, and I guess the others will accompany you as well. Let us see what awaits us in the nearest temple.“
A short time later back at the walled compound, Orvex gathers extra writing supplies and asks, "Okay, who is coming and which temple shall we visit?"
The bard's voice startles Nenne slightly, pulling her out of her thoughts. She blinks as her mind catches up to what she heard. "Yes, very well then," she says after she overcomes her momentary fluster. "With any grace, all my fears will be for naught. One way or another, storyteller, we will address what ails you."
With a little smile of encouragement, she turns back to the corpses she's sanctifying and resumes her song. The smile fades. The pewter remains.
„We don’t have many hours left. We should visit the temple we can go to and return before dusk. Shall we head east?“
"I am okay with Allister's suggestion. Was that the temple to Kubazan or Unkh?"
Before entering the temple, Funderburk asks for his friends to wait but a moment so that he may cast a spell in order to detect if there is any magic surroundings. (Detect Magic cast as ritual. If no one waits then I'll use a spell slot).
Made you look.
"The eastern temple is dedicated to Shagambi." Orvex claps his hands excitedly as the five of you set out, leaving Nenne to work her magic over the corpses of the fallen. Plantlife is thick throughout the city, growing up in what should have been well travelled areas in days long gone. The party takes their time wanting no sort of nasty surprises to come out at them with so little time left in the day.
Once Orvex spots the temple, he points out the ruined shrine. It stands at the heart of a walled compound, much smaller than the one your campsite is in. Tall monoliths flank the entrance, decorated with images of a jaguar with six snakes sprouting from its shoulders. A broken stone door lies on the ground below the door frame. The monoliths and walls are covered heavily with vines.
Funderburk gets out his materials for ritual casting and begins the motions required for detect magic. His words echo off the low walls as the other four look on. Energy gathers in his hands as they weave this way and that. One by one, light motes hang in the air, storing the magic for its time of completion. Six minutes in Funderburk swoops across his body to ignite another light mote. Having heard the commotion, two large cats let out ferocious growls accompanied by the hiss of several serpents that give tell of the stealthing cats leaping through the air, claws and fangs out and ready to strike.
One of the cats is barreling in on Funderburk outside the wall while the other leaps out from behind a bush inside the tiny courtyard towards Allister and Boosey.
//roll initiative\\
Moments before the cats were revealed, Funderburk's mind took a detour. Flashes of raking claws and stinging fangs lashing out at Allister interferes with his ritual casting. So much so, that the velaken knows the event to be imminent. He calls out for the fighter to be wary of the courtyard. Allister turns with his cutlass blocking just as the claws come at him. The blow sends the fighter skittering backwards and the cat comes in fast with its serpents. Fangs beared the strikes only hit air as Funderburk calls for the fighter to move left. Allister is grateful for the heads up, but the feeling doesn't last long.
Funderburk fails to notice the approaching kamadan with attention fully turned towards the fighter. The cat pounces on the wizard hard, pressing its claws into the meat under the shoulder blades. (4 damage) Using the momentum of the impact, the cat bites down on Funderburk's shoulder (9 damage) as several serpent heads bite into the wizard (8 damage). Popping sounds can be heard as they blow through his clothes, but what's worse is the venom they inject inside (19 damage). The poison burns badly, causing the wizard to scream out in pain and then go silent. The cat strikes the wizard with its claws again (4 damage) followed by the stinging serpent heads (4 damage). At this point, the wizard does not even feel the venom coursing into his veins (20 damage).
The first cat breathes out a grey mist that falls over the party since it cannot seem to land a blow against the warrior (dc:12 con save). The mist should have put Allister to sleep and the fighter can feel the sluggishness of his body at the dosage, but with the probably death of his companion, he only sees rage in this moment. (half speed/ dis on attacks for one round instead of sleep).
Allister is collecting his senses and drags his sluggish body to the snake cat that attacked Funderburk, hoping to distract it from mauling him to death. As fast as his leaden arms allow he stabs the creature as ferociously as possible. Attack: 14 Damage: 9
Attack: 13 Damage: 11
Attack: 8 Damage: 8
As the attack on Allister comes in Boosey hears the screaming behind him. Seeing the fighter struggling he shouts encouragement at him (1d8 bardic inspiration), then turns to see Funderburk lying on the ground with the cat stood over him. Snarling with rage, the bard creates a quite horrific scream and sends it blasting into the mind of the cat, casting dissonant whispers at the animal.
Yowling in pain the big cat jumps off of Funderburk and flees straight away from the gnome as fast as its legs will allow.
As the cat runs off Allister lungs forward and stabs it in the back. (6 damage)
Witnessing Funderburk fall and her companions rush to take revenge on the creature that fell him, Sthara feels panic and then rage. "Faster, fighter. Faster, storyteller. Fight faster." She raises a hand and a pulse of air fires away from it (Haste, twincast on Boosey and Allister).
She then moves back to protect Orvex and redistributes some magical energy through her body (swapping a level 2 spell slot for sorcery points).
Orvex screams and cowers down behind the sorceress. Once his initial fear is in check, he remains quite silent, but Sthara can hear his heavy breaths panting. The feared kamadan comes on growling low as cats do charging at Allister. The warrior braces for the impact as a ruse and side steps the charge right at the last minute slamming the cat against the stone wall with its own momentum. The move puts the fighter too close to the snake heads though and they bite deep (5 damage). The poison surges into the fighter, setting his shoulder ablaze with pain (9 damage).
The cat towers over Boosey, but with the gnome's enhanced speed he manages to duck away from the raking claws and teeth of the cat. The thing lunges to Boosey's left, but the bard isn't prepared for the cat's tactics and attacks him from the side with its snakes. He doesn't pull away quick enough costing the gnome greatly. The serpents tear into Boosey's belly (7 damage) injecting its deadly poison (24 damage).