things are coming to a head at the temple ruins in outskirt!
GM Elle: So a little short of half an hour after Dolora starts to puzzle her way through re-assembling the statuette, she gets the last piece solidly in place and the carving is complete again after who knows how many centuries of being broken and scattered.
Claire: I was watching carefully, by the way, to try to gain the knowledge of how the pieces fit together.
GM Elle: You can make a Spot Hidden role to follow the process with detailed enough observations to get a Boon later if it gets taken apart and you have to figure it out again.
Claire: I succeed!
Akane: Zedeja tells the puzzling dwarf to put down this statue so she can Levitate it.
MSG: I'll do that.
Harriet: I'll remind everyone to stand back from that area of suspicious tiles in front of the niche.
Akane: Zedeja attempts Mentalism. Success, of course. The statue is Levitated into the niche-ly indentation.
GM Elle: When it settles into place, there's a slight tremor, and the rectangular area collapses to reveal a stairway leading down into darkness.
Heddy: I congratulate Dilfriida on her sharp eyes in spotting that trap.
Harriet: Dilfriida normally lacks social graces, but for Brandywise, she'll scrounge up some awkward thanks for the praise.
Heddy: Don't mention it!
Sasha: Quackers will head down the stairs. He's hoping there's some kind of monster guarding the magic sword inside. "Somebody bring a light?
Claire: Filvius wants to be near the front to beat Dolora to any knowledge-getting that might happen, so he casts his Light trick on his staff.
MSG: Dolora will grumblingly let him by.
GM Elle: As you proceed down the stairs into the pitch darkness, you see ahead the entrance to a chamber, and when you arrive at its level, you see before you a tomb-like shrine. There's a central altar with a jeweled greatsword resting upon it, as well as a golden goblet and an open book. There's also --
Claire: I'm making a bee-line for that book.
Akane: Wait! More traps may imperil us!
Claire: Too late. Any traps go off on my way there, Elle?
GM Elle: No. You arrive at the book without incident. Also --
MSG: I'm going to hurry in and examine the goblet.
GM Elle: Can I finish describing the room?
MSG: Sorry. Filvius started it, though.
Sasha: It's going to be pretty sweet if there's a monster in the room that was standing still and you just didn't let Elle get to that part of the description, and now it starts attacking anybody next to the altar.
GM Elle: There's no monster, but on the far wall there's a fountain --
MSG: Another fountain? Dolora grabs the goblet and takes it over there.
GM Elle: -- and in each corner of the octagonal chamber stand statues of knights in armor, their helmets adorned with horns. Their poses are intense and threatening.
MSG: I'll ... keep an eye on the ones nearest the fountain as I approach it.
Claire: What am I seeing when I look at the book?
GM Elle: Let's map this out and have everybody say where their characters are located before we get any further. Here's what the room looks like:
Claire: I'm at the book.
Ariel: I'm still outside at the bottom of the stairs.
Sasha: Quackers is just looking at the statues next to the stairs. Maybe they're golems or something and he'll be able to fight them if they start moving.
Akane: Zedeja awaits behind our duck knight.
Harriet: Dilfriida's not getting any closer until she has a chance to see what manner of catastrophe Filvius and Dolora might be about to trigger.
Heddy: Same for Brandy.
GM Elle: All right. There's no motion evident from any of the statues as Filvius looks at the book and Dolora approaches the font. The book is open to a page with a lone inscription upon it. Roll Languages to decipher the writing, Claire.
Claire: Yeah, my Languages skill stinks. I blow it. That makes me Angry that I'm not beating Dolora to this knowledge, and I Push the roll -- success! Oh, wait, I'm Angry, to that's a Bane on Int skills. Rolling the second die ... also success, cool beans!
GM Elle: The ancient script translates as, "Hail, Emperor of the World -- Lord of Light -- Punisher of Impurity -- Eledain Forever, in the Depths of Our Pure Hearts."
Claire: Hmm.
MSG: I hold the goblet under the fountain. I guess I'll sniff it to see if it's got any unhealthy odor before I give it a taste.
GM Elle: You can roll Bushcraft or Healing.
MSG: My Bushcraft is better, and I make it.
GM Elle: No odd smell, and no odd taste when you sip it.
MSG: Any chance my head suddenly fills with magical knowledge?
GM Elle: No. At least, not from a single sip.
MSG: I'll let the cup fill up more and take a bigger drink.
GM Elle: Still nothing.
Akane: I say, "Duck, there is no monstering it seems. Step aside and allow a senior mage to enter the room."
Sasha: I'll do that.
Akane: Zedeja proceeds to the book and looks over the shoulder of a junior mage. If there's no concealment by our elf, I attempt reading it with Languages ... failure! I tell him, "So, junior mage. Demonstrate whether your skill of translating equals your elder's. What do you read there?"
Claire: I tell her.
Akane: Zedeja nods wisely. "Tolerable. Maybe grammar could be slightly improved next time, though."
Harriet: I'll go in and have a look at those jewels on the sword.
Heddy: Brandy sticks close by Dilfriida.
GM Elle: The glitter and shine of the sword itself nearly matches that of the gems in its hilt and pommel. Just as a work of craftsmanship and rare materials, you think it would be worth a very hefty price.
MSG: I come back to the altar sipping from my goblet.
Claire: Can I Spot Hidden to see if Dolora is looking smarter from drinking out of the goblet?
GM Elle: I think that's a stretch. What is everyone going to do?
MSG: Well, I'm thinking there's got to be a reason for this book to be here and the fountain and goblet too. What did that inscription say again?
Claire: I'll answer the question to show off my knowledge before Zedeja beats me to it.
MSG: Dolora will come around and read for herself in case Filvius made a mistake. I succeed at my Languages roll.
GM Elle: Are you reading silently or aloud?
MSG: Aloud, with great confidence.
Akane: Zedeja shakes her head. "Same imperfection of grammar. You must both try harder with future translatings."
MSG: Let's have a look at the sword, then. I'll pick it up and see if there are any inscriptions on either side of the blade or handle.
GM Elle: You don't notice any.
Claire: Filvius tells her to let him see, and takes hold of the sword too.
GM Elle: A Lightning Bolt instantly flashes down from the ceiling at Filvius. You can roll to Evade.
Claire: Yikes! I succeed and immediately let go of the sword.
Akane: Hmm. Both gluttons for knowledge read out words of the book. What differed?
Heddy: Obviously, Dolora drank from the fountain with the cup, and Filvius didn't. However, I'm certainly not going to test out that theory.
Claire: I tell Dolora to give me the cup.
Sasha: Ha, like you have any business with a greatsword! Quackenscrump says he should be the one to give it a try.
MSG: I definitely hand the cup to Sir Q and not Filvius.
Claire: Don't think I'm going to forget that.
MSG: You might -- I know your memory isn't as sharp as mine.
Sasha: I take a gulp from the cup and then say the line from the book. I don't need to roll Languages myself, do I? Cause that's not happening.
GM Elle: You can just make an Int roll to see if you get the exact wording.
Sasha: Ooh -- Int ain't my strong suit ... but I make it. Do I get zapped when I touch the sword?
GM Elle: No.
Akane: Zedeja insists everyone must repeat this ritual, in case there's need for another besides our duck to carry this sword.
Harriet: Dilfriida says she'll be happy to do so and carry the sword until it's needed.
Akane: Not you, halfling! I saw your eyeing of its gems! And a person so miniature is insensible as a choice to portage a sword so large.
Harriet: I stick my tongue out and go over to Sir Quackenscrump to ask for the goblet.
Sasha: I'm fine handing it over.
Harriet: I just barely make my Int check to recall the right words, then drink up from the goblet.
Heddy: Are you going to touch the sword, then?
Harriet: I'm not sure there's an immediate need to verify that I've done it right, so, no."
Heddy: Brandy is a tad disappointed at your caution, but understands it at the same time.
MSG: I'll show off my knowledge by repeating the words for anyone else who wants to try.
GM Elle: In that case, all present can be assumed safe from the sword's electric fury, unless someone chooses not to complete the ceremony. Now, meanwhile ...
Ariel: Why are you looking at me? I hope this isn't something bad about to happen because I Demon-ed that roll earlier.
GM Elle: Not too long after the rest of the group heads up to the temple ruins, Fidu and Glinssa both notice a figure striding toward them from the guardhouse of the south gate. It looks like Hardy, the captain of the guard. Glinssa busies herself looking after the donkeys, so Hardy approaches Fidu.
Ariel: I guess I'll wave and say hi?
GM Elle: Hardy greets you and says he heard tell from someone that Vagnhild at the Three Stags wanted a word with your group the next time you showed up in town. He also suggests that your donkeys and cart might be better parked at the inn, instead of blocking the stairs up to the temple. "It's not that there's a heap of traffic up and down the stairs," he says, "but it is still a holy place -- and the inn's staffed to keep up with the fertilizer donkeys such as yours tend to put out."
Ariel: Um ... I'll tell him we're hoping the rest of our group won't be too much longer and we'd like to wait for them.
GM Elle: "Hoping?" he asks. "What are they about up there, and d'you have any notion how long exactly they'll be taking?"
Ariel: I'll say they're just poking around in the ruins but I admit I don't know how soon they'll be done. I'm thinking for all me and Glinssa know, there's a whole dungeon underneath the temple and they won't be out for hours, like with most of the other places we've explored. I'm not saying that out loud, though.
GM Elle: Hardy says one of you could run up and let them know to get a move on, but unless the poking around finishes up soon, you'd best move your cart and animals. He seems pretty serious about it. If you want to park it outside the gate and not on the town street, he'd be okay with that.
Ariel: Dang. I really don't want to do any of that. But I guess I'll tell Glinssa to run up to the temple and if she sees the others, let them know we'll wait outside the gate for them. That's less work for me than driving all the way up to the inn.
GM Elle: Glinssa really isn't keen on being anywhere in town by herself. But it doesn't seem likely that she'll run into the cultists up on the temple hill, so she reluctantly sets off as she's told.
Ariel: I guess I'll drive the cart outside the city gate, then. Can I park where I'll be able to look through the gate and see the bottom of the stairs?
GM Elle: You'd be blocking the road in that case, and Hardy would have you move again.
Ariel: Okay, if he does that I guess I'll just pull to one side and wait.
GM Elle: As the group is finishing up taking turns with the cup and the book and the sword, then, Glinssa arrives to relay the message Fidu sent her with.
Akane: Why is she not donkey tending? Neglectful! Our hound should have told this Hardy, "If you want us to move, go talk to our group yourself!"
MSG: I don't like Fidu being alone outside the gates with our cart and all our stuff. Are we about done here?
Claire: I mean, we haven't searched the whole room for other clues or knowledge or hidden messages. Filvius wants to poke around some more and see what else there is to learn. Also, he'd like to flip through the book some more and see what else is written in it. Or maybe he'd just take it ...
Akane: That is fine, junior mage. But wait for your senior mage to step farther away, in case performing unauthorized examination or abscondment with the book brings more Lightning Bolts.
Claire: That's a good point, I guess. I still want to look around the room and altar and those statues just in case, though.
MSG: Dolora grumbles, but she's not going to leave Filvius alone with possible knowledge to find, so she'll start looking too.
Sasha: I'll hang out as long as everybody else does, in case something activates these golem statues so I can kill them. Might be a good way to try out this magic sword.
Akane: Bah. Zedeja will go and chastise a wolfish merchant, then. Glinssa must come too -- there are still donkeys to tend!
Heddy: I would prefer not to be around if golems suddenly animate. I'll ask Dilfriida if she's willing for us to accompany Zedeja.
Harriet: Only if we hang back and let her get far enough ahead she's not going to try bossing me around.
Heddy: We can do that.
GM Elle: Here's how it goes, then. Zedeja and Glinssa take about a round climbing the stairs out of the crypt. Then Dilfriida and Brandywise follow. Filvius and Dolora can each make a Spot Hidden check to see if there's anything notable where they're searching. Who's looking where?
MSG: I'm looking at statues, but I fail my roll.
Claire: I'm looking at the altar, and I succeed!
GM Elle: Neither of you finds anything noteworthy. Zedeja and Glinssa spend the next round leaving the temple, and the round after that starting down the stairs. Suddenly, though, you see figures rounding the corner at the bottom of the stairs. It's Quasimund and his band of scum. They seem to be skulking until they spot you, then Quasimund hisses, "It's them! Get them!" Time for initiative for Zedeja, Glinssa, and the baddies.
Akane: Zedeja, 8.
GM Elle: Glinssa, 6, baddies, 5. As Quasimund and the first 3 of his scum advance up the stairs, more of them round the corner at the foot of the stairs -- a 4th scum and Leanara. You see them draw weapons as they climb, once they're out of general view of the street. The closest of them ends up about 12 meters from Zedeja. Glinssa immediately squeaks, "I'll go get help!" and dashes back into the temple shouting, "The cult! The cult!"
Akane: Zedeja moves forward with boldness. "You cultly types! It's your last interference. Behold -- magery!" She casts Levitate to affect the first two scummish cultists, along with Quasimund. This must be rolled with a Bane. Success! The cultists are lifted six meters diagonally up and back, then dropped. This should increase the height of their fall at least to 8 meters, maybe 10? Due to falling to a lower stair location than they started.
GM Elle: I'll call it 10 meters, since the stairs are fairly steep. But they can roll Acrobatics to cut the number of damage dice in half. The first one fails ... the second fails with a Demon, so you can add an extra die on him. Quasimund succeeds.
Akane: 5 dice to cultist number 1, 6 to number 2, only 2 to Quasimund the duck scum, then. 17 and 19 to cultists, 6 to their leader. Next, with my Mastery of Spellcasting, I cast another spell: Stoneskin of Power Level 3.
GM Elle: Both cultists land on the stairs with a sickening snapping of bones and remain lying in a heap. New initiative. Quasimund will use his Veteran ability to retain his initiative card. Dilfriida and Brandy can draw this round. Those downstairs need to roll Awareness to hear Glinssa's shouting.
MSG: Success! I get the 6 card.
Claire: Success also! 3!
Sasha: Aw, man. My Bane from my helmet screws up the Dragon I rolled and I fail.
Akane: 9 for Zedeja. Not ideal.
Harriet: Dilfriida is on 2.
Heddy: Brandy on 4.
GM Elle: Glinssa, 10. Dilfriida is up, then.
Harriet: I'll move forward out of the temple, readying my bow as I go. It looks like they're all within shortbow range ... I'll shoot at Quasimund, I guess. That's a hit for 9 points if he doesn't dodge.
GM Elle: He'll attempt a dodge ... Dragon! I'll say that lets him retain an action on his turn instead of burning it all on the reaction. Filvius?
Claire: I'm having a hard time tearing myself away from the possible knowledge down here in the crypt. I'll switch cards with Akane.
Akane: Good strategizing by the junior mage. Zedeja again Levitates Quasimund. She must move 2 spaces forward to do this, but will move 3 spaces back when done. Success on both Baned dice. Does he again Acrobatically reduce damage?
GM Elle: Unfortunately, no.
Akane: Then his damage is 17 points.
GM Elle: He lands on his head and his thin mallard neck snaps.
Heddy: I'm next, but I really haven't much to contribute. I'll move to the temple door and shelter behind the door frame, just peeking out to see what's happening.
GM Elle: On the bad guys' turn, Leanara shouts at her remaining two minions: "For Sathmog! Take them!" Then she appears to concentrate, and you see a swarm of enormous bats fluttering out from hiding places amongst the ruins. Cultist 3 moves forward to attack Zedeja with his shortsword ... Dragon! He rolls 2d10 for 12 damage.
Akane: 8 is stopped by Stoneskin.
GM Elle: Cultist 4 moves forward and attacks Zedeja with his sling, but misses.
MSG: I'm toodling up the stairs, then.
Claire: Me too, with a wistful backward glance at the statues and a shout at Quackenscrump to come on.
GM Elle: Glinssa moves up opposite Brandywise and attacks one of her former colleagues using her sling. She hits number 3 for 3 points. New initiative.
MSG: 8.
Claire: 5.
Sasha: Uff. 12.
Akane: Barely superior is Zedeja's 10.
Harriet: 4.
Heddy: The 1! What am I going to do with that? Trade it immediately, I suppose.
GM Elle: 9 for Leanara. Bat Swarm on 2 and 7. Glinssa on 6.
Heddy: I believe I'll switch with Zedeja.
Akane: Zedeja will strike this cultist with her staff ... success in the amount of 8 damage!
GM Elle: He'll attempt evasion ... and succeeds.
Akane: Next, it's an evasion roll for Zedeja also, to move out of combat without attracting attacks. Success. She moves near our halfling, grudgingly.
GM Elle: The bats gang up on Dilfriida.
Harriet: I'll spend 3 WP to Dodge ... but get a Demon.
GM Elle: I'll say you trip and fall prone. The bats do an extra d6 for your being prone, and you suffer a Fear attack. Damage is ... ouch, 17 points.
Harriet: More than I have, but at least I make my Fear save. So I'm afraid I'm dying, but not afraid as a general matter. My turn, right? I'll trade with Sir Q to put my death save last in the round.
Sasha: I'll just move twice to get nearer the action.
Claire: I suppose Filvius had better go heal Dilfriida. He'll move forward 3, cast at power level 2 ... Dragon! I'll use that to cast for no WP. 17 points, good as new, right?
Harriet: At least for the moment.
Claire: Then I'll use Master Spellcaster and cast a Power Level 1 Lightning Bolt at Leanara.
GM Elle: She'll definitely attempt a Dodge with her Fast Footwork ... succeeds. Glinssa fires her sling at number 3 again, but misses. That brings us to the bats' next turn. They create a swirling horror, swarming everyone within 10 meters. You all suffer a Fear attack.
MSG: Safe.
Claire: Agh. Demon.
GM Elle: Wild Panic.
Claire: I've been here before. Guess I'm headed back into the temple on my next turn.
Sasha: I spend 2 WP to not roll.
Akane: 19 for Zedeja, but she becomes Disheartened that she might flee like a junior mage. By Pushing, she succeeds on roll number 2.
Harriet: Dilfriida fails and becomes Disheartened too. The Push roll is a Dragon.
Heddy: I succeed.
GM Elle: I believe it's Dolora next.
MSG: I'll step up and take a swing at these bats with my heavy warhammer. Hit for 10 points.
GM Elle: Because it's a swarm, they take half damage.
MSG: Rats.
Claire: Bats, actually.
GM Elle: Leanara moves up next to cultist number 3, wielding a dagger that has a sinister sheen to it. She can't get in range to attack this turn, though. Cultist 4 takes a potshot at Zedeja and misses. That leaves Heddy and then Dilfriida.
Heddy: I'll shout encouragement to Dilfriida and throw pebbles at the bats in hopes of distracting them to help her on her round.
Harriet: My turn? I'll sidle up next to Dolora to use my Backstabbing and Assassin abilities on the bats. Or does their being a swarm prevent that?
GM Elle: I don't see anything in the rules about that. Just because it seems peculiar to be Backstabbing a Harriet: Hopefully it shan't be a problem, since Backstabbing gives me a Boon too. Two successes for 17 points.
GM Elle: It looks like you're thinning out the swarm. New initiative. 5 for the bad guys.
MSG: 11.
Claire: 1. Didn't really want that.
Sasha: 2.
Akane: 10.
Harriet: 4! At least most of us are doing reasonably well with initiative this go-round.
Heddy: Eh. 7.
GM Elle: Bats on 3 and 9, Glinssa on 8.
Claire: I don't even feel like I should ask whether I can trade away my 1 when I'm in a Wild Panic.
GM Elle: I think not.
Claire: Then I'm just dashing as far back into the temple as I can.
Sasha: Quackers is going to roll up and do some monster killing here. The bats count as a monster since they're getting multiple turns and not having to roll their attacks, right? I'm giving this Um-Durman sword a try. I hit and spend 3 WP to do Dragonslayer. 24 points.
GM Elle: You sweep the swarm from the sky with that, even accounting for the half damage. Dilfriida's turn.
Harriet: I'll switch back to my bow to shoot at Leanara. Hit, for 8 points.
GM Elle: She uses her Weasel ability to push her underling in the way.
Heddy: What a bitch.
GM Elle: The underling tries to dodge and fails. On the bad guys' turn, Leanara decides things are looking very poorly for her team and cuts and runs, leaving cultist 3 behind because he used up his turn.
Heddy: I guess I'll run after Filvius and try to shout encouragements to help him with his rolls to overcome the panic.
GM Elle: Glinssa takes a pot-shot at Leanara -- but rolls a Demon. She hits herself for 2 points.
Akane: Zedeja will also sling a shot at the cultist leader. A hit for 8 points.
GM Elle: She spends WP on Fast Footwork but misses her Evade. That just leaves Dolora.
MSG: I'll switch to my shortbow and see if I can peg her. Miss, but I'm kind of Scared of her getting away, so I'll Push the roll ... it's a hit.
GM Elle: She makes her Dodge.
MSG: I'll move after her, then.
GM Elle: New initiative. This could determine whether she makes it around the corner and has a chance to lose herself in the crowd or not.
MSG: 5.
Claire: 2.
Sasha: 3.
Akane: 4.
Harriet: 6. It appears to be up to you to get the 1 and prevent her escape, H.
Heddy: Too much pressure! 8.
GM Elle: Leanara ends up with the 7 anyway.
Claire: My WIL roll is a success with Brandy's help, so I get myself under control.
Sasha: Moving and shooting. Hit for 11 points.
GM Elle: She's out of WP, so she'll have to use her turn to Dodge. Success.
Akane: A sling stone from Zedeja -- hit, and 6 points.
GM Elle: That takes Leanara to 0, but she's a Boss, so on her turn she'll have a chance to Rally.
MSG: I hit with my bow too, though, so that's an automatic Death Saving Throw fail for her, right?
Harriet: Dilfriida will try to make it two. She hits as well.
GM Elle: I'm calling it, then. The last cultist stabs himself rather than being taken alive. All this ruckus has drawn Hardy's attention from the south gate, so he'll arrive momentarily to see what's going on. But I think we can leave that until next time, since it's already kind of late. Defeating Leanara and gaining the sword constitutes a major event in the campaign, so everyone gets an automatic new Heroic Ability in addition to your advancement rolls, which I think everyone should get 5 of each.
MSG: Awesome!
Claire: Very exciting session, Elle!
Ariel: Plenty exciting for Fidu, who's gonna be glad to find out he didn't have to exert himself in that fight!
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