Chapter 2: Rites of Passage

[Lara]

Pel attempts to get to Phorem by tumbling through the melee.

_________________
Tumble = 22

[Jeremy]

Goran grumbles at his misfiring, which apparently is becoming something of a pattern, and snatches up the dagger from the floor, lunging at whatever enemy is closest.

---

Man, minus FOUR for shooting in here? Wow. Didn't see that before, gotta be more vigilant I guess. No more using the bow in city limits for Goran. Hunting deer in the fields maybe...

[Jeff]

ROUND 4

19 - Grafth / Streko
15 - the things
11 - Pel
10 - Dhaz
9 - Matheu
7 - Goran
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Grafth’s thrust is just hard enough to break through the creature’s flesh. The steel tip and shaft sinks in, and the thing howls its horrid howl…then begins to melt down into a foul puddle.

Streko steps up and attacks with his sickle, but the curving blade barely scrapes the creature’s (#5) flesh as it recoils from the halfling with the glowing holy symbol. In retaliation, the creature swipes back, missing the nimble halfling by far. The other disgusting creature throws its whole body at Dhaz, slashing him in the back and coming away with more ribbons of his coat. The shifter cries out from the sudden pain.

Pel slips past the first creature (#5) easily, but she ventures to close to the next (#4), and it reaches for her with filthy claws. The nimble changeling evades this one, too, rounds the corner, and enters the laboratory. Within, she finds Phorem lying upon the ground, stirring slightly, just barely unconscious. Traces of silvery powder in a very rough circle around him clues Pel in: he’s cast some sort of protective spell around him, which seems to have kept the unholy creatures at bay. Small flickers of white lightning play in a circle around him. Even so, there is a single slash of claws upon his side. He is hurt, but clearly alive and in no immediate danger.

Dhaz, enraged at his mistreatment, strikes at the nearest creature with his bare hands—there is a crazy precision to the way he moves—but his palms slap against its skin harmlessly. He utters a colorful shifter curse and smashes the bottle of wine to the floor.

That was expensive wine, Matheu says, then spits another energy missile. It strikes the creature facing Streko (#5) but only dislocates a small piece of its body.

Goran reaches down and scoops up the magic dagger, whose blade blazes again with white fire once it’s in hand. He feels a surge of supernatural skill flow through his grip. With Streko taking up most of the space in the threshold (yes, even him), the best Goran can do is try to reach around the wall to the creature just beyond it. Half protected by the wall between them, his strike falls an inch short of the creature’s skin. So close!

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• Grafth’s attack: 20 + 3 +1 (Bless) = 23 (10 + 3 +1 = 14, confirming the critical!) / 10 damage total, 5 of which are negated by the creature’s tough flesh
• Streko’s attack: 9 + 3 +1 (Bless) = 13 (miss)
  
• Creature #5’s attack = 7 (miss)
  
• Creature #4’s attack = 17 / 4 damage to Dhaz
  
• Creature #4’s attack of opportunity at Pel: 10 (miss)
  
• Dhaz’s attack: 7 and 10 (both misses)
  
• Matheu’s magic missile = 2 damage to creature #5
  
• Goran’s attack: 5 +4 +1 (Bless) +3 (the dagger?) = 13 (miss, the creature is provided some cover from the wall)

Note: Without Streko’s bless spell, Grafth would not have succeeded on his critical hit. It’s the little things that count…

Also, on the next round Goran can move another 5 ft. free and be in a better position to strike. (Jeremy: Regarding the -4 for Goran’s ranged attack: Whenever anyone goes to shoot/throw something at an enemy who’se adjacent to an ally of yours, you take a -4 penalty; that’s on top of any cover your ally provides said enemy. There is a feat called Precise Shot which Goran can/should take at the next opportunity which will negate this penalty entirely. Anyone who wants to excel at ranged attacks picks that feat! I actually already recommended it in your private thread.)

[Josh]

Grafth, breathing a sign of relief, moves back up the stairs, doing his best to avoid touching the oozing mess before him.

As he rounds the top of the stair, he sees Dhaz and the next creature. If he finds an opening, he will make a lunge at #4 with his shortspear, aiming again for its upper torso.


___________________________
Grafth's attack on creature #4: 16 +3 = 19

[Joe]

Streko takes another swing at #5!
__________________________________

Dice roller isn't working for me here....so I will have to leave it up to you, Olladra...errr....Jeff.

[Lara]

If Streko holds his action, can I move forward so that we flank #5? That'd give us each +2 on our attacks, in addition to whatever buffs he's already put into effect (assuming they're still in effect at this point). I can smack on it with my mace.

DM's edit: Heck yeah.

[Joe]

Streko, ever pliable, awaits Pel's flanking manuever before doing his thing.

[Lara]

"Phorem is hurt, unconscious. He could use your help, Streko, but he should be fine for now," Pel reports to the group.

She turns and moves back towards the creature at standing between her and Streko and whacks at it with her mace.

____________
Attack = 16

[Jeff]

ROUND 5

19 - Grafth
15 - the things
11 – Pel / Streko
10 - Dhaz
9 - Matheu
7 - Goran
____________

Grafth carefully steps around the fouled mess, renews his grip on the shortspear, and joins Dhaz. He uses his momentum and the time-honored style of a plainsman ambusher and thrusts the spear at the next creature. The steel tip, with resistance, still breaks through the hideous rubber and slicks the majority of the shaft in its impure blood. The stench that rises from the wound is worse than the slight wound Grafth took earlier. With grim certainty, Grafth knows his shortspear will never be rid of the stink.

Streko holds off, a slight grin reaching his face when he sees Pel approaching his foe from behind.

The quivering blob-thing in front of Grafth (#4) retaliates, sliding across the floor to embrace him. Grafth, feeling perhaps too gratified for his last strike, can’t get away fast enough. The creature’s claws rake across his chest. Damned, but that hurts.

The creature looming over Streko (#5) lunges, but the nimble halfling dances out of its reach—easy!

Pel steps in, flashing out with her mace for the first time. Her aim is excellent, striking the creature on the back of what passes for its head, but the blow glances off. Pel’s swing was hard, but it needs to be much harder to hurt this thing! Streko, swings almost at the same moment with his sickle. The razor tip just barely scrapes across its flesh.

Dhaz flashes Grafth a longtooth grin of shifter camaraderie. “You’ve the tenacity of an old ’wolf!” he says after Grafth takes his hit, politely leaving off the ‘were.’ Comparing a shifter to a true lycanthrope can be taken two ways—it’s clear to Grafth that Dhaz means it the good way. The shifter punctuates the phrase with a solid punch. It’s difficult to tell how effective the wet smack is.

Matheu hisses loudly and swoops in close to the creature (#5) between Streko and Pel. He seems intent only on distracting it. The creature’s attention shifts from Streko and Goran and it turns toward the pseudodragon…

Giving Goran another good opportunity. Stabbing in with the glowing white dagger, the creature’s flesh recoils at its touch, burning away into a cloud of vile fumes. By the time Goran pulls his arm back again, most of its body has already evaporated. Goran can’t help but adore the sensation the dagger gives him: in his hands it feels like it was meant to combat such creatures. The white fire diminishes back to its usual steady glow.

The tide of battle is more than turned. Only one creature remains, wailing before the two shifters.

___________________________

• Grafth’s attack: 16 + 3 +1 (Bless) = 20 / damage is 5 + 2 + 4 (skirmish) = 11 (5 are absorbed)
  
• Streko delays until initiative count 11 (where Pel is)
  
• Creature #4’s attack = 16 (4 damage to Grafth)
  
• Creature #5’s attack = 3 (miss)
  
• Pel’s attack = 16 + 3 +1 (Bless) +2 (flanking) = 22 / damage is 1 + 3 = 4 (all of which is absorbed)
  
• Streko’s attack = 2 + 3 +1 (Bless) +2 (flanking) = 8 (miss)
  
• Dhaz’s attack: 13 + 1 (Bless) = 14 / 6 (5 are absorbed)
  
• Matheu aids Goran, giving him a +2 bonus.
  
• Goran’s attack: 14 +4 +1 (Bless) +3 (the dagger?) +2 (Matheu’s aid) = 24 / damage is 6 + 5 = 11

[Joe]

Streko attacks with his sickle ONE MORE TIME...hoping that the third is, indeed, the charm.

[Jeremy]

Goran will swing the dagger at the nearest target, with all the battle skill he can muster. He's beginning to feel a sort of empathy for this dagger, now that he's had it for a little while, and he's seen it in action.

---

I wasn't complaining about the -4 penalty, btw, except at the cruelties of life in the adventuring world! ;D I'd just missed that on the first go-through, and I would've changed over earlier than that had I seen it. Funny, I thought I had chosen Precise shot...but I guess I chose Rapid Shot or something else instead. It's a tough world when you're a badass.

[Jeff]

Jer: I know it. I just wanted to point out that the penalty is a "firing into melee" thing, not just a tight quarters kind of thing. You'd face the same penalty in an open field. But good news is, even enemies have the same penalty when fighting you.

[Jeremy]

DAGGER DAGGER DAGGER!!!!

KILL KILL KILL!!!!

KILL AMORPHOUS BLOB THING!!!

---

just thought this scene needed a little wakin' up! C'mon people, we're fighting for our lives here!

[Lara]

Pel moves into place and whacks at the remaining monster.

___________
It's unclear to me how moving is going to affect actions. Does Streko or Pel go first on initiative now that they're on the same initiative? Will he have to move to attack the remaining monster? There's a free square on one side of it and a partial square to one side of it. Is the partial square usable by a PC? To add some more color, as Jeremy requested, Pel can try to tumble past the monster to the partial space to whack it if Streko moves up to help flank it. It's not likely she'll make it, but it adds flair to the fight. Whacking the thing is about as effective as shooting it. *heh* Thank you, DR...

[Jeff]

As Streko and Pel both have the same Dex, neither necessarily would go first. But since Streko delayed his action until Pel's last round, it makes sense for Pel to go first, then Streko—even though it's almost simultaneous.

Pel can attempt to Tumble through the creature's space, but it's a long shot: Tumble DC 25.

From where Streko is, he can attack, but the creature gets some cover (+4 on its AC) from the wall. The space directly above, below can be used to attack it. Attacking from the space diagonally down on the right from the creature would also provide it a +4 AC for cover.

[Josh]

Wincing from the pain of the monster's attack, Grafth merely manages an affirming nod at Dhaz's words. It is no time for conversation; he will have to talk more with his compatriot later.

He makes another move at the thing, but he's put most of his strength behind the last few attacks. The stench rising all around him has a dizzying effect as he swipes the spear upward- more of an attempt to push the creature back than to truly hurt him.


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And a good thing, too! Grafth's attack roll = 1 (+3) = 4 (waah... waaaah.)

[Lara]

Eyeing the remaining monster, Pel grins.

"Hey, Streko... I'm going to try something. Either way it turns out, I'm going to need your help. First to whack it. And probably then to heal me."

So saying, she tumbles past the monster to stand on its other side and whacks it with her mace.
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Why the heck not? ;D
Tumble=15 (that would be why not!)
Attack=15 (I think my dice roller's stuck)

[Jeff]

ROUND 6

19 - Grafth
15 - the things
11 – Pel / Streko
10 - Dhaz
9 - Matheu
7 - Goran
__________________

Grafth really isn’t liking these damned creatures. His next attempt has the shortspear slip free from his grasp altogether; it clatters to his feet. Dhaz actually chuckles.

Unafraid of its odds—indeed, seeming unaware of the deaths of its fellows—the creature of molten flesh surges toward its most dogged foe again: Grafth. Once again, its filthy claws rake across his coat and armor, further devaluing them. Now both shifters’ clothing look pretty ratty.

With the creature thus distracted, Pel attempts to scoot just behind it. But the thing turns, aware of her, slashing out with it a moan. The changeling evades the attack, but she is forced to arrest her attempt. Instead, she swipes at it with her light mace, but the blow is too weak to affect it.

Streko follows, slashing his sickle again; his accuracy is perfect, but he feels the sickle merely bounce back from its flesh.

“To Khyber with this!” Dhaz roars, stepping past Grafth and reaching to grab the creature’s misshapen whole body. He grabs both of its stumplike limbs and looks for a moment like he’s going to sink his teeth into it…but he’s not that brave. He merely holds it there, trying to make it an easier target for someone else. “Grrrrrrsomebody!”

Matheu spits another magic missile, which weaves around Dhaz’s body and slams into the creature without fail. The thing’s moan becomes a high-pitched screech…and then the whole thing begins to melt away…

Goran readies to rush the thing, but it's already dead.

And then you are left standing there, some of you merely sweaty, some of you feeling utterly soiled by the contact of those creatures. Dhaz and Grafth looks like they need new coats, but the stench of the slime that now covers the floor is the only means by which the creatures continue to offend.

Trust a dragon to finish off the fiends of Shavarath! [/color]Matheu announces, then flits back into the laboratory to check on Phorem.

Refresh!

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• Grafth’s attack: 1 + 3 +1 (Bless) = 5 (miss)
• Creature #4’s attack: 18 (2 damage to Grafth)
  [8]Creature #4’s attack of opportunity: 7 (miss)
  
• Pel’s attack = 9 + 3 +1 (Bless) = 13 (miss) no flanking bonus this time
  
• Streko’s attack = 15 + 3 +1 (Bless) = 19 / damage is 2 (all of which is absorbed)
  
• Dhaz’s melee touch attack to grapple: 16 (success)
  
• Dhaz’s grapple attempt: 23 (success)
  
• Matheu’s magic missile = 4 damage

Combat has ended!

[Josh]

"Are those Six-blessed things all gone? Are we safe?" The shifter looks around to see if anyone of his party is injured. "Matheu, what can we do for Phorem?"

After a moment, once Grafth can see that all the creatures have been vanquished, he takes a moment for selfish inspection- and grunts. "What a filthy mess," he says, removing his ripped and malodorous coat. "Faolán will tear me to pieces..."

[Joe]

Streko returns the sickle to his haversack and makes his way to the laboratory to tend to Phorem.

"Thank you, Matheu," he calls out as he enters the lab. "Your assistance was immeasurable. How is Phorem?"
_____________________________________

Status check on Phorem.

[Jeff]

Gurend's book has been knocked to the floor. There is spilled powder of some kind, and one of the legs of the table has cracked (but the whole thing hasn't fallen over yet). Matheu perches at the edge of the table.

Phorem, he says, Wake up, if you are able to. We need to know if you are well and what precisely just happened.

The old wizard groans and struggles to sit up. "That...that was not good at all. Is...is everyone else well?"

Seeing everyone else in good enough condition, Dhaz heads down the stairs to the lower level.

[Joe]

Seeing that Phorem is not in dire straits, Streko notices Grafth looking ratty and not a little the worse for wear.

Without a word, he steps up to the shifter and prays to Olladra, asking her for the strength and wisdom to heal his friend's wounds.

When he is satisfied that his healing arts have worked for his friend, Streko returns to the lab to check on Phorem.

[Jeff]

Streko's hands glow when he lays them upon Grafth; all of the livid wounds dealt by the creatures look less severe. Scabs form quickly around, and though Grafth still feels far from perfect, he no longer feels as filthy as those claws made him feel.

_______________________

Streko heals Grafth 3 hit points.

In Eberron, true clerics like Streko are quite uncommon; most healing is done by House Jorasco, and most priests are not spellcasters. Streko is both.

[Jeremy]

Goran will try and open a window or two, and light some candles near the stenchy pools of nastiness...to try and dispel the horrid smell, and just bring in some clearer air.

He asks, politely while he goes about this, to anyone who might know:

"What, may I ask, were those? And, well, do you think they were after us, or after you, good host?"

---

Goran will offer, if necessary, what healing he can offer to Phorem (magically speaking, of course)

[Jeff]

Goran is able to bring in a semblance of fresh air from the outside, but the scent is still thick in the air. Wherenever he walks by one of the slime puddles, the dagger in his hand flares brighter...and trace amounts of the slime burns away.

After a few minutes, Phorem manages to sit himself in his chair again. He acknowledges the questions posed to him but does nto yet answer, and politely waves away Goran's offer for healing. Leaning heavily upon the table, he stairs down at the book—Gurend's book—without touching it.

"This is...dangerous."

Matheu slinks onto the table and stares down at the open book. What did you find?

Phorem looks up at Pel. "Lady, this book is merely notations, designs, theory...for something much more devastating." He gestures to the broken remains of small ceramic bowls and the multicolored powder that had filled them. "I...traced out some patterns from the book, casting no spells. And...yet, somehow, the symbols alone were sufficient to summon the..."

The old mage inclines his head, looking out upon the noxious puddles of slime. "Lemures. The lowest order of fiends, but still too foul for this world. They are...the rank and file of the armies of Shavarath. Some would say they are damned souls, once mortal, now the lowliest of devils."

Matheu inclines his serpentine neck and looks to your group like a professor. Shavarath is one of the thirteen planes that revolve in a complex pattern around this, the material plane where the mythic dragons Eberron, Siberys, and Khyber formed the world. Shavarath is known as the Battleground, a vast realm where great armies wage war constantly. Lemures are among the least forms of infernal life in one of those armies, the armies of devils.

"Understand," Phorem adds, "that Shavarath is another reality, not merely some new physical realm, but a landscape not quite like our own. It is said that when Shavarath becomes coterminous with Eberron, that war is stronger here. But the planes are on vast tracks of their own; many, many years pass as they wax and wane like our own moons."

He looks back to the book. "I pray that this is your—our—enemies' only copy of such dangerous instructions. Summoning such Outsiders, even for a few seconds, should not be as easy as sketching out a pattern seen in a book. It is complex spellwork, under normal conditions."

[Joe]

"Well, this might be an over-simplification, but why not simply destroy this thing and be done with it? Take that dagger," Streko motions to the dagger in Goran's hand, "and cut the book to ribbons and then feed it to the flames. Such things should not even exist...and people who are willing to kill many innocent beings have gone to extraordinary lengths to attempt to retrieve it...and many have, indeed, already died in their futile attempts. I say end it...destroy the abomination...as soon as possible!"

[Jeremy]

Goran ponders the blade in his hand, nodding as Streko speaks.

"I agree with Streko, and his opinion in these matters carries more weight than my own, for this is not my expertise, this higher magic. But I will say that wisdom warns that to use or hold the weapons of such enemies is rarely to the benefit of the holder. It may be one thing to use your enemies' weapons against him, but now when your enemy is such as these."

He holds up the dagger.

"I think the Lady Korvine knew precisely what she was doing when she gave me this weapon. Clearly it is instrinsically valuable, but that would matter less to her than giving away such a formidable heirloom. More to the point, it seems now that she knew what we were up against and gave this to me, or to us, that we might be suitably armed. The blade seems to serve as warning, as well as weapon."

Goran looks at the book.

"I'd be willing to give it a try," he rolls the dagger in his fingers, "though I'd wager it won't be effortless as slicing a loaf of bread. It might be deadly to try."

[Lara]

Pel looks warily at t he dagger in Goran's hands.

"I would take Phorem's advice on what to do next, Goran. A magicked blade may damage the book, but it may not provide its wielder with any kind of protection."

She turns to Phorem. "I'm glad you are not hurt worse. Can you please explain what happened and how you think it best to proceed?"

[Josh]

Grafth thanks Streko for his aid, adding, "Do you have anything for coats as well?"

Listening to the conversation, Grafth feels severely out of his element, and is a bit overwhelmed by the noxious fumes rising from the Lemures' remains.

"I think I will check on Dhaz, see if he's injured." Grafth sets his shredded coat aside and goes to the lower level to see what the other shifter is up to.

[Joe]

Streko will cast a mending spell on Grafth's torn clothing.