Rise of the Runelords: The Skinsaw Murders, Part II [IC]

[Qazgir]

Evaro will offer to heal any injuries the party sustained in the fighting. Once the party has rested and searched the cavern Evaro will move towards the opening in the western wall and address the group, "does anyone need to make any last preparations? If not, let's move forward once more."

Spoiler: Action!

Show

If anyone wants healing, Evaro will shift 3 Essence from the Sprinter's Boots into Unicorn Feathering and use it to provide Fast Healing 14 (5+3*3) for 4 rounds for a total of 56 HP. Once everyone who wants healing has been healed, he will shift his essence back out of Unicorn Feathering into the Sprinter's Boots.

[lostsole31]

Nobody was actually wounded - beyond Evaro's current issues which his veil won't heal - and everyone just needed the time it took to search the massive sea chimney room to recover from any queasiness they had felt.

It's a very tight fit, but Evaro gets through the extremely tight wall to the west, while half of the party enters from the wider intersection to the south.

The western half of this foul-smelling cavern is heaped with bones, each scarred by the scraping of teeth. Most of the bones have been cracked open for the marrow within.

The party takes three minutes of searching in here with just a quick search, but finds nothing of interest.

What now?

[Qazgir]

Evaro wrinkles his nose at the smell, before gesturing that the party should continue forward through the western passage.

[lostsole31]

Azel corrects the half-giant. "Do you mean the door on the western wall in the bigger cavern outside this one?"

She guides the party out of that rocky smaller cave back into the cave where the sea chimney is. She and Aubrine both carefully check that curious door, the one piece of artifice in most of this place (despite artificially widened passages and a broken pickaxe where lay the yellow mold), though even then it is strange for it is a stone door. The two As do not sense any danger, so Azel backs out while Huseina comes up with torch in hand to assist Aubrine. Good thing, too, for it is a high-quality lock, and Aubrine appreciates the help Huseina gives to spring it successfully. They open the door carefully, though just beyond the door is a curving passage heading west.

Evaro, do you take point again, with Torviruv as your light-bearer behind you?

[Qazgir]

Evaro moves to the head of the group, and move forward once everyone appears ready.

[lostsole31]

The air in this damp cavern reeks of a horrific stench—a foul combination of decay, brine, and mold. The cave contains a rickety table, its damp surface cluttered with all manner of what appears to be garbage: empty bottles, bits of clothing, crumpled bits of paper, and more, lying in neatly organized rows. A painting leans against the far side of the table, facing a large leather chair that sits nearby. This chair’s high back and cushion are horribly stained by smears of rotten meat and its arms are sticky with blood. A smaller table sits against the southern wall, its surface heaped with plates and platters of rotten, maggot-infested meat. The horrific stench of the room seems strongest to the west, where the cave’s wall has been overtaken by a horrific growth of dark green mold and dripping fungi. At the center, a patch of black tumescent fungus grows, its horny ridges and tumor-like bulbs forming what could almost be taken to be a humanoid outline. What appears to have once been an exquisite puzzle box the size of a man’s fist lies smashed on the ground at the fungoid shape’s feet.

There is a man sitting in the chair - a once-handsome and cultured nobleman - whose form is ruined by a wasting effect. He sits in control as the party starts to pile in, his eyes wide in a mixture of fear and delight, but when he sees Huseina, he staggers to his feet and hisses to her, “You live! Well and good, for now I shall have the reward of tasting your heart while it is yet warm…”

Begin Round One ...

R1T26: Evaro, you were prepared for violence seconds before the seeming change to this man's demeanor. You are still suffering the 3 CON damage, but barkskin is still active on you. What do you do? Before anything else, though, roll a Fort save, then declare your intended actions.

[Qazgir]

Evaro steels himself against any lingering weakness, recreates his doubles, and drawing on the magic of his boots, dashes behind the figure and strikes three times with supernatural speed.

Spoiler: Action!

Show

Fort Save: (1d20+11)[16] spending 1 grit for +4, included in the roll.

Swift Action: Activate Infinity Mirror Stance generating (1d4+2)[6] images.

Free Action: Activate the Sprinter's Boots to move 15' W and 10' S, to end up on the opposite side of the enemy.

Full Round Action: Full attack the enemy with the Haste from the Sprinter's Boots.

Attack 1: (1d20+14)[24]
Trip Attempt: (1d20+17)[33] (I think I've tallied the bonuses correctly here: +3 hardlight, +4 deft + greater trip, +1 haste)
Attack 3: (1d20+14)[23]

If the Trip is Successful, it provokes an AoO: (1d20+14)[17]

Damage 1: [roll]3d6+3d4+19[/roll]
Damage 2: [roll]3d6+3d4+19[/roll]
AoO Damage 3: [roll]3d6+3d4+19[/roll]

On the first attack that hits, if any do, activate Stunning Fist to force a DC 19 Fort Save vs Stunned for 1 round.

[lostsole31]

R1T26: Evaro steels himself against any lingering weakness, but finds that even bringing his focus to bear the stench is overbearing (sickened). Drawing on the magic of his boots, he dashes over the couch - as the man snaps at him with a distending jaw and nasty bite - and gets behind the figure. Continuing with supernatural speed, Evaro strikes three times. His first attack catches the man on the upper left arm for 32, but doesn't appear to stun him. As the force of the blow throws him forward, Evaro uses that motion to trip the noble and slams Peacekeeper into his left hand for 31. He then gets a powerful draw cut on the undead's back left knee for 44.

R1T21: Torviruv steps down a few feet so that furniture doesn't block his sight line. He says a quiet prayer to himself and then thrusts out the torch's end like stabbing with a sword, and a blast of flame lances out to strike the noble in the lower arm and chest ... causing the noble to spontaneously combust and turn to ash like previous undead.

Combat Ends!

[Qazgir]

Evaro will grimace and retch, before taking a deep breath and speaking, "Huseina, if you're comfortable answering, was this man someone who knew you, or was he merely rambling?"

[lostsole31]

"He was looking all wratched," says Huseina. "But he looks really similar to a living man I met in Magnimar once ... Aldern, something. I didn't really interact with him much. He seemed charming, but he was some out-of-town noble-OHHHH, crap. His name was Aldern Foxglove," she suddenly remembers. "Wait, what?! Why was he ... I barely even remembered him."

[Qazgir]

"Well, you must have made quite the impression, for him to remember you in that state," Evaro says, "let's hope it was an unfortunate coincidence and continue forward."