Altogether [IC]

[BelGareth]

Cur slithers up the stairs as you all enter the buildings first floor, and you all feel his telepathic communication stop.

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Laird, we'll continue in a private chat in discord.

What does everyone else do?

[Olive_Sophia]

The invisible Endymia waited in the lower room with the others, poring over its contents in the meantime. With its robust frame and polished floors, this was the nicest building in the entire village - and as was often the case, the nicest hall was set to official purposes. This was nothing less than a war room. The armor and weaponry was abundant; each tapestry gloried in the conquests of battle. This was undoubtedly the heart of the hobgoblin command. That meant their mark had been here. Endymia flashed an unseen smile at the thought. Another quick success with the petals deserved a luxurious payout, and enough time to enjoy it, too. The idea of penetrating the camp had seemed so unlikely a few hours ago, but Sergeant Hackford had turned out to be worth his salt after all. With that help, they had found just about the right angle to execute the captain.

But it was strange that the war room was so empty. Passing strange. True, it was very late- but you would expect the leader to be guarded at all times. <"It looks like he may not be here,"> Endymia posited. <"Perhaps another expedition? But then I don't think he could have gone far..."> She took a moment to look over the map on the planning table, taking a mental note of any marked locations. Troop locations, other war camps, or planned attacks. All of that information might be valuable once she made it out of here.

<"How long do we plan to leave Cur alone up there? I've half a mind to go after him."> Perhaps she was being a little hasty, but this wasn't the time to leave stones unturned.

[Cygnia]

<One minute -- if that.> Tommasia was resisting the urge to rush in up after Cur as Snake. <Evindal, do you have any Detect Magic left? See if there's any aura above us we should be aware of? Meanwhile, if we could snag those documents on troop movements and the like, those could prove to be useful to find out what the enemy is planning next...>

[rypt]

Pilgrim looks to the staircase the moment Cur's telepathic connection is severed. <"Is the snake capable of defending itself?"> he asks of the others.

When Evindal is asked to check for auras, Pilgrim conveys, <"I am able to cast the spell if he is not.">

Spoiler: OOC

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If Evindal is unable to cast detect magic, Pilgrim will do so.

[BelGareth]

Casting the spell and focusing on the stairs upwards, you definitely detect a large aura of magical energy.

[Ilerien]

Evindal (invisibly) nodded, then scolwled (also invisibly) and responded.

<I do. I'll try to my best to make its verbal formula as soft as possible.>

Spoiler: OOC

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Ffs, I'm again too slow. Let's say Evindal cast it because he had it. :) Sorry.
Spellcraft check to determine the school: (1d20+21)[24]

<There is a pretty impressive sized aura upstairs.>

[Auranghzeb]

Cervena moves ahead to the second floor shortly after Cur, she needed to put some distance from her sister, whose stench

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welcome back Sista

cluttered her sensors for evil.
Grab the documents, I'll provide Cur with support.

[BelGareth]

Cervena likewise ascends the stairs, and you all feel her telepathic communication stop.

Spoiler: Cervena

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We'll continue in discord

[Olive_Sophia]

<"Not without me you don't!"> came Endymia's thought over the telepathic channel. A moment later she hurried up after her sister. She had a bad feeling about whatever was going on up there. The fate of their mission could even depend on it. She wasn't the type to sit back and see how things played out. The paladin steeled her resolve and headed in to find out...

[rypt]

Pilgrim begins to move toward the table only to stop mid-stride as the white-haired woman dashes by. He turns his head to follow her as she hurries up the stairs. The warforged had assumed the brown-haired woman to be in charge of the others. For a moment he wonders if this action in contravention of her order would constitute insubordination. He then moves the rest of the way to the table and begins gathering loose documents into an orderly stack. If there is a scroll tube on the table, he will roll up the documents and place them inside it. Otherwise, he will roll them up and slide them into a bag on his lower back. Once finished, he looks back and forth between the black-haired woman and the elf, uncertain which one is now in charge.

[Ilerien]

Evindal's next broadcasted thought came with a clear mental sigh.

<So much for following a reasonable plan of infiltration. I suppose the dweomer I'm observing is the one interfering with our connection. If I were designing elaborate arcane defences, I would've included something more lethal further in to dispose of anyone doing reconnaisance. No reason to expect whoever warded this are to be less savvy. As we can't afford losing half the group to an ambush, we're following them upstairs.>

The elf muttered an incantation and made a circular gesture, followed by an abrupt swish.

Spoiler: OOC

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Shield on himself.

[Cygnia]

Tommasia was about ready to thank Pilgrim for grabbing the documents when--

<OH FOR BLOODY ****'S SAKE!!!>

--yet ANOTHER member of their group decided to charge upstairs pell mell without thinking. Cur was the scout, fine. Cervena following after to check on him, fair. But as soon as both telepathic connections had been severed....

<Evindal, we need to know more about that aura!> No one had yelled or screamed as far as they knew. Some sort of Silence field would conflict with Anti-Magic normally. A cold rock formed in Tommasia's gut. She remembered hearing a story in the taverns about a party of hot-headed adventures who had hired a guide to a so-called "lost" temple where fabulous treasure could be found. Every member of that party decided to crawl into the mouth of an odd tunnel that just happened to be a Sphere of Annihilation.

Except the guide, who had conned idiots like that before. And came out of the temple several hundred gold richer.

A few more seconds to get the information...that's what Tommasia needed.

[Ilerien]

The elf closed his eyes a moment.

<Determining its school isn't worth the delay anymore. For now, my friend, I'm asking you to put your trust in my judgment. Let's go find the others.>

[Cygnia]

<I just pray we're not all rushing to stick our heads in the noose with them...> To say Tommasia didn't like the idea would have been an understatement. But, still invisible, she pulled out her greatsword and activated her Eternal Wand of Bull's Strength on herself. <Into the abyss, I guess...>

Spoiler: Action

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Activating Bull's Strength for 3 minutes

[BelGareth]

As Pilgrim, Tommasia, Evindal, and Endymia ascend the stairs to join their companions, the atmosphere grows increasingly tense, the air heavy with anticipation. As they step into the upper chamber, they are enveloped by an impenetrable darkness, the magical smoke swirling around them like a sinister cloak.

Despite their best efforts to maintain their composure, a creeping sense of unease begins to gnaw at their senses. The darkness seems to press in on all sides, obscuring their vision and filling them with a sense of foreboding.

Suddenly, from the depths of the darkness, grotesque shapes emerge, their outlines barely visible in the dim light. The air is thick with the stench of evil, a palpable presence that chills them to the bone.

As they stand in the midst of this nightmarish tableau, a primal fear grips their hearts, threatening to overwhelm their senses. With each passing moment, the darkness seems to close in tighter, suffocating them with its oppressive weight.

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https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

You have been placed on the map.

Everything is completely dark DC 23 spellcraft check to identify the affect as a Deeper Darkness spell

Evindal, Endymia, Pilgrim and Tommasia please roll Init, you will join after the bad guys go, depending on your results. You also need to roll two will saves vs a Fear affect. DC 18, failure means you are shaken.

Initiative
Cur can act, then Evindal, and Endymia
then we'll go top of the round

As you all join the others, you may not be able to see them, but your telepathic connection has been restored, and so you can hear the telepathic fear and grunts from Cur and Cervena of being attacked by some unseen foe.

Each one is subject to an attack from the unseen Samurai's, they suddenly appear out of the smoke, sinister masks, and swirling smoke, tetsubō's held high, smashing down with incredible force. Each one vanished just as quick as they appeared.

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Attack vs Cur:
Crit attack hit, take 25 bludgeoning/magical damage, and go prone from being knocked down and pushed back 5ft by the crit.

Attack vs Cervena:
Hit AC 27, for 11 bludgeoning/magical damage

[LairdMaon]

Cur stands back up moments after feeling the telepathic connection re-engage and bellows through it, "Hug the walls! There are two guards and the general in here! I'm moving close to the center of the room, use me as a target if you need to."

With his feet under him once again, the four-armed steel beast strides forward.

Spoiler: ooc

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Standing from Prone and then moving to N10, N11, O10, O11

[BelGareth]

As you move across the room, a ghostly testubo comes flying through the mists to smack you in the chest. Take 10 bludgeoning/magical damage

[Auranghzeb]

Cervena took the hit, it was the creature's mistake. Now its scent and location were much clearer to the huntress. She manifested a power that delved with speed and movement, focusing her senses into a swift moment. She stepped forwards and slashed blindly into the darkness, hoping

Spoiler: Actions

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Swift: Hustle to use the extra movement action to locate evil.
5'step and full attack the darkness... -2 form grudge keeper.

Kurkis are Force in case it matters.

[roll] 1d20+16[/roll] miss chance >50%(1d100)[70] [damage (1d4+11)[13]
[roll] 1d20+16[/roll] miss chance >50%(1d100)[64] [damage (1d4+11)[12]

[roll] 1d20+11[/roll] miss chance >50%(1d100)[63] [damage (1d4+11)[12]

[Ilerien]

<This is a particularly insidious darkness spell. Pilgrim, if you have means to dispel it, please, be my guest.> - came the thought of the mage seemingly unfazed by the situation. <Cur, I have an old reliable fireball prepared. Tell me when to unleash it and what sound to watch for, please. Now let's see if our enemy can be inconvenienced in the same way.>

An incantation in Evindal's voice resounded from the darkness engulfing the stairs, and thick mist has become to expand in all directions.

Spoiler: OOC

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Move action: move to J10.
Standard action: obscuring mist as beguiler. 20ft radius spread from JK1011 intersection. Might kill his invisibility if there's an affected enemy in the immediate area.
Swift action: abrupt jaunt back to H9.

Spoiler: Statblock

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Evindal Cairen
Male grey elf beguiler 2 / wizard 3 / ultimate magus 4
N Medium humanoid (elf)
Init 8, Senses low-light vision, Listen 3, Spot 3
HP 57/49 (9 HD), Speed 30 ft
AC 26, Touch 16, Flat-footed 22 (+4 Dex, +6 armor, +2 deflection, +4 shield)
Fort 8, Ref 10, Will 9, BAB 4, Grapple -2
Melee dagger +3 (1d4-2/19-20)
Ranged acidic splatter (Su) ranged touch +9 (4d6 acid) range 20 ft / hand crossbow +9 (1d4/19-20)
Abilities Str 6, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 24, Wis 8, Cha 12
Spellcasting wizard CL 9th DC 17+, beguiler CL 10th DC 17+ (+1 CL [Acid], +1 DC Conj, +1 DC vs flat-footed)
Conditions & effects see invisibility, greater mage armor, shield, heroes' feast

[rypt]

Spoiler: Rolls

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Prilgrim's Initiative: (d20+2)[7]
Will save #1 vs DC 18: (d20+7)[11] (add +1 if vs. a spell or spell-like-ability)
Will save #2 vs DC 18: (d20+7)[11] (add +1 if vs. a spell or spell-like-ability)

Spellcraft vs DC 23: (d20+18)[29]

[Olive_Sophia]

The situation upstairs was quite a bit worse than Endymia was anticipating. It was pitch dark and already enemies were upon them. Cervena took a hit to her left, and the others reached back out through telepathy to confirm that the threat was dire. 'I can't see a damn thing in here,' she thought. 'But at least we've found our mark.' Still invisible, she took a step to the right and steeled herself for battle. With a silent invocation, the power of the dragon goddess began to flow through her again - empowering her muscles and bones to withstand more than mortal strain. And she called forth still more evil energies, infusing her body with a pestilential malice. She was intending to find one of her targets, and to unleash that wicked power on them when she did.

Spoiler: OOC

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Endymia takes a 5ft step south
Swift Action: She activates Strength Devotion
Standard Action: She activates Cause Disease, holding the charge. The disease chosen is Blinding Sickness. Fort Save DC 18

[rypt]

<"I am unable to dispel or otherwise counteract the darkness,"> Pilgrim responds. <"Rather than fight within it, should an enemy draw near, I intend to break the floor beneath its feet.">

At that, the warforged invokes a spell of quickening as he steps forward into the room. Spinning a twin-headed warhammer within his hand, he waits for an enemy to brave the fog.

Spoiler: OOC

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Swift action: Cast haste. It's not clear to me if Pilgrim can target adjacent allies within the fog and darkness, but if he can, he will also target Tommasia and Evindal. 8 round duration.

Move action: Move east to K10.

Standard action: Ready an action to attack the floor beneath an adjacent foe should he be attacked by or otherwise discern an adjacent enemy. Weapon is adamantine and ignores hardness less than 20.

Attack (2-handed grip, power attack for -3/+6): (d20+9)[16]
Damage: (3d6+12)[19] plus 1 fire damage

[BelGareth]

Evindal casts a spell to cover the area in a thick fog hoping it will cause the same issues the group is experiencing for their foes, while Endymia casts her own spells, ready for the foes to appear. Pilgrim also readies an attack, while Cervena attacks the darkness, and Tommasia casts her own spell, increasing her strength.

Round 1
It is Cur who suddenly feels the wrath of the evil Samurai, though they do not look like it now. As the oppressive darkness envelops the room, rendering everyone effectively blind, an unsettling sound begins to rise from the shadows. The air fills with the guttural growls and snarls of unseen assailants, each noise sending shivers down the spines of the adventurers.

Suddenly, from the depths of the blackness, two towering figures emerge, their monstrous forms barely discernible in the gloom. Where their heads should be, gaping maws stretch wide, filled with jagged teeth that glisten with saliva. These nightmarish creatures stand between 8 and 9 feet tall, their powerfully muscled bodies exuding an aura of raw, primal ferocity.

Wielding enormous tetsubos, the monsters advance with relentless aggression, their every step causing the floorboards to creak and groan under their immense weight. The air is thick with the stench of evil, and the oppressive atmosphere seems to close in tighter with each passing moment.

The adventurers can hear the heavy, labored breathing of the monstrous fiends, the scraping of the tetsubos against the floor as they prepare to strike. Despite their blindness, the sheer presence of these abominations is enough to send waves of terror coursing through the hearts of those who stand before them.

They appear before Cur in a blur, savagely attacking the warforged, before vanishing into the darkness once more as if they were made of the darkness.

Spoiler

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This is going to hurt...

Bad guy 1:
Attack 1 - (1d20+17)[25]
Damage - (2d8+8)[19]

Attack 2 - (1d20+12)[25]
Damage - (2d8+8)[11]

Slam 1 - (1d20+16)[32]
Damage - (1d8+7)[13]

Slam 2 - (1d20+16)[36]
Damage - (1d8+7)[14]

Bite 1 - (1d20+11)[17]
Damage - (2d6+3)[9]
If hit, opposed Grapple Grapple - (1d20+21)[24], if successful take an additional Damage - (2d6+3)[15]

Bad guy 2:
Attack 1 - (1d20+17)[24]
Damage - (2d8+8)[23]

Attack 2 - (1d20+12)[25]
Damage - (2d8+8)[20]

Slam 1 - (1d20+16)[17]
Damage - (1d8+7)[10]

Slam 2 - (1d20+16)[28]
Damage - (1d8+7)[14]

Bite 1 - (1d20+11)[15]
Damage - (2d6+3)[9]
If hit, opposed Grapple Grapple - (1d20+21)[38], if successful take an additional Damage - (2d6+3)[8]

Both vanish into the darkness regardless of grapple results.

map

[LairdMaon]

The moment the first strike lands on Cur, he bellows "NOW!"

As the following hits land, the steel beast stumbles. Staggering under the abuse, he finally falls to the floor, supported by his four large arms, until his torso caves in.

The inert body has been rendered unable to sustain Cur's life any longer.

[Auranghzeb]

Cervena is out of her witt as she feels Cur's psyche going away. The time was for desperate measures. She knelt and manifested a power augmenting it to the maximum she tried to make the whole ground of the floor in a cone in front of her time hop into the future.

Spoiler: ooc

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Manifesting an augmented time hop up to lvl 9 so augmenting it 4 times to affect 300x4 lbs of an object and time hoping the floor in front of her.

[BelGareth]

As Cur crumples to the floor, his life powering the artificial body he inhabited slowly blinked out. Cervena cries out in dismay, and calls upon one her more powerful abilities in a flash of insight. She places her hand on the floor, and then manifests her power. The floor suddenly becomes a shimmering mist, you can all suddenly see the snarling headless monsters standing in the shadows, flashes only, as the floor turns to mist, and then...vanishes altogether.

In a moment, everything on it paused, as if gravity had no affect on them, but it just needed to catch up. With a crash, everything falls, wood creaks and snaps, benches tumble, monsters fall, and Pilgrim drops like a stone. You can hear the monsters grunt, but the best part of all this chaos, was you could finally see them, albeit, they were down a floor lying in a wreckage, and it illumination was strained at best.

Spoiler

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Bad guys and Pilgrim each take Bludgeoning - (2d6)[9] as they fall and are bludgeoned. You are also prone in difficult terrain.

still have 20% miss chance, but you can see them now.

Spoiler: k.the planes DC 25

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These are both Kamu no Oni's
Large, brutish warriors of the shadowlands, they use their large mouths to grab foes and eat them
(not enough to look them up)

If you get higher than 25, I'll add info

[Cygnia]

Seeing -- feeling! -- a warrior like Cur fall lifelessly by the unseen enemy was like a cold fist to Tommasia's gut. The urge to rush in for a suicide charge tore at her, wanting to avenge her squadron member...

...then Cervena did something. And the floor suddenly vanished...

...

...

...

...demons? Giants? Some unholy crossbreed? Just what the hell are the hobgoblins involved with?! No time to figure out what they were. Tommasia could now see them. Which means she could curse them...

Tommasia gestured towards one of the fiendish samurai now on the floor below and spat out the word of power, feverishly praying that the curse would take effect.

Spoiler: Actions

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Move to H6
Activating Greater Hexblade Curse on Oni2 (DC 21 Will save, -5 to all rolls if failed)

[Olive_Sophia]

Several loud clangs pierced the darkness ahead. And then, of a sudden, the floor gave out underneath their enemies with a crash! The darkness finally thinned, and down below Endymia could finally see what they were up against. Two large, demonic looking monsters were on the ground down below. Their grotesque and unnatural figures were at once disturbing, like something out of her nightmares. But somehow the paladin was able to keep her edge -- until she saw what else was on the floor below. Huge metallic muscles strewn among a pile of scrap - it was Cur - or what was left of him. Endymia was shocked to her core at the sight. She had seen him in that form once before, in the battle against the ogres. It was difficult to accept that these creatures had destroyed him in a matter of seconds.

She didn't realize who cast the spell which had thrown down their opponents to the first floor in that moment. She had been meaning to thank them, but now that thought was far away - replaced with uncompromising feelings of vengeance. Endymia went back down the stairs and into the room below, still invisible. Perching up next to the stairwell's entrance, she was ready to spring on either creature if it dared to try and come back this way.

Spoiler: OOC

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Move Action: Endymia moves to I22
Standard Action: Endymia readies an action to Bite any enemy that comes within 10 feet of her.

Spoiler: STAT BLOCK

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Endymia Sucourte
Female CE Human (Azurin) Paladin of Slaughter 9, Level 9, HP 101/92, Speed 30ft
AC 18, Touch 9, Flat-footed 18, Fort 14, Ref 7, Will 9, Base Attack Bonus 9
Conditions:
Heroes Feast: +9 temp HP, + 1 attack (morale), +1 will (morale)
Invisibility: Visually undetectable, 50% miss chance, +2 to attacks and ignores dex bonus to AC

[Ilerien]

Cur!..

Evindal's silhouette emerged from the mist just in time to see Cervena... just making half of the floor in the room disappear without a trace. Two mostrous creatures were visible at last, fallen to the floor below, wambling and trying to stand up. What even are these things?

Tommasia uttered a familiar word and pointed at the nearest creature. They performed the same trick on more than one occasion. Tommasia's curse, a curious edge of her unusual arcane talent, made whoever affected ever so slower, weaker, less resilient. And more susceptible to his own arcane arsenal.

- I still have one dimension door left. If all of this goes down the drain, I'll try my best to bail us out, - he whispered and rushed closer to the edge of the chasm, frantically searching for something int the pouch on his belt. Finally he retrieved an egg and started reciting an incantation that ended on a solemn note. He crushed the egg in his fingers and exhaled - and another cloud of the same grey mist (or so it looked like) has begun to spread forward, somewhat clinging to the wall.

<Don't step into the mist along the outer wall on the first floor. It's awfully putrid.>

Spoiler: OOC

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Move action: move to J5
Standard action: cast sculpted cloud of bewilderment and place 4 10x10 cubes along the northern wall so it leaves space for someone of medium size to squeeze through, but a large creature won't be able to. The monster #2 is immediately affected. Fort save DC 21, failure means nauseated as long as the creature is in the cloud and for 1d4+1 rounds thereafter. The cloud effect lasts for 9 rounds. Evindal loses his invisibility.
If something attacks him, he'll use his immediate action to abrupt jaunt out of harm's way.

Spoiler: Statblock

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Evindal Cairen
Male grey elf beguiler 2 / wizard 3 / ultimate magus 4
N Medium humanoid (elf)
Init 8, Senses low-light vision, Listen 3, Spot 3
HP 57/49 (9 HD), Speed 60 ft
AC 27, Touch 17, Flat-footed 22 (+4 Dex, +6 armor, +2 deflection, +4 shield, +1 dodge)
Fort 8, Ref 11, Will 9, BAB 4, Grapple -2
Melee dagger +4 (1d4-2/19-20)
Ranged acidic splatter (Su) ranged touch +10 (4d6 acid) range 20 ft / hand crossbow +10 (1d4/19-20)
Abilities Str 6, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 24, Wis 8, Cha 12
Spellcasting wizard CL 9th DC 17+, beguiler CL 10th DC 17+ (+1 CL [Acid], +1 DC Conj, +1 DC vs flat-footed)
Conditions & effects see invisibility, greater mage armor, shield, heroes' feast, haste

[rypt]

For the second time tonight, Pilgrim pulls himself from a pile of debris, his immense metal form rising from a crater-like hole in the wooden floor of the building.

<"I do not see the enemy. Only--"> The thought ends abruptly as the warforged steps forward, drawing closer to Cur's body and glimpsing for the first time the Petal's true form. For a moment, all the seams and joints on Pilgrim's body glow softly red, as though his metal plating was but the vessel for a flame that had suddenly roared to life and then extinguished. <"The snake was forgeborn?">

Spoiler: OOC

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Move action: Stand from prone.

Standard action: Move to where Cur's body fell.

I believe Pilgrim is still invisible? I'm not sure if the fall has any effect there. In any case, he remains shaken. Attacks against him suffer a 30% miss chance from Blurred Alacrity.