Rissada - Session 14

After a short excursion into the depths of the Stronghold, the party encountered a pair of summoners from the Thaumaturge's Guild. Luckily, these two listened to reason, and one of them joined the party's cause, while the other left to pursue the truth on her own.
After a brief rest, expending the last of the herbs provided by Tharrius, the party awakens feeling refreshed.

Engir yawns, gathering his gear together.
Engir: "Mmm, hopefully we won't need any more breaks."
Astrid sits on the side of the bed, then moving to the corner of the room.
Astrid: "Engir, I noticed you had some chalk on you, think you could spare me any?"
Engir: "Yeah, I have a few sticks."
Nalzij: "Do you have some idea?"
Engir digs out two sticks of chalk to pass to Astrid.
Astrid: "Thanks."
Astrid tilts her head to Nalzij, kneeling.
Astrid: "Wait and see."
Dahlia stretches as she wakes.
Astrid begins drawing a pentagram on the floor, chanting under her breath.
Pitch yawns and rolls out of bed, falling on the floor.
Pitch: "Argh!"
Engir: "I'm not exactly one for surprises, but it's good to know we have someone handy with a writing impl...."
Nalzij scowls at Pitch.
After analyzing the circle, Engir lets out a breath.
Pitch: "...If I remember rightly, Pentagrams are for demons."
Engir: "Ah, I think I get it."
Anarod: "Talk about morning funtime activities."
Engir: "And don't forget there was a pentagram with skullface in the cave."
"Pentagrams are for all sorts."
Astrid nods to Engir, trying not to get distracted from her ritual..
Nalzij: "That wasn't exactly a good thing either, but I'll trust you on this one."
Engir: "I think we're alright. Curious if it'll be the same as before or something new, though."
A rift appears on the design on the ground, and a bestial claw appears from it, gripping onto solid ground.
Gespenst emerges from the rune, bathed in a harsh light.
Astrid: "Welcome back."
Engir: "So can you summon different beings, or is it always the wolf?"
Gespenst: "The pleasure is mine, Mistress."
Engir: "Hm, perhaps I'm being rude by addressing your partner as an 'it'."
Astrid: "Oh, I can summon several things, only one at a time though."
"He technically is, despite the masculine appearance."
Nalzij: "So that's how it works..."
Dahlia: "The... spell? Seems much longer lasting than what I can do"
Engir: "Interesting."
Astrid: "The bond we share lasts along as I remain conscious."
"Heh, our relationship is quite...symbiotic, I suppose."
"Now...we have important matters to discuss."
"I think it may be wise to talk as we go along, time is short."
Engir: "Indeed."
Dahlia: "Aye."
Anarod: "Sure, let's roll then."
Gespenst shifts the bed away from the door with his large paws.
Pitch: "Gyuh...suuure.."
Pitch rubs his temples as he gets off the floor, waking up.
Nalzij: "Not a morning person, Pitch?"
Anarod: "Let me do my quick prep work."
Anarod summons a thin sheet of water which envelops him, and then crystallizes into solid crystal clear ice plates all over his body.
Pitch: "Nah, never was."
"Guess it's to the -yawn- fortress thingie, take down Sirius."
Engir: "Alright, Pitch, lead the way."
"I don't want to be mauled by wolves again."
Pitch: "Ayeaye, captain."

The corpse of the gargoyle still lays there, its body becoming more stonelike as it 'decays'.
Nalzij: "Anything more we should know about down here, Astrid?"
Astrid approaches the beast, looking almost saddened.
Astrid: "Hmm, depends what you want to know."
"I can give a brief overview to you all."
Anarod: "We're going in there and are probably gonna have to fight with everything we run in."
"So I'm thinking we want to know -everything-"
Astrid: "Indeed..."
Nalzij: "To start with, not everyone here is involved in what Sirius has been doing?"
The area seems almost ominously hollow, the wide empty space serving only to accentuate the occasional gargoyle's screech in the distance.
Astrid: "No, many members of the guild are unaware of Sirius' actions."
Dahlia: "Sounds like there's more of those beasts..."
"Any ideas of how many?"
Astrid: "These ruins are built like a labyrinth; we best tread with caution."
"We should find Sirius and Teri--my sister somewhere at the centre, I believe."
Engir: "Well, then. Let's pick a side and follow it."
Astrid: "My sister went this way, I think it's best we follow suit."
Astrid removes her wand from its sheath, turning to Gespenst. [Shield]
Gespenst begins to radiate a pale green aura.
Engir: "Hold up, Pitch."
"There's a door right here."
Pitch: "Aha, so there be!"
Nalzij: "May as well check here first."
Astrid approaches the door, closing her eyes in thought. [Detect Evil]
Nalzij looks at Astrid uneasily, watching for anything unusual.
Anarod: "So does it look like there's anything over there?"
Pitch: "I'm not hearin' anything."
Astrid: "No, it's safe. Worth having a look inside, I suppose."
Gespenst stands vigilant at the rear, gazing across the chasm.
Pitch opens the door cautiously.

The inside of the room looks like it has been heavily rummaged through. Desks with papers seem messed up, and it appears whoever was here last left in a hurry.
A strange design marks a tile on the floor, and it appears rather conspicuous.
Engir: "Tch, bet they took the important stuff."
Astrid: "(Terita...?)"
Dahlia: "Is it a rune, like the one you used to summon your wolf?" she asks Astrid.
Nalzij: "Looks like they might not have had time to take all the important stuff."
Astrid glances over the desk, turning back to Dahlia.
Nalzij looks through the papers on the desk.
Engir: "Mmm, sigil doesn't ring any bells."
Astrid: "Hmm."
Gespenst leans his back against the door frame, watching intently.
Engir: "Anyone want to test those chests in the corners?"
Dahlia: "Sure."
Nalzij: "Doesn't look like anything interesting over here."
Nalzij picks up the fallen paper to read it.
Engir leafs through the titles of some of the scattered papers.
Astrid crouches in front of the rune, her jacket touching her floor.
Dahlia spends time examining the chests, looking for any traps
Astrid: "Engir, do any of those papers contain this symbol?"
Engir: "Good thinking."
Astrid: "I recall seeing them in some Thaumaturge texts, although I don't recall their significance."
Dahlia: "Okay, chests are safe... Now."
Nalzij: "Astrid. This may be of some importance to you."
Engir extends his search from simply 'titles' to 'titles and this sigil'.
Nalzij gives the paper to Astrid.
Astrid: "Ah...?"
Dahlia gets up from her works to examine the contents.
Nalzij: "I'm not sure they would bother with traps down here, it wasn't easy to get this far."
Astrid: "Ah...F-Father..."
Engir pockets his papers.
Engir: "Hmm, is it about the former guildmaster?"
Astrid: "Yes, an excerpt from his journal."
Astrid reads through the paper more thoroughly.
Dahlia: "Nothing much in these so far..."
Astrid folds the paper up, pocketing it.
Nalzij: "If there's nothing important here, we should try the other direction."
Engir: "The chests, first."
Astrid: "Thank you, Nalzij. I just wonder why this would be left lying around so openly..."
Nalzij: "Maybe your sister dropped it?"
Dahlia: "Ledgers... And a small satchel."
Engir: "Ledgers?"
Dahlia pulls out a small leather bag, opening it to check its contents.
Engir steps over, extending a hand.
Dahlia hands Engir the ledgers.
Engir pushes some space over on the table and skims to see what each one is about.
Pitch sits down by one of the walls, waiting.
"Just a few minor gems, it looks like..." Dahlia mumbles, taking one out.
Astrid: "Gespenst, come here a second, please?"
Gespenst: "Something the matter, Mistress?"
Astrid: "No, well...yes, I'll tell you later. But first..."
Astrid gestures around Gespenst with one hand, incanting a spell. [Mage Armour]
Gespenst: "Ah, Mistress, you're too kind."
Engir: "Yeah, seems this was all tracking the costs of maintaining a small army of spellcasters."
"Spell components, material costs and what have you."
Dahlia puts the gem back, closing the satchel for now.
Dahlia: "Should we start moving again?"
Engir closes the ledgers with a satisfying thump.
Nalzij: "Can you figure out any places they would have gone for supplies?"
Engir: "Imported from Rissada."
"Most of the documents are about this kind of thing. Maybe of interest to myself or Tharrius, but not really helpful."
Astrid: "(Sister, please be safe...)"
Nalzij: "Better than nothing, at least."
Anarod: "So shouldn't that give us an inkling of the size of what we're dealing with then?"
"It's sort of astonishing to me we haven't heard a number yet for how many people are in this goddamn guild."
Engir: "I couldn't find anything on people transit, I'm afraid."
Astrid: "You seem to say that as if it were a surprise, Anarod? The guild has had great influence for generations."
Pitch: "So, are we done here?"
Nalzij: "Good thing this place is built like it is, numbers shouldn't give them as much of an advantage."
Anarod: "I'm sure it has, I'm just wondering how people have no idea of even a rough number of mages hanging out here!"
Nalzij: "Now that looks suspicious to me."
Anarod: "Like, not even an order of magnitude! Nothing!"
Astrid: "Pitch, tread with caution."
Pitch: "Um, guys?"
Anarod: "Surely if you've hung around here for a decent while you could tell me if it's closer to, say, 20 dudes or 100 dudes or 500 dudes?!"
Pitch: "There's something....bad, to our left, I can just make it out."

The party sees a chest on a small circular dais, The back ends in a wall, but you can see a ledge on top of the wall.
Engir adjusts his senses for magical auras.
Engir: "There's definitely something magical about the chest."
Astrid: "Hmph."
Nalzij: "Reckon it's worth going for?"
Pitch: "I vote no."
Dahlia: "Maybe... I'm fairly decent with traps... mechanical ones at least."
Astrid stares intently at the figures around the chest.
Engir: "We could try and push the bones off, first."
Astrid: "I'd prefer to move on, my sister's life is hanging in the balance..."
Pitch: "Knowing this place, those are likely some sort of skeleton evil enemy trap. or the chest kills us, or something."
Engir: "True, we already spent an hour."
Astrid: "But if you insist, I won't object."
Nalzij: "If nothing else, the gargoyles might be guarding it."
Engir: "Mmm, nothing I read was about setting traps."
Astrid: "Aren't the bones enough of an indication, anyway?"
Nalzij: "Let's just move on."
Pitch: "I'd rather just press on."
Anarod: "I'm not too keen on looting around while we have an objective, really."
Engir: "There's usually a way to bypass them."
Dahlia: "We can always come back later as well."
Pitch: ".....ah."
Anarod: "Why hello there."
Pitch: "This shouldn't take too long, but let's deal with 'em."
Thaumaturge: "Ah, visitors."
Nalzij: "There's six of them, Pitch, I don't think it'll be that easy."
Gespenst: "We have company, Mistress."
Gespenst bares his claws aggressively.
Anarod: "Ugh. Astrid, are all your friends in here skeleton freaks or what?"
Pitch: "I'm seeing 5 monsters, and one likely evil mage person."
Astrid: "I'd appreciate if you didn't call them my friends, thanks."
Nalzij: "You're not the one we're here for. Step aside, and we'll just move on."

[Skeleton - Initiative: 26.06
Skeleton - Initiative: 24.06
Skeleton - Initiative: 22.02
Astrid - Initiative: 21.02
Anarod - Initiative: 19
Dahlia - Initiative: 15.01
Skeleton Mage - Initiative: 14.02
Thaumaturge - Initiative: 14
Nalzij - Initiative: 14
Skeleton Mage - Initiative: 10.02
Engir - Initiative: 9
Pitch - Initiative: 3]

The skeletons advance on Pitch, an obvious target ripe for preying.
[Skeleton : Scimitar
Attack: 4, Damage: 3
Skeleton : Spear
Attack: 16, Damage: 6
Skeleton : Scimitar
Attack: 3, Damage: 6]
Pitch: "See, these Skeletons can't hit the broad side of a smithy."
Nalzij: "Alright, not a friend. Simpler this way, at least."
Thaumaturge: "Simple indeed."
Engir: "About time someone didn't play the 'I didn't try to kill you so I'm innocent' game."
Thaumaturge: "Ah, that annoys you too? I never expected us to find common ground."
Astrid whispers in Nalzij's ear.
"(Best not to make any quick judgements, Nalzij, I could try negotiating with him.)"
Engir: "I was worried it was in the Thaumaturge creed."
Anarod: "Less talking, more blasts of freezing cold."
Thaumaturge: "There are as many different kinds of thaumaturges as there are gnomes, little one."
Pitch: "We could of course, just not fight."

Anarod throws a Frost Spray at the skeletons. [DC 16, Damage: 8]
The ice shards from Anarod strike the skeletons, but both of them manage to avoid the worst of the freezing blast.

Astrid places her hands on Nalzij's shoulders, whispering encouragement. [Guidance]
Gespenst thunders down the stairs, moving beside Pitch.
Gespenst swipes with his claws at the skeleton.
[Gespenst : Claw
Attack: 20, Damage: 4]
The claw of the ferocious werewolf scrapes against the skeleton, barely wounding it against its bony shell.
Engir: "I should have brought some kind of mace or something."
Gespenst snarls with frustration.
Thaumaturge: "Such a shame that not one of you thought to tackle a necromancer with a single blunt weapon. Don't you know that down here, bones are in no short supply?"
Anarod: "Good idea! How about we fashion ourselves a good ol' thaumaturge femur club once we're done with this fight?"

Dahlia moves down the stairs before sending an arc of lightning towards the distant necromancer and his minions.
[Energy Missile, DC 19, Damage: 14]
The electricity arcs through the three of them, causing significant damage.
Thaumaturge: "Nnngh... quite the blast there, little miss."
Dahlia: "Thank you!"
Thaumaturge: "Have you considered switching sides? We have access to a wonderful power source right now, I'm sure you would find tapping into it to be an... exhilarating process."
Pitch: "Oh, what sort?"

One of the robed skeletons in the back advances forward, a small fireball manifesting in its hand before it throws it at Pitch.
[Skeleton Mage : Fire Orb
Attack: 13, Damage: 1]
Pitch: "Man, this power gives you sucky minions."
The armor, however, hits the scales on Pitch's hand, and he barely even feels the heat.

Astrid: "Perhaps you should consider changing sides!"
Thaumaturge: "Turncoats have no business telling me what to do."
Anarod: "It's cool, we're not keen on losers joining our 'side' anyway."
Nalzij: "You sure you want to be part of a group that uses innocents as shields?"
Thaumaturge: "What you call the 'innocent', I merely call the weak."
The man takes a step back, incanting a spell. Suddenly, bones from around him spring to life and begin to whirl around him, as if a shield.
Astrid: "Your naïvete is pitiful, Sirius must see you no more than a lapdog!"
Anarod: "You sound like you just sprung out from a flimsy bard's shoddy tale. Pathetic."

Nalzij advances on the skeleton trio, slashing at the closest one.
[Nalzij : Longsword
Attack: 19, Damage: 5]
Nalzij's sword slashes the skeleton, cutting shreds off its armor and scraping against its bone.

The second robed skeleton walks up, and fires a blazing bolt of energy at Nalzij.
[Skeleton Mage : Magic Missile
Damage roll: 3]
Nalzij: "If that's the way you think, then I'll cut you down with your skeletons."
Thaumaturge: "You're welcome to try, self-righteous orc. One way or another, it's just more bones to the pile."
Anarod: "Ugh can this guy just shut up about bones already?"

Engir imprints a red seal on Pitch's armour with his quill, expanding the familiar white sheen. [Protection from Evil]

Pitch: "Okay!"
Pitch steps forward, aiming his blade at the skeleton on his right!
[Pitch : Bastard Sword
Attack: 10, Damage: 14]
Pitch 's swing misses the skeleton, being blocked by its rusty, seperated shoulderpiece.

The skeletons, balked by this wall of Pitch in their way, turn to focus at it.
[Skeleton : Scimitar
Attack: 8, Damage: 3
Skeleton : Scimitar
Attack: 16, Damage: 2
Skeleton : Spear
Attack: 23, Crit Confirm: 19
Damage: 8, Crit Damage +3
Skeleton : Scimitar
Attack: 9, Damage: 4]
The sword-wielding skeletons miss Pitch, but the one with the spear strikes a strong blow, getting through Pitch's defense and inflicting a strong wound.

Gespenst strikes the skeleton with a flurry of blows.
[Gespenst : Bite
Attack: 17, Damage: 5
Gespenst : Claw
Attack: 12, Damage: 4
Attack: 18, Damage: 6]
The frenzy of slashes fail to significantly wound the skeleton, but the crushing force of the bite causes it to crumble and shatter.

Astrid walks down the stairs, raising her arm up in a sweeping motion.
[Astrid : Acid Splash
Attack: 22, Damage: 3]
The acid from the attack eats through the bindings holding the skeleton's bones together, and it collapses when it can no longer support itself.

Anarod steps forward and fires a ray of ice at the spearwielding skeleton. [Attack: 11]
The beam of ice strikes a sturdier portion of the skeleton, and fails to cause any real damage.

Dahlia throws out another bolt of lightning at the necromancer and his skeletons
[Energy Missile, DC 19, Damage: 14]
The electrical blast goes through the skeletons harmlessly, and delivers a staggering blow against the thaumaturge, though the bones swirling around him absorb some of the attack.

One of the skeletons lobs a small fireball at the vulnerable Anarod.
[Skeleton Mage : Fire Orb
Attack: 5, Damage: 4]
The skeleton misses its mark horribly, however.
Anarod: "Pfft, hard to aim without eyes ain't it?"

Thaumaturge: "Allow me to compensate."
The man points at Anarod, and releases a small spark of energy, which quickly turns into a sudden conflagration.
[Thaumaturge : Spontaneous Combustion
Damage: 9, Fortitude DC 17
Anarod : Fortitude save: 14]
Anarod: "Hnrrrrrrrrrg... "

Nalzij steps forward to strike the skeletal spearman.
[Nalzij : Longsword
Attack: 24, Damage: 7]
The longsword smashes into the lancer, cracking and crushing some of its bones.

Meanwhile , the other robed skeleton steps forward, arming another fiery orb to throw at Nalzij.
[Skeleton Mage : Fire Orb
Attack: 20, Damage: 5]
It strikes against her with an uncomfortable blast of heat.

Astrid: "Stay strong, you two!" she calls to Nalzij and Anarod.
Engir: "Brother!"
Engir cocks his Light Crossbow, aiming it at the Thaumaturge.
[Engir : Light Crossbow
 Attack: 14, Damage: 5]
The crossbow bolt is effortlessly deflected by the bones spinning around the man.

Nalzij: "He won't be able to keep this up for much longer, now that the smaller ones are out of the way."
Pitch: "Gyah!"
[Pitch : Bastard Sword
Attack: 17, Damage: 8]
The force of Pitch's strike brings the skeleton down, ending its unlife.
Nearby, behind the man, the party hears two large smashing sounds, as though the footsteps of something very heavy.
Thaumaturge: "...Ah. Laria's toy is ready."

Astrid: "Gespenst, let loose on them." [Casting Enlarge Person]
Gespenst sprints into the fray with his now colossal body.
Gespenst sweeps one of his claws across the corridor.
[Gespenst: Claw
Attack: 10, Damage: 7]
Not used to its new size, the eidolon's claw misses its target, striking only empty air.

Anarod looks at his options and studies the battle while doing his best to ignore the fact that he's on fire.

Dahlia sends yet more lightning rolling towards the necromancer and his minions, striking a bit harder than the last batch
[Energy Missile, DC 19, Damage: 14]
The bolts dart through the trio, and the skeletons take heavy damage. The thaumaturge deflects most of the blast with his bone armor, however.

Astrid: "Hmm..."
Astrid glances past the Thaumaturge, pensively.
Astrid: "I think we should be more worried about what we'll have to deal with later..."
Engir: "Agreed. Let's not waste all our resources."
The man grins confidently.
Astrid: "I don't see why you're grinning, you're as good as the pile of bones around you."
Gespenst: "Mistress...the golem?"
Astrid: "Not to worry, Gespenst, you should be a fair match."
Thaumaturge: "Still, it's best not to risk my chances before it gets here."
Seemingly at his directive, one of the skeletal mages steps forward without acting, doing nothing but preparing its claws. The thaumaturge, meanwhile, steps back and prepares another spell.
[Thaumaturge : Oppressive Boredom, Will DC 16, Target: Gespenst]

[Anarod : Burn Damage
Damage: 3, Reflex DC 17
Anarod : Reflex save: 5]

Nalzij slips past Gespenst to try to take down the undead mage.
[Nalzij : Longsword
Attack: 10, Damage: 9]
The attacks of Nalzij fails to connect with the skeletal mage, and it scrapes at her with its claw.
[Skeleton Mage : Attack of Opportunity
Attack: 21, Crit Confirm: 7
Damage: 1, Crit Damage +1]

The other skeleton, meanwhile, flings another fiery orb at Pitch.
[Skeleton Mage : Fire Orb
Attack: 10, Damage: 2]
It fails to connect, however, thwarted by Pitch's protection against evil.

Anarod: "Hey, how about a little help here before I burn down to ashes?"
Engir touches Anarod with his quill, passing a surge of healing energy through him. [CLW: 7]
Engir: "I got you, I got you. We really need to finish off these sorcerors already."

Anarod: "I'm going to try to clear the path..."
Anarod blasts the skeleton mage with a Frost Spray!
[Concentration: 28, DC 16, Damage: 8]
The blast of ice strikes the skeletal mage, and unable to endure any more, it collapses into a pile of mere bones.

Pitch charges towards the Thaumaturge, but not bloodraging, and tries to do a nonlethal strike to the person
[Pitch : Bastard Sword (Rage)
Attack: 8, Damage: 9]

The pounding sound continues, as a massive figure looms into view around the corner.
Astrid: "(I hope Laria will listen to reason...)"
[Gespenst : Will save: 20]
Gespenst shakes off the clouding enchantment; he felt bored momentarily but decided to resolve it through action.
Gespenst slams his fists down at the skeleton, swinging his jaw in ripping motions.
[Gespenst: Bite
Attack: 23, Damage: 6
Gespenst : Claw
Attack: 12, Damage: 8
Attack: 14, Damage: 9]
Gespenst 's vicious assault rends the skeletal mage into pieces, it being unable to cope with the eidolon's strength.
Astrid conjures another ball of acid, propelling it at the Thaumaturge.
[Attack: 19, Damage: 3]
The splash of acid strikes the thaumaturge solidly, and he winces in pain as it burns his skin.
Nalzij: "It doesn't look like you'll be here when your reinforcements show up. Any last words?"
Thaumaturge: "Oh, nothing I say here will be my last words."
Pitch: "It could be 'ARRRGH'."
Engir: "Do you believe in reincarnation?"
Astrid smirks at Engir.
Thaumaturge: "Let's simply say I believe in reanimation."

Dahlia steps forward, beginning a spell. [Astral Construct, level 1]
Astrid: "That's all you'll ever be, someone's puppet."
Pitch: "Soo....you have no problems with us killing you?"
"Perfect! You and me see the same way"
Thaumaturge: "And who's puppet are you now, Astrid? Certainly not Sirius's, and certainly not Antivus's."
Engir: "By the way, can people be reanimated when they're thrown off into the abyss?"
The man begins to withdraw from the party, stepping closer to his reinforcement.

Nalzij: "This wordplay is getting old quickly."
Nalzij charges at the thaumaturge, swinging her sword in a wide arc.
[Nalzij : Longsword
Attack: 24, Damage: 9]
Nalzij's sword slashes into the Thaumaturge with a strong stroke, cutting a large gash in his chest. He screams in pain, then collapses to the ground.
Nalzij: "One pile of bones coming this way, but at least no more mages!"

[Anarod : Burn Damage
Damage: 2, Reflex DC 17
Anarod : Reflex save: 7]

Engir steps forward, and mutters an incantation, aiming his wand above Anarod's head. [Create Water]
A few gallons of water manifest over Anarod's head, before splashing down, drenching him and putting out the flame.
Engir: "Mmm, I couldn't remember the clauses that conjuring vast amounts of water had. Glad it worked."

Anarod: "Whoa, they're really turning the bonecreep up to eleven!"
Engir: "Something new, huh?"
Pitch moves forward, preparing a power attack, if the Golem gets close enough to him.

The monstrous golem advances forward, uncaringly stepping on and crushing the unconscious thaumaturge with a sickening sound. It then turns its gaze to Pitch.
[Pitch : Bastard Sword (Rage)
Attack: 9, Damage: 12
Nalzij : Longsword
Attack: 17, Damage: 5]
Pitch 's attack widely misses the construct, while Nalzij's sword scrapes against it but doesn't seem to harm it.
Engir: "What in the seven hells..."
It raises a fist, slamming it towards Pitch.
[Bone Golem : Slam
Attack: 17, Damage: 10]
It smashes into Pitch, causing a worrying sound as it breaks bone.
Engir: "Oh, god..."

Astrid walks quickly down the corridor, whispering something.
Nalzij: "Astrid, we're going to need your wolf over here!"
Engir: "We should run."
"There's the door over here."
Pitch: "Argh!, yeah. That hurt."
"I might agree this time."
"Anyone feel like patchin' me up? Not doing too well here..."
Engir: "Come closer, and I will!"
Nalzij: "I'll handle it. I don't think swords will be much use against this thing, anyway."
Engir: "You two should get out of there, first."

Gespenst charges through the corridor, standing face to face with the golem.
Gespenst swipes at the golem, swinging his arm over Nalzij and Pitch's heads.
[Gespenst: Claw
Attack: 11, Damage: 9]
The claw swing misses the golem, and Gespenst prepares to take the golem's counterattack.
Astrid meanwhile hurls another ball of acid at the golem.
[Attack: 19, Damage: 1]
The ball of acid splashes onto the bone golem, sizzling away at it lightly.
Nalzij: "...Engir is right. We should retreat for now, just be careful that we aren't surrounded."


Dahlia finishes her spell, a summoned construct taking form as she moves closer to the party.

Nalzij briefly touches Pitch, her hand glowing with positive energy, before backing away from the golem. [Lay on Hands: 3]
[Bone Golem : Attack of Opportunity
Attack: 34, Crit Confirm: 15
Damage: 6, Crit Damage +7]
In response to her retreat, the bone golem smashes into Nalzij, inflicting heavy wounds.

Astrid: "Nalzij!?"
Nalzij: "Rrgh, it's nothing. How long can Gespenst hold it off?"
Astrid: "I'm not sure, he should be able to take a hit or two."
Engir: "Get close to me, Pitch!"
Anarod: "So where are we backing up?"
Astrid: "There's a room round the corner, I can't say what's inside, though."
Engir: "I think we should risk the room."
Astrid: "Or who...rather."
"Agreed."
Anarod: "...fine then."
Nalzij: "I think it's our best shot at getting through this place."
Engir: "At least it can't follow us in."
Pitch: "Time to run!"
Engir: "Everyone ready?"
Engir pushes the door open.
Engir: "It's a dead end..."
"Safe, though."

The bone golem pushes forward, swinging furiously at Gespenst.
[Bone Golem : Slam
Attack: 23, Damage: 11
Attack: 16, Damage: 11
Bone Golem : Bite
Attack: 15, Damage: 11]
The golem delivers a strong smash to Gespenst, but the rest of its assaults are blocked by a protective shield.

Astrid retreats to the door along with the others.
Gespenst stands fiercely at the end of the corridor, blockading the golem.
Gespenst lashes out furiously at the golem.
[Gespenst : Bite
Attack: 8, Damage: 4
Gespenst : Claw
Attack: 12, Damage: 4
Attack: 11, Damage: 8]
The flurry of claws and bites scrape against the golem's thick armor, failing to damage it.

Astral Construct attempts to maul the golem
[Astral Construct : Slam
Attack: 14]
The construct attempts to attack the golem, but can't get through its armor.
Dahlia tosses a small arrow of flames toward the golem before ducking into the hallway.
[Dahlia : Energy Ray(minor)
Attack: 21, Crit Confirm: 3
Damage: 2, Crit Damage +3]
The ray of fire strikes the golem solidly, but it doesn't even appear to leave a singe.

Engir: "You know, I'm not sure if spells are even meant to affect golems..."
Dahlia: "They can't?"
Nalzij ducks into the side room, glancing back at Pitch for a moment.
Engir: "Yeah, I was surprised the smaller ones could be damaged."
Astrid: "(Gespenst, just a little longer...)"
Gespenst: "(Mistress, I'm fine, at least your safety is secured.)"
Anarod: "Are we sure this is a good idea?"
Engir: "No."
Anarod: "I mean, what do we even do next?"
Engir: "But we can't outrun that thing."
Astrid: "It's the best option we have, for now."
Anarod: "We can't? It didn't seem that fast to me. Can golems even run?"
Engir: "We'll have time to find any hidden tricks to the area at least,"
Astrid: "I can heal all your wounds, too."
Engir: "I noticed there's a different sigil here."
Nalzij: "It can't fit through the doorway here, right?"
Pitch: "Gyah! Get me in here!"
The doorway definitely looks too small for the golem.
Engir steps inside and slams the doors shut.

[Bone Golem : Slam
Attack: 28, Damage: 12
Attack: 27, Damage: 11
Bone Golem : Bite
Attack: 18, Damage: 11]
Engir: "Uh, your summoned companion WAS making a heroic sacrifice, right?"
Astrid: "..."
With a last flurry of strikes, Gespenst is felled by the bone golem's strikes.
Engir: "Or, perhaps you can dismiss it?"
Astrid ignoring Engir, sighs, moving to the corner of the room.
The bone golem seems to have lost interest in the party...
Nalzij: "From the noise that thing is making, I'm not sure that's an option now."
Astrid getting the chalk out of her pocket, draws another pentagram.
Dahlia starts to cast another spell, her eyes momentarily glowing with pale blue/grey light.
Engir: "Chilling..."
Astrid begins chanting under her breath.
Nalzij examines one of the cabinets.
Engir taps his temple, shifting his senses.
Nalzij: "We might at least find something while we're trapped here."
The cabinets appear to contain foodstuffs, well kept.
Dahlia: "There's something over here."
Gespenst crawls out of the rune, emanating a white light.
Astrid: "Are you okay...?"
Engir: "The two chests at each side are enchanted in some way, as is the sigil."
"Nothing fun about the cabinets, at a glance."
Gespenst: "Never better, mistress."
Engir: "What did you find, Dahlia?"
[Astrid: Rejuvenate Eidolon: 13]
With a touch, Gespenst is restored to peak condition.
Dahlia: "A door."
"Or close to one."
Dahlia looks under one of the desks...
Engir: "Good to know. could you check out the chests in the far corner? The middle one doesn't read as magical, but the other two do."
Dahlia: "Sure."
Engir: "Thank you."
Dahlia: "There's a lever under here that should open up a passage."
Astrid: "Right, who else is wounded?"
Engir: "Good eyes, indeed."
Dahlia examines the nonmagic chest.
Anarod: "Yeah I think I could use some patching up."
Astrid glances at Anarod's wounds squeamishly.
Astrid: "Right."
Pitch: "I think I'm gonna have a sitdown...."
Astrid removes her other wand, placing one hand on Anarod. [CLW: 8]
Pitch: "That golem....hurt..."
Nalzij: "If that wand will last for a while, I could use the help, too."
Astrid: "Yes, of course, Nalzij."
Engir: "Anarod, take a look of these. Astrid, too, when you're done."
Engir passes over some arcane writings to Anarod.
Nalzij: "More papers?"
Astrid turns to Nalzij, casting another spell. [CLW: 7, 8]
Engir: "These ones might actually be useful."
Astrid: "Mind if I have a look too?"
Anarod grabs the papers and looks over them.
[Astrid: CLW - Pitch: 5/4/2/7/2, Anarod: 5, Dahlia: 2/8]
Astrid replaces her wand back in her wrist sheath.
Nalzij: "Clever of you, to have something like that around."
Engir: "I know what I need to requisition."
Dahlia: "Used wands and nonmagic jewelry in here."
"Well, nonmagic as far as I can tell."
Anarod: "Oh, again with that full moon deal."
Engir: "Used as in completely used?"
"Oho!"
"Now you have me interested!"
Astrid: "Mind if I have a look at those wands? Unless Engir wants to."
Dahlia: "Not a problem."
Engir: "Be my guest, I want to see what the full moon can actually do."
Dahlia moves enough away from the chest for the others to take a look.
Anarod: "Whatever thing they're trying to harness power out of seems to trigger on the full moon only."
Astrid extends a hand to Dahlia.
Engir peers over his brother's shoulder.
Astrid moves over to the chest, observing the wands.
Anarod: "They use some sort of runic scripture and imbue their spellcasting abilities with them."
"I'm guessing that's what this thing in the middle is."
Nalzij: "For how long?"
Astrid: "Tsk. They're completely drained."
Engir: "That fellow did mention tapping into its energies."
Anarod: "...hm."
Astrid moves over to a desk, scanning the draws for anything useful.
Anarod: "This mostly checks out. The papers details methods for animating the dead, granting consciousness to inanimate constructs, and subduing the minds of people."
"Which matches Sirius and co's usual three-course meal we've been served."
Astrid glares at Anarod from the corner of her eye.
Nalzij: "Then it's not unusual, is it? He's not just acting on his own with a few renegades?"
Engir: "Nngh, it does."
Astrid turns her back to the party.
Astrid: "Sirius, how could you do this to me...to Terita...*sniff*"
Nalzij watches Astrid uneasily.
Anarod: "We've spotted two of these runes so far, and there are apparently four in this entire place."
Engir: "Perhaps we could render them non-functional?"
Nalzij: "If I remember right, these two look the same, but rotated. Maybe they point to something."
Anarod: "Each has their own specific use. So they use these rooms to channel whatever magic they need using some source of power."
"Yeah. Pitch, how 'bout you scrape the floor as hard as you can?"
Astrid leaning one hand on the desk, hunches over and collapses.
Anarod: "This one rune is the one they use for necromantic purposes, for the record. So if we destroy only one I vote for this one, really."
Gespenst looks at Astrid, before fading out of reality.
Engir: "I'm game."
Anarod looks up.
Anarod: "Uhh... does she often randomly faint?"
Engir: "Well, she's going through a lot."
"Not only did she ask her partner to make a suicide charge, she's discovering just how wicked her former master is."
Anarod: "Well I mean Gespenst was here like 15 seconds ago, so I'm iffy on 'suicide charge'."
Engir: "I'd like to think people have some remorse when asking summoned allies to walk into terrifying levels of pain and damage."
Anarod: "However, I guess it took a lot of mental gymnastics to blind oneself from Sirius' actions for that long."
Engir: "Sirius even got to Tharrius, remember?"
Nalzij: "She's been through a lot, but are you sure it was something natural?"
Astrid: "S-Siri...don't l...ve...p-please..."
Anarod: "Well I mean I'm not one with healing powers here, mayyyyybe someone more qualified could check on her?"
Astrid begins to murmur incomprehensibly.
Engir: "I'll have a look. Someone handle that rune."
Astrid: "S..ster...c-co...back..."
Dahlia: "Astrid?"
"What's happening, Astrid?"
Astrid: "All...a-al...one..."
Engir: "Mmm, I really think it's just exhaustion and stress."
Dahlia: "...maybe..."
"Do you think Sirius would be the type to punish someone for their relative's betrayal?"
Engir: "I don't think so."
Nalzij: "I wouldn't put it past him."
Astrid partially opens her eyes.
Engir: "Waste of resources."
Astrid: "Ter...ita? I-Is that you...?"
Nalzij: "We'll find her. If she's as strong as you, she should be fine."
Dahlia: "Are you doing better now, Astrid?"
Astrid: "...hm...mm?"
"Terita....wh-where's...Terita?"
Engir: "Searching for the truth."
Astrid closes her eyes again, falling in and out of consciousness.
Astrid: "N-N...let...go o-of...me..."
"I...h-haven't don-ne...an...thing..."
Astrid goes limp again.
Dahlia: "Should we try getting her out of the room?"
Nalzij: "It would be risky. What if we're attacked while she's like this?"
Engir: "I think if anything in this room might do it, it's the rune. Otherwise, it's just best we let her lie down for a bit."
Nalzij: "We'll need a plan anyway. Hopefully she recovers before then."
Dahlia nods.
Dahlia: "Alright."
Nalzij: "I don't think we can get rid of that rune. Is there any way to disrupt the magic?
Dahlia: "Lightning?"
Anarod: "But seriously let's wreck this stupid rune?"
Dahlia: "I could also try making it explode."
Anarod: "I'm pretty sure if Pitch runs his axe in there for a while it'll mess up the pattern."
Dahlia sends a nearly invisible wave of force to a non-rune part of the floor.
[Dahlia : Sonic Ray(minor)
Attack: 12, Damage: 0]
The blast of sound scrapes up a small bit of the stone, inflicting extremely minor structural damage.
Dahlia: "My basic spells won't do much... But with enough time it could work."
Nalzij: "Looks like it's worth a try."
Pitch: "Huh, what's happening here?"
Engir: "While you were dozing off, we found that this rune gives the thaumaturges all their necromantic power."
"We're looking for a big tough guy who can damage the rune enough to disempower it."
Dahlia: "Or I could spend a half hour or so chippign away with magic."
Nalzij: "Let's try the faster method first. Pitch?"
Pitch: "A big tough guy, eh?"
"I wonder who fits that description?"
"Or is this a case of "less talky, more smashy?""
Anarod: "Please smash the rune, yes."
Pitch swings his battleaxe on the rune. [Damage: 11]
Sparks fly as the battleaxe collides with the rune, leaving a small gash.
Astrid: "Nnnngh..."
Engir: "Sorry, Astrid. The sound can't be restful."
Pitch strikes the ground once more. [Damage: 13]
Nalzij: "Astrid, can you hear me? Terita is trying to find an answer to all this. We'll go help her soon. You need to be strong for her now."
Pitch: "Hmm..."
Astrid: "AH--ah..."
Pitch: "Maybe I need more power behind the swing!"
Pitch enters a bloodrage, striking at the ground once more! [Damage: 11]
Astrid curls up on the floor, coming back into consciousness.
Astrid: "Make it...stop...no...."
The floor is beginning to show damage, but so is the battleaxe.
Dahlia sends another small shockwave at the floor. [Damage: 1]
Dahlia: "I can help you."
Astrid: "P-Please...dont...c...my h-horns...off..."
Astrid tries to sit up, falling back over.
Pitch: "Once more..."
Nalzij: "Astrid, no one here will hurt you."
Engir: "Astrid? You're safe here."
Pitch strikes at the ground another time. [Damage: 7]
[Dahlia: Energy Ray (minor), Damage: 1]
Pitch: "And again!" [Damage: 14]
The battleaxe is chipping badly. A shadowy substance appears to be 'leaking' out of the rune.
Engir raises his eyebrows, as the substance escapes.
Engir: "Well, better than a crackling explosion."
[Dahlia: Energy Ray (minor), Damage: 2]
Astrid scrambles up slowly, leaning her back against the desk.
Dahlia: "Maybe I should take over... unless that battleaxe is disposable."
Astrid: "Nnnn..."
Astrid holds her head in her hands.
Astrid: "We have to...find L-Laria..."
Engir: "Easy, girl... I was worried I'd have to wake you up with water."
"Laria... was the lady that engineered that beast, right?"
Nalzij: "Laria? Okay, but just rest first."
Engir: "Do you think she's being deceived, too?"
Astrid: "...Hmm?...Y-Yes, and a...gnome like you."
Pitch: "I....would tend to use my sword, anyway. I prefer it."
Astrid: "She'll m-...make things stop."
Engir: "I trust that."
Pitch: "But...just one more strike should do it, it shouldn't be too damaged. This battleaxe is made of dragonsteel, after all."
Nalzij: "That's good news. I hope you have an idea of where to look."
Dahlia stands back in case the battleaxe breaks.
Pitch takes one more strike at the rune! [Damage: 11]
Anarod: "A gnome like Engir? Unlikely."
With the force of the impact, the battleaxe shatters in Pitch's hands. Moments later, the rune itself shatters, and its fragments, along with whatever shadow-essence was in it, is seen tumbling down into the endless void.
Dahlia: "So... yeah."
Pitch: "The axe is broken? Aww...."
Anarod: "Huh. Well that was strange."
Dahlia: "That was why I suggested letting me take over."
Pitch sits down, feeling down.
Pitch: "That was a nice axe, too...still, it's not like I'm weaponless."
Nalzij: "Still, it was probably worth it. That should cause some trouble for them."
A loud clattering of bones falling can be heard outside the north entrance.
Anarod: "We could probably have the axe patched up later anyway, I think."
Pitch: "I can put it back in the backpack for now."
Engir: "Gee, having a gaping chasm in the middle of the room leaves me uneasy."
Astrid removes the chalk stick from her pocket, scrawling uneasily on the floor.
Anarod: "And yeah I didn't think this was gonna just open up into nothingness."
Nalzij: "You weren't uneasy before?"
Engir: "It's easy enough to be distracted by finding out what they were actually doing."
"But this... I can't exactly ignore this."
Astrid mutters under her breath.
Anarod: "I'm hoping this whole bone rumble we heard was a good repercussion of the runes being blasted, though."
Engir: "That indeed."
Astrid: "Gespenst...come back to me, please..."
Pitch: "Um....did anyone hear the sound of a bone golem breaking?"
Nalzij opens the door just a little to look outside.
Pitch: "Well, Nalzij?"
Nalzij: "Looks like the golem's broken."
Dahlia: "Head back out that way, or through the passage?"
Gespenst picks up Astrid, cradling her in its arms.
Engir: "Passage might let us get the jump on them for a change."
Nalzij: "Try the passage first, I think."
Nalzij shuts the door as securely as possible.
Dahlia tries to open the passage.
Astrid: "G-Gespenst, it's okay...I think I can...stand now."
Gespenst: "Ah...how you make me worry, Mistress."
Pitch: "A new adventure!"
Nalzij: "More bones, though."
Engir: "Always with the bones..."

As the party looks out the tunnel, they can see disabled golems, piles of skeletal bones, and empty robes on the ground.
Nalzij: "And another dead golem."
Pitch: "They have a bone fetish, or something."
Astrid: "Terita...?"
Pitch: "I'm not complaining."
Engir: "Did you spot her?"
Pitch: "Which way, for more fun?"
Dahlia: "Down?"
Astrid: "N-No...I just..."
Engir: "Still your mind. We will make it through this."
Anarod: "Hey look more ominous chests surrounded by piles of bones."
Dahlia: "Two more chests."
The party sees another dais, with a large amount of piles of bones and two chests.
Dahlia: "I wonder..."
Engir: "The rune is gone now, though."
Dahlia: "Aye."
Pitch: "I....am not going to open those, anyhow."
Astrid: "Go...for it."
Dahlia walks over to examine them.
Nalzij: "I think it's worth the risk this time."
Near the party, an enormous tower, seemingly made entirely of metal, looms before them.
Anarod: "The rune we destroyed is one of four, and only applied to necromancy magic. I'm not convinced this means the chests are safe."
Pitch: "Okay, okay. But IF I die, I blame you."
A cliff descends to a lower path to the north..
Pitch: "Unless anyone else has a burning urge to open strange chests in the centers of rooms?"
Engir tilts his head up and up.
Astrid wobbles, struggling to keep her balance.
Astrid: "..ah!"
Gespenst: "Mistress!"
Gespenst wraps its arms around Astrid, protectively.
Dahlia tries to open the nearby chest.
Engir: "I really think it's safe to open them. They were already hidden behind the secret passage."
Dahlia pulls out a pair of bracers.
Dahlia tries on the bracers.
Pitch: "Okay, Dahlia's is safe...."
Pitch opens the chest cautiously, and takes the gold and daggers that were in it.
Nalzij: "Astrid, do you know anything about that tower?"
Dahlia wanders to the tower to take a look too.
The tower seems of intricate design, and incredibly ancient.
Pitch: "I....don't think there's much else here."
"I vote on going back and by the giant dead golem."
Engir: "If we double back to the route the fully powered golem was guarding, we'd make it to the main entrance to that tower."
Dahlia: "Wasn't there a chest that way too?"
Nalzij: "Right, good idea."
Dahlia: "Maybe the trap on that one is gone too."
Pitch opens the door.
Nalzij: "We don't know for sure that there was one."
Dahlia: "True."
"Up or down?"
Engir: "The chest was back this way if you wanted to open it."
"By the way, what did you find, Pitch?"
Pitch: "Ah, just some gold and a couple daggers."
The party can see a pile of bones, guts, and viscera where the thaumaturge from earlier used to be, before the golem stepped on him...
Engir: "Daggers? They're going to be enchanted."
Pitch: "You sure? When we get a break, you can have a look at 'em then."
Nalzij winces, looking at the remains of the thaumaturge.
Engir: "Will do. Bracers, too."

A screech echoes through the air.
Engir spots Nalzij, and looks towards the feet of the golem.
Dahlia: "Gargoyles!"
Engir: "Don't split up!"
Pitch: "Um... gargoyles?"
Anarod: "Uh-oh."
Nalzij: "Dahlia, get back!"
Anarod: "Time to postpone that plan."
"Where did you see gargoyles?"
Nalzij looks toward where the screech seemed to come from, trying to spot the source.
Dahlia: "Heard them."
Anarod: "Oh, I thought you had seem them further up."
A screech sounds again, from closer up.
Pitch: "Maybe....we should NOT go back for the chest, and instead press on?"
Dahlia: "They can come after us regardless of where we are."
Anarod: "Pitch, gargoyles fly, they can catch up to us pretty much anywhere in this open chasm area."
Astrid looks to the east.
Nalzij: "Better to deal with gargoyles here and mages there, instead of both of them there."
Engir: "Yes, indeed."
Astrid: "(Sirius, I'll see you soon...)"
Pitch: "I just thought if we start moving in the direction we were initially, we might not see the gargoyle for longer."
"Who wants to press on for that sweet, sweet loot, eh?"
Engir: "Nah, they're too close already, see?"
Gargoyle: "SCREEEEEEEEE!"
Engir: "So yeah, we may as well move towards the chest and fight 'em."
Pitch: "I...see nothing."
Gespenst leads the way, cautiously.
A gargoyle perches on the ground, staring at the party while flapping its wings.
Astrid: "Gespenst, hang on."
[Casting shield on self, Gespenst]
Anarod: "Well let's try and deal with this thing now."
Nalzij: "At least it's only one."
Pitch: "Now that you've said that, there'll be twenty."
The party hears a screech from behind them.
Anarod: "Be on the looko- see?"
Pitch: "YOU JUST HAD TO SAY IT."
Anarod: "There's one by the staircase!"
Engir: "Behind me, brother!"
Anarod: "Like, in my face!"
Dahlia: "Let's stay in the tunnel."
"Fewer angles they can come from here."

[Gargoyle - Initiative: 25.06
Gargoyle - Initiative: 21.06
Astrid - Initiative: 20.02
Engir - Initiative: 18
Anarod - Initiative: 16
Pitch - Initiative: 13
Dahlia - Initiative: 7.01
Nalzij - Initiative: 1]

[Gargoyle : Claw
Attack: 15, Damage: 5
Attack: 22, Damage: 3
Gargoyle : Claw
Attack: 25, Damage: 4
Attack: 25, Damage: 5]
Anarod: "Gah! Stupid high-pitched stone bird!"
The first gargoyle is only barely able to grip onto Nalzij and slash her, but the gargoyle from behind cuts some deep gashes into Anarod.

Engir: "Brother!"
"Get behind me!"
[Cure Light Wounds: 5]

Gespenst comes closer to the gargoyle, lashing out furiously.
[Gespenst : Bite
Attack: 19, Damage: 5
Gespenst : Claw
Attack: 8, Damage: 8
Attack: 24, Damage: 6]
The gargoyle screeches as Gespenst's fangs and claws sink into its skin.
Astrid steps behind Nalzij for cover, hurling an acid orb at the gargoyle.
[Astrid : Acid Splash
Attack: 12, Damage: 2]
The gargoyle is struck by the acid blob, and shrieks as the acid burns its skin.

Anarod: "Ugh, take a short nap, will you?"
Anarod conjures an crystalline shape within his hands and blasts light in it, creating a swirl of colors. [Color Spray, DC 18]
The gargoyle collapses from the epileptic barrage, twitching.

Pitch steps to the right, enters a bloodrage, and strikes!
[Pitch : Bastard Sword (Rage)
Attack: 24, Damage: 16]
The gargoyle screechs loudly, as Pitch delivers a slash brutal enough that he ends up slicing one of its wings off.

Dahlia steps closer to the gargoyle attacking the gnomes, sending a wave of fire at it.
[Energy Missile, DC 17, Damage: 14]
The blast of fire overwhelms the stunned gargoyle, singeing and cooking its flesh.

Nalzij attacks the gargoyle, aiming to disable its other wing.
[Nalzij : Longsword
Attack: 21, Damage: 4]
The sword slashes the gargoyle, which struggles to right itself, as it takes swings at Pitch.
[Gargoyle : Bite
Attack: 24, Damage: 3
Gargoyle : Claw
Attack: 9, Damage: 4
Attack: 19, Damage: 4
Gargoyle : Gore
Attack: 25, Damage: 6]
The gargoyle's barrage of attacks cut through Pitch, damaging him.
Pitch: "Gyargh! That all you got?"

Astrid traces a symbol on Nalzij's back with her finger. [Guidance]
Gespenst continues to attack the gargoyle in a frenzy.
[Gespenst : Bite
Attack: 26, Crit Confirm: 9
Damage: 5, Crit Damage +9
Gespenst : Claw
Attack: 19, Damage: 8
Attack: 20, Damage: 6]
The flurry of feral attacks rips into the gargoyle, and it gives one last bloody shriek before falling over.

Engir: "Focus fire is such a good strategy."
Engir levels his crossbow at the disabled gargoyle.
Anarod: "Well I mean the other one is kinda down for a little while sooooo."
[Engir : Light Crossbow
Attack: 8, Damage: 1]
The crossbow bolt misses the gargoyle, sailing into the inky abyss.

Anarod fires an ice ray at the gargoyle.
[Attack: 8, Damage: 6]
A blast of ice strikes the gargoyle, wounding it further.

Pitch strikes again!
[Pitch : Bastard Sword (Rage)
Attack: 8, Damage: 14]
Pitch finds no problem slicing at the dead gargoyle, and cuts off its other wing.

Dahlia sends an arrow of flame as the stunned gargoyle.
[Attack: 7, Damage: 2]
The ray of fire strikes the gargoyle, minorly singeing it.

Nalzij approaches the remaining gargoyle, trying to put it out of its misery.
[Nalzij : Longsword
Attack: 11, Damage: 5]
The sword finds easy prey in the incapacitated gargoyle, and as it tries to shake off its color-stricken fit, the party prepares for another volley of attacks.

Gespenst slams his claws down at the gargoyle.
[Gespenst : Claw
Attack: 14, Damage: 6]
Gespenst slams into the gargoyle, slashing it with his claw.

Engir steps around and takes another shot.
[Engir : Light Crossbow
Attack: 17, Damage: 6]

Astrid propels an acid orb at the gargoyle.
[Astrid : Acid Splash
Attack: 23, Damage: 3]
The barrage of crossbow bolt and acid splash injure the stunned gargoyle even further, and it seems barely rasping for air.
Astrid: "Please...someone put it out of its misery."

Anarod fires Yet Another Ice Ray. [Attack roll: 4]

Dahlia: "Want me to try knocking it out?"
Astrid: "Anyone want to try quelling this thing's anger...?"
Dahlia: "It'll disable rather than kill it, if I use the right spell."
Engir: "I don't think it's angry."
"Killing people is what it does."
Nalzij: "I can try to talk to it, if it doesn't attack us for a few moments."
Pitch: "We could try to talk to it, maybe get it on our side, convince it to kill the other guys instead of us."
Astrid: "Worth a shot."
Nalzij: "I doubt it would change anything, but at least we could give it a chance."
Pitch: "I wanna gargoyle friend!"
Engir: "I don't like it, even if I enjoy the idea of having the gargoyle turn on its masters."
Astrid: "If Nalzij can't persuade it, Pitch can just coup-de-grace."
Dahlia delays.
Nalzij shifts her stance slightly, trying to look less aggressive.
Nalzij: "Hey, gargoyle, we're only trying to fight the people who have hurt us. We can let you go if you'll leave us alone. They're letting you die just to slow us down, anyway. Maybe we're not the ones you should be attacking." [Diplomacy check: 21]
The gargoyle stares at Nalzij, as if it's able to understand what she says.

The gargoyle looks around, and begins to stretch its wings. Before the party knows it, though, it's suddenly leapt into the air and appears to be flying away.
Astrid: "...Well, isn't that interesting."
"Tsk. I hope it's not gathering others."
Engir: "I'm all kinds of wary."
Nalzij smiles slightly, watching the gargoyle fly off.
Nalzij: "I hope not. Not the reaction I expected, though, at least."
Astrid: "Shall we make for the chest, then? I'm already...reluctant about this detour."
Engir: "It's certainly an interesting experience."
Astrid: "Careful, Pitch."
[Pitch - Reflex save: 9
Falling Object Damage: 8]
A chest falls onto Pitch's head from somewhere in the air.
Pitch: "Okay! That's it!"
"Keep your stinking treasure!"
Dahlia: "That was... ironic."
Engir: "...huh, I'm impressed."
Pitch: "I'm staying the hell away from anything over there!"
Engir: "Where did that come from? And is there something in that?"
Nalzij: "That wasn't what I expected, either."
Dahlia moves forward to examine the fallen chest.
Engir: "Maybe another chest will fall and something else is in it."
Pitch: "But this chest is mine."
"I earned it."
Engir: "You just abandoned it!"
Nalzij glances upward to see where it could have fallen from.
Engir: "Have you no dignity?"
Pitch: "My desire for loot overrides my desire for dignity."
Astrid: "Pitch, we're opening that chest whether you like it or not."
Dahlia: "You can take the one over there~"
Astrid: "I shall not let this detour be wasted."
Pitch opens the chest.
Pitch: "Hang on, I'm the one who took a chest to the head, I get to open them."
Nalzij: "I think it may have been a gift."
Engir: "Oh, that's an interesting theory, Nalzij."
"Would match the sense of humour I'd expect from a gargoyle."
Anarod: "It's okay, the head's the least vital part of your body after all, you'll be fine Pitch."
Dahlia: "Go ahead then."
Astrid: "Heh...what a rascal, then."
Pitch: "Aha, I'll take this."
"...and this one?"
Nalzij: "There's nowhere else it could have come from, unless it's a very strange and well-hidden trap."
Dahlia stands back.
Pitch opens the other chest, before pocketing the bag inside.
Engir sighs, and rests his forehead in his palm.
Astrid: "Anything of value?"
Nalzij: "What's there?"
Pitch: "And these I'll pocket also."
"Hold yer horses."
Nalzij: "You remember what we told the goblin, right?"
Engir: "Don't make me command you to drop it."
Astrid: "Goblin?"
Pitch: "Hang on, hang on. I'll show ya."
Engir: "You're better off not knowing."
Nalzij: "A friend of ours, I guess."
Engir: "It was an enlightening, and very trying experience."
Pitch reveals a leathery bag and three small bags.
Pitch: "Just that. But I'd quite like the big bag. Think of it as compensation for the lump on my head."
Engir: "Oh wow, a whole lump."
Astrid: "I see, Engir."
Pitch: "Hey! It still hurt..."
Engir: "I think I should go get a few whacks on the head if I get a bulging sack of coin every time."
Pitch rubs his head wearily
Astrid: "Hang on, Pitch."
Astrid brushes Pitch's hands away, placing her own hands on his forehead. [CLW: 5]
Astrid: "I hate to be a drag, but...please can we get going?"
Pitch: "Of course."
Astrid: "I can't stop worrying about Terita."
Engir: "Depends if we actually want all these new items identified and made useful for our encounter with Sirius."
"But ultimately, I agree."
Pitch takes the wings off the gargoyle and puts them in his bag.
Pitch: "(You won't be needing these anymore.)"
Astrid glances at Engir, with a serious expression.
The bag fits the gargoyle's wings easily, despite said bag not seeming capable of fitting them.
"He was joking, I'm sure," says Dahlia, trying to reassure Astrid.
Nalzij: "Pitch, do you have to?"
Pitch: "Well, the gargoyle isn't using them."
Astrid: "Implying there'll be violence, Engir?"
Anarod: "And you're gonna use them?"
Nalzij: "Still, desecrating a corpse..."
Engir: "I don't see him accepting incarceration."
Anarod: "To make what, a spooky costume?"
Engir: "Right now, though, I'm bothered by Pitch's delirium."
Pitch: "I dunno. I'll think of something."
"They seem cool."
Astrid: "I know my kin better than to turn on each other, just please...give him a chance."
Pitch has a deranged glint in his eye.
Anarod: "Pitch's delirium is bothering you just now?"
Nalzij: "We tried. We can try again, maybe your presence will make a difference. But in the end, I doubt it will."
Pitch: "It's not hurtin' anyone, anyway."
Anarod: "Been a few days on my end!"
Engir: "I'm happy to try."
Engir: "This thing still terrifies me when I pass by."
Gespenst slides past the fallen golem, with a weary expression.
Astrid: "(Laria, where in the seven hells are you...?)"