Garland suggested several alternatives, including exploring new areas and investigating the haunt in the torture chamber. With Constantine's suggestion to look into one of the unexplored areas of the dungeon the group decided to forge ahead into unexplored territory. There was some discussion as to which new area to explore, which Kendra settled with a copper piece.

"It's heads." She said, peeking under the back of her hand and then showing the coin to the group.

North it was, and Kendra helped our heroes climb down their enchanted rope into the dungeon itself.

"I'll shout if I see anything up here." She called down after them as they made their way into the darkness.

The pushed forward into the cell block designated The Oubliette.

---

---

It was pitch black, illuminated only by the party's spells and torches, the roof as soot stained as elsewhere in the dungeon. The layout was similar as well, the central area ringed with cells that had lain open since the fire. The difference was a large iron grate set into the center of the floor, thrown open now, that led to a deep, dark pit. This subterranean cell, the titular oubliette, was where prisoners sentenced to solitary confinement were carelessly dropped.

Our heroes advanced cautiously, and their caution was rewarded. A rattling, echoing laugh ricocheted around the chamber. It was wild, tinged with madness and savage joy in the act of killing. A ghastly figure rose out of the pit in the center of the chamber. A man once, the spirit now had ungainly arms that dangled down near its feet as if it had been stretched out like clay. A rictus grin stretched its features. The rough axe that it hefted was a ghostly copy of the cursed axe that our heroes had found, naming it The Lopper.

---

---

---

The lopper rises out of the pit and cackles on his turn, it's now the player turn.

---

LOP - The Lopper - AC 16, Touch 16, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +5

CON - Constantine
GAR - Garland
DAR - Darcon
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:35, Thu 05 Sept 2019.

Garland closes his eyes and whispers softly. "Pharasma grant me the blade to destroy this abomination!" He then free hand forward with two fingers extended, calling on the power of his faith and goddess to destroy the abomination. He was surrounded by a spiritual white light that suddenly condensed itself into the form of a dagger hovering over his fingers. "Vance Stressle, it is time for you to rest. Pharasma calls you to face your final judgement!"

With an incoporeal dagger floating by his hand he swings his arm forward like a whip guiding it to cleanly cut through the creatures flesh though it bounces off the large ax. "Thats one. Two more." he thought as the weapon snapped back to him taking its original position.

OOC Casting spiritual weapon and attacking

12:36, Today: Garland Van Burke rolled 10 using 1d20+3.  attack roll.

“Come then fiend and face me now!”

SCG takes the center of the doorway setting a defensive posture
“Behind me the lopper is a danger a strong shield is needed to defend against.”

SCG eyes the strategy and has no plan to enter the chamber when he can hold the door....
Hodor for those GOT fans....
This message was last edited by the player at 20:28, Thu 05 Sept 2019.

Darcon assumed a defensive stance behind the others immediately upon sighting the Lopper, holding his staff slanted sideways in both hands.

As the ghastly apparition made no move towards them, Darcon made a circular motion in front of himself with one arm, two fingers extended and murmuring a soft chant. A white light shone in his eyes for a brief moment and a shimmering aura seemed to appear around him for a heartbeat, before suffusing into the mage's body.

---

Initiative: 11

02:24, Today: Darcon rolled 13 using 1d20+2.  Initiative.

Our heroes began to array their defenses and the Lopper's grin widened with sadistic glee. He batted Garland's conjured weapon away carelessly, surging forward with his axe raised high. As he pounced he swung the spectral weapon in a massive arcing swing that passed directly through Garland's neck.

Had the weapon been physical the cleric would surely have been decapitated. As it was the spectral axe passed through his flesh without resistance and an impossible gout of ghostly blood sprayed from the wound. Rather than spattering about the arterial spray hung in the air, mist like, and then seemed to flow into the Lopper himself.

---

---

Garland casts Spiritual Weapon but misses.
Constantine takes Full Defense.
Darcon casts Protection from Evil.

The Lopper moves forward and makes a touch attack against Garland. Garland takes 5 negative energy damage and 4 bleed damage.

It's now the player phase.

---

LOP - The Lopper - AC 16, Touch 16, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +5

CON - Constantine
GAR - Garland
DAR - Darcon, protection from evil

“Come then creature and be smited!”

SCG takes a heavy swing at the creature smiting evil.
AC hosted to 21 while smiting


“Attack me cowardly devil!”


Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 10 using 1d8+4.  Smite damage . 14:47, Today: Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 22 using 1d20+6.  Attack roll smite evil Morningstar
This message was last edited by the player at 18:49, Fri 06 Sept 2019.

As the Lopper surged forward to meet his companions in battle, Darcon began another chant, arms held wide as his voice rose in a crescendo, calling upon ancient bargains struck by his Order with beings from other planes and passed down from masters to apprentices over the centuries.

As the mage beseech-ed their aid in defending against and destroying the evil shade they now faced, his robes whipped around him as suddenly a howling wind gusted through the chamber, passing over the melee and swirling into a misty form right behind the Lopper.

[Language: Auran]"Solider of the Ethereal Wind, destroy this spawn of darkness so the winds may blow freely in this place once more!" Darcon yelled to the misty form.

---

Garland looks over at Constantine, breathing heavily as he clutches the holy symbol in his free hand. "Get behind it, well take him from both sides!" he says as he waits, knowing its a risky move that might force him to take a hit but Garland was ready as they both needed healing badly.

OOC: Delay till Constantine gets into position then channel energy to heal both of them. If he decides to do something else, channel energy anwyay

08:52, Today: Garland Van Burke rolled 8 using 2d6+2.  channel energy.

“Nay! Holdfast! It will rush or trip you into the pit.  Hold here, I am uninjured and it must attack me.  Rotate if you must, or bring forth a creature to fight beside me, but our best chance is to hold this placement.”

Constantine shouted his challenge and the Lopper was gloriously happy to oblige, cackling madly as it swooped towards the paladin and lashed out with its gangly, stretched arms. That its attack flew far wide of the mark did little to curb it's crazed mirth and its grin never faltered, even as Constantine and Darcon's summoned minion struck out at it.

---

---

Constantine smites and hits the Lopper for 10 damage.

Darcon summons a Air Elemental which attacks The Lopper for a miss, but which is still providing a flanking bonus to Constantine.

Garland channels, healing everyone for 8. This also cures his Bleeding condition.

The Lopper swings at Constantine but misses.

---

LOP - The Lopper - AC 16, Touch 16, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +5, 10 damage

CON - Constantine, 1 damage
GAR - Garland
DAR - Darcon, protection from evil

AIR - Darcon's Air Elemental, Rounds 1/4

The winds howled as the swirling elemental surged towards the Lopper, trying to envelop the shade in its airy embrace. A mortal creature of flesh and bone would long since have been swept away, but the apparition was no mortal being, and the elemental found it hard to clutch or strike.

Darcon had little choice but to fall back onto a more reliable spell. "Magica Altum Scintillis!" The mage intoned, slamming his staff point down into the stony floor while staring at the Lopper. Blue light streaked from his palm and into the staff, streaking upward until exploding forth from the gem within the tip in the form of azure bolts of power.

The bolts streaked up, up into the room, lighting up the shadows before lazily descending and unerringly smashing into the Lopper one by one.

---

This message was last edited by the player at 14:01, Tue 10 Sept 2019.

SCG shouts over the raging winds, to keep the dangerous opponent focused on himself “Come lopper and meet my challenge!”


Today: Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 5 using 1d8+4. 08:32, Today: Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 27 using 1d20+8.  Smite attack with flanking.

“Look at me whilst I am smiting you!”
This message was last edited by the player at 12:36, Tue 10 Sept 2019.

Garland takes a step closer and swings his arm, fingers extended one more time as the spiritual knife strikes out cutting nothing but air before fading away.


OOC: 09:24, Today: Garland Van Burke rolled 13 using 1d20.  attack roll.

Darcon and Constantine struck true, reaching out with fingers of arcane force and mighty swings of divine retribution, and their attacks punched through the Lopper's incorporeal form to full effect.

Each weighty hit brought a grunt of delight from the spirit, whose serrated grin only widened.

It shifted towards Garland and once again swept its axe through the cleric's neck. Again the impossible gout of blood, and again the ghostly spray seemed to flow into the Lopper's ghostly form.

---

---

Darcon's MM hits the lopper for 16 damage.
Darcon's summoned Air Elemental misses the lopper.

Constantine's smite hits the lopper for 5 damage.

Garland misses with his spiritual weapon.

The Lopper makes a touch attack against Garland. Garland takes 4 negative energy damage and 5 bleed damage. The lopper heals 5 points of damage.

---

LOP - The Lopper - AC 16, Touch 16, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +5, 26 damage

CON - Constantine
GAR - Garland, 10 damage, bleeding
DAR - Darcon, protection from evil

AIR - Darcon's Air Elemental, Rounds 2/4

“Ignore me at your peril foul devil.”


SCG swings mightily into the lopper

Today: Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 7 using 1d8+4.  Smite damage . 16:23, Today: Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 24 using 1d20+8.  Smite attack including flanking.


“It seems over focused on you perhaps a summons of a horse or something to use as a shield.”

Gritting his teeth as the foul shade again attacked Garland, drawing his very vitality it seemed in order to revitalize itself, Darcon commanded his summoned ally in Auran to move and strike at the shade. The elemental obeyed but unfortunately once more its ethereal winds could not manage to grasp the apparition.

Again Darcon chanted the mystic words and three bright blue bolts of power shot forth from his staff, lazily arcing over Garland and swirling in the air before unerringly dropping and striking the Lopper in a cascade of miniature azure explosions.

"Keep it hedged in, do not let it escape!" the mage called out to his companions.

---

Air Elemental Moves: to G-10; Air Elemental Attack: 12 (miss)
Note: Garland has a +2 flanking bonus on his next attack.

“Hit it with holy water!”

With his spiritual weapon gone and having dealt no damage to the spirit Garland grunts in frustration as he looks back at Darcon, knowing he has nowhere to go and very little life left in him. "Let's hope my studies hold true." he thought as he began casting a spell, half focusing on the foe in front of him and half concentrating on the spell. For the first time this fight his luck held as the spell surrounds his hands in glowing white light which is quickly absorbed into his own body closing nearly all of his wounds.

OOC: Casting defensively and using cure moderate wounds on himself

09:29, Today: Garland Van Burke rolled 9 using 2d8+4.

09:27, Today: Garland Van Burke rolled 25 using 1d20+8.  concentration check.

Missiles and holy power impacted the Lopper, Constantine and Darcon sending waves of damage through the spirit while Garland focused on countering its strikes.

Gleeful peals of horrible laughter echoed around the chamber. The Lopper cackled with delight each time it was struck, its sinuous limbs moving in impossible patterns as it wove its bloodstained axe through the air.

It feinted left, darted right, and with a neat backflip tumbled away from Constantine. It button hooked around, floated through the solid wall of the cell, and an emerged grinning directly adjacent to Darcon.

It laughed and struck out wildly, too wildly to hit anything, simply possessed with the joy of killing.

---

---

Darcon's MM hits the lopper for 11 damage.
Darcon's summoned Air Elemental misses the lopper.

Constantine's smite hits the lopper for 7 damage.

Garland heals himself for 9.

The Lopper makes an Acrobatics check to move without provoking AoOs. He beats Garlands CMD but not Constantine or the Air Elementals. Constantine and the Elemental both get an AoO against the Lopper.

The Lopper attacks Darcon but misses (on a nat 1).

---

LOP - The Lopper - AC 16, Touch 16, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +5, 44 damage

CON - Constantine
GAR - Garland, 1 damage
DAR - Darcon, protection from evil

AIR - Darcon's Air Elemental, Rounds 3/4

As the Lopper moved the air elemental was quick to react, striking with the speed of a southern wind, then began to follow after it to finish the job. Before Darcon could of reacting himself the shade appeared to vanish into the stone walls of the cell.

Eyes widening the mage gazed about him, his hood falling off his head as he swiveled his head this way and that, when suddenly the foul creature emerged right next to him!

"Gah!" Darcon yelled, moving backwards, his heart missing a couple of beats inside his chest. Sliding backwards against the wall at his back, Darcon called out for his elemental to come to his aid. Then gritting his teeth he raised his staff and slammed it point down onto the ground; there was a sudden flash of crackling light and soundless thunder rolled outwards from the staff's impact.

---

Air Elemental AoO: 21; Damage: 04.
Move Action (Darcon): Move to G-6. Standard Action (Darcon): Lightning Flash. Damage: 05 & Lopper is Dazzled (Lopper makes REF Save vs DC:15 to avoid Dazzled & take half damage)
Air Elemental: Move to F-13 (Should grant flanking to Constantine if move is successful); Standard Action (Attack Lopper): 28 (nat 20); Damage: 04 (includes x2 for crit bonus)

“Devils pawn!”

SCG reacts quickly but misses on the opening and then again on his normal attack roll...

Garland steps forward with morningstar in hand and swings it down onto the creature, hitting nothing but air once again.


20:38, Today: Garland Van Burke rolled 14 using 1d20.  attack roll.

Darcon tried to extricate himself, sending a flash of magic radiating from his staff to cover his escape while his summoned elemental gusted through the front line to cover his retreat. The creature buffeted the Lopper, hardened air slamming through its incorporeal form to little effect besides distraction.

Heedless of being beset on all sides the Lopper struck out wildly an randomly, slashing at Darcon's elemental ally as it sailed overhead and directing a vicious strike at Constantine as well. The ghostly axe passed through his shield, through his armor, and even the divine protection of his holy wrath was not enough to save him from the gout of blood that fountained from him, flowing into the ghost.

---

---

Darcon Lightning Flashes the Lopper, who fails his save, takes 2 damage (on account of being incorporeal) and is dazzled.
Darcon's Air elemental hits the Lopper but passes through his incorporeal form.

Constantine misses.

Garland misses.

The Lopper AoOs Darcon's air elemental and hits, dealing 1 negative energy damage but zero bleed damage, as it is immune.
The Lopper makes a touch attack against Constantine and hits for 5 negative energy damage and 2 bleed damgage. The Lopper heals 2 hp.

---

LOP - The Lopper - AC 16, Touch 16, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +5, 44 damage

CON - Constantine, 7 damage, bleeding
GAR - Garland, 1 damage
DAR - Darcon, protection from evil

AIR - Darcon's Air Elemental, Rounds 4/4

Growing enraged by the deadly shades continuing existence Darcon backed away another few paces. "Very well fiend, let me grant you a taste of true power!" the mage called out to the Lopper. He flung both arms wide and then moved them in a spherical gesture, drawing them close to his body. His robes flapped suddenly as an unseen wind formed and appeared to tug at his clothing from every direction; though his lips moved and formed chants in an unknown tongue the wind stole the words as it swirled around him.

The mage's eyes glowed a bright blue and he almost appeared to float slightly above the ground as he drew himself to his full height and gestured in the direction of the ghastly apparition. The wind around him stopped with the same suddenness with which it had appeared and his feet touched the ground once more.

Suddenly the air began howling around the Lopper, forming into a crackling sphere of dark smoke and lightning, looking all the world like an angry thundercloud on a stormy day that engulfed the Lopper, tongues of lightning reaching out to caress the dark Shade. With a mental nudge Darcon then moved the dark storm cloud to the side of the Shade, so it would not impede his companions' attacks upon the Lopper.

---

This message was last edited by the player at 21:32, Thu 12 Sept 2019.

SCG turns fully to square off against the lopper, as he does so he swiftly heals himself to staunch the bleeding swiftly

Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 3 using 1d6.  Swift action lay on hands self.

“You will fail and you will fall into dust.”


SCG continues to smite the abomination

Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 6 using 1d8+4.  Smite evil damage. 08:33, Today: Sir Constantine Godalming rolled 16 using 1d20+8.  Smite evil with flanking.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:37, Fri 13 Sept 2019.