Garland pulls his holy symbol from the chain on his right shoulder and brandishes it with faith and conviction. "Let Pharasma's holy light engulf these abominations in the fires of her retribution!" he shouted as the room was filled with a brilliant light, expanding outward.

Keanala took a small step to the right (E,18) and nocked an arrow into her short bow.  She was hasty and her quick movements through off her aim.


OOC:
Attack on FS5 = 9 (Miss)

Garland ducked under the two skulls floating before him, dashing into position to expose all six skulls to his holy energy. Both skulls swooped towards him as he ran, but only one managed to connect.

Darcon cast a quick spell to cover him as he darted forward, a ray of counter-necromantic energy crumbling one of the skulls with a single cast.

A wave of holy energy washed over the room and the cackling screeches of the flying, burning skulls rose to a horrendous pitch. Two of them broke and fled, disappearing back down the hole in the center of the room. Although their fiery aura would render them immune to regular flames, the divine fires of Garland's channel would easily burn the fleeing skulls to ashes before they could return to the fray.

The remaining skulls lashed out. Exposed in the center of the room, the two remaining skulls slammed into Garland. Although it had squishier, easier to hit targets available to it the skull threatening Constantine continued to mindlessly batter itself against his shield.

---

---

Darcon vaporizes one skull with his Disrupt Undead.

Two of the skulls take attacks of opportunity against Garland as he moves to the center of the room, one hits. Garland takes 5 damage (1 physical, 4 fire).

Three of the skulls pass their saves but the remaining two flee from Garland's Turn Undead. The will burn out before the fear wears off so they are effectively eliminated.

During their turn FS5 attacks Constantine for a miss, FS6 charges Garland but misses, FS3 atacks Garland for a hit. Garland takes 6 damage (1 physical, 5 fire)


FS3 - AC 13, Touch 13, Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1, HP 5/5
FS5 - AC 13, Touch 13, Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1, HP 5/5
FS6 - AC 11, Touch 11, Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1, HP 5/5, Charged (-2 AC)

“Garland get back here.”

Swing with a hit or miss

Seeing Garland was in trouble, Darcon focused at the skulls battering themselves against him. Making flowing, cryptic gestures with the two extended fingers of his free hand Darcon chanted, "Magica Altum Scintillis!"

Opening his hand he pointed his palm in the direction of the skulls attacking Garland, sending twin bolts of crackling azure power streaking in their direction. Both bolts slammed into one of the skulls, ending its fire and shattering it into bony dust.

---

"Two more. I will have to adjust my strategy." he thinks as he feels the stings of flames and heat from the skulls. His stance changes from offensive to defensive, using his morningstar as a shield as much as his faith. He takes a step back and grips the holy symbol tightly he whispers again "Holy goddess bring health and well being to those that serve you and final rest to the abominations of your work!"

Once again the room is filled with the same light though the effect is far different now as the energy heals wounds and harms the undead.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:12, Fri 12 Apr 2019.

Constantine lashed out with his morningstar, the iron shod club smashing into the flaming skull with a hollow thwock sound. It careened against the wall and shattered, is flames guttering out.

Darcon's spell streaked from his fingertips, whizzing past Garland's ears on either side as the missiles homed in on their target. They made good contact, and that skull too rattled to the floor.

Garland's burst of holy energy washed over the last skull, its blackened surface pitting and flaking as it was scoured with positive energy. Somehow it survived and, still blazing, swooped ineffectually at Garland.

---

---

Constantine smashes the skull in front of him.

Darcon's magic missiles take down one of the skulls threatening Garland.

The remaining skull passed its will save and took 3 damage from Garland's channel. I'm assuming you were channeling to damage, if you were channeling to heal then let me know.

On its turn the last skull tries to slam Garland but misses.


FS6 - AC 13, Touch 13, Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1, HP 2/5
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 19:06, Fri 12 Apr 2019.

Darting forward, his pristine cloak flowing around him soundlessly Darcon closed with Garland and the remaining unearthly skull. "Let us end this," the mage remarked sharply, extending his arm and sending another lance of emerald power with a whispered word of power.

---

Disrupt Undead: 20; Damage: 01 Wow the last skull seems to have jinxed the dice roller

Keanala turned to aim her short bow at the remaining flaming skull, but it was too close to Garland for her to get a good shot.  Luckily, that's why she had the morningstar.

Hearing Darcon cast his enchantment, Keanala waited to see what would come of it before doing anything rash.

OOC:
If the skull is still alive, Keanala will run up to it and take a swing with her morningstar.  Although with an attack of 3, she hardly seems a threat.

When Darcon and Keanala both sent ineffectual attacks streaking towards the final skull, glancing blows and misses, a high pitched, terrified war whoop sounded up from the back of the party's formation.

"Yaaaaah!" Kendra shrieked as she sprinted forwards through the ranks. She swung her rucksack in a wide arc that sent her spinning around in a circle. It smacked into the skull which ricocheted into the wall and shattered with a final, fiery burst. Kendra's momentum brought her around in a circle and she sat down heavily as she toppled over.

"Whew! That was...exciting." She said tremulously, obviously still frightened by the many terrifying phenomena in the prison walls.

---

Darcon and Keanala fail to kill and miss, respectively, and Kendra jumps into initiative to finish off the last skull.

---

With the foes defeated our heroes were able to fan out and examine the training room. The collapsed east wall looked out over the prison's murky pond and the yard beyond. It would take a little wading, but the prison could be entered or exited via that avenue.

A grimy rivulet ran from the pond to the gaping, blackened hole in the center of the chamber. Peeking over the edge revealed only blackness in the dungeon below, but a dropped stone spoke in echoes of a drop about 20ft onto a stone floor.

The rest of the training room was relatively empty. Dummies and weapon racks filled with rusty equipment were strewn about, and cabinets holding food and mundane supplies had long since rotted. A thorough examination of the room revealed no further treasure or clues.

Burned and bleeding Garland takes a deep breath as he looks over himself. "I have one last chance to channel energy today, is anyone else injured?" he asked, knowing he didnt want to use it or convert his other spells into curative spells just on himself.

“Mistress Kendra Perhaps we should get you a proper weapon with momentum you can hit things.”....is everyone well?”

SCG considers the murky water ...
“What swarm awaits us there? Leeches Perhaps?”

SCG walks over to Garland quickly laying on hands to heal his obvious burns bumps and bruises.
Heals 4 points of Garlands damage
This message was last edited by the player at 23:38, Mon 15 Apr 2019.

"Well, I've got this." Kendra said, brandishing the bread knife that she had completely forgotten about in the head of the moment.

"If anything makes it to the back of the line they're certain to get a slashing."

She perched nervously at the edge of the charred pit and peered over the edge into blackness.

"Should we go down there? Look in the pond? Or explore somewhere else?"

Darcon could only stare at Kendra after her mad charge. Surely it must the pent up anger and frustration over her fathers murder and other recent events bubbling to the surface; still the mage hoped she would not put herself in needless danger.

Walking over to join her at the edge of the pit he raised a hand, murmured an incantation and focused, trying to sense anything useful. "Any idea what those...skulls were?" he asked Kendra curiously.

---

Cast Detect Magic on the darkness in the pit

Garland looks down the long pit but shakes his head side to side slowly. "I believe we would be better served exploring the entire floor first before we move on. However with all the paranormal activity we've seen so far, I think we will need to look into the various staff and prisoners that passed in the fire. The last thing we should do is go into this not knowing who we might be facing."

“Aye we should clear this floor before venturing below if we are weakened we can find our escape route blocked and end up betwixt two dangers....though I doubt not the heavy pack and butter knife in good stead.”

"We're going to have to get you a proper weapon, Kendra."  Keanala said with a grin.  Kendras charge had surprised the Oread into inaction, such was the strangeness of the event, but she couldn't help but admire the womans gumption.

She turned her attention back to the pit.  Keanala grimaced.  "Deep, dark pit?  Yeah, not right now.  I don't think that was part of the prison floor plan.  I'm not too enthusiastic about that big puddle of water either.  We need to deal with both though.  I saw pit last, pond before that.  Let's finish exploring what we can without disturbing either of these."

"Good idea, I'll confess that I'm not too eager to head down into the dungeon. Let's keep exploring up here." Kendra said with no small amount of relief.

Our heroes moved on to the next room, skirting around the partially flooded floor and instead heading through the door to the north. The chamber was large and lined with coal bins, most half empty. The south wall was dominated by a massive furnace, its firebox gaping like an empty mouth, open baffles peering out over the room like eye sockets. A rusty plaque at its base labeled it "Old Embermaw".

As the group moved into the room the temperature rose, imperceptibly at first, and then with increasing rapidness. Gradually the smell of rot and brackish water was replaced by the scent of burning flesh.

Darcon and Keanala recognized these telltale supernatural markers in time to yell out a warning to the rest of the group. Tiny pinpricks of flame flared to life in the furnace and the smell of smoke and flame filled the room as our heroes scrambled to respond.

---

Darcon and Keanala both pass perception checks and call out a warning that a haunt is manifesting in the furnace. You have a round to act before it manifests.

---

---

Explored Rooms:
A1 - Entryway
A2 - Foyer
A3 - Auditorium
A5 - Property Room
A6 - Offices
A7 - Warden's Office
A9 - Stairwell
A10 - Furnace Room - You are here

Unexplored Rooms:
A4 - ???
A8 - Chapel - opened but not explored
1 - ???
2 - ???
3 - ???
4 - ???
5 - ???
6 - ???

Garland holds his morningstar tightly as he surveys the room though at Deacon and Kenala's warning his eyes grow wide as he looks back to the door. He could have used his last chance to channel energy and theoretically subdue the haunt before it manifested but that was a gamble at best. Instead he chooses to be out of the room when it goes off, shouting a warning as he lets the others know his plan. "Everyone back through the doorway! Quickly now!"

Keanala tried to push everyone out of the room.  "I am really getting tired of every single room having a haunt!" she exclaimed.  "I mean, come on!"

“Verily an abounding of haunts.  Quickly is a siphon at the ready?”

SCG stands in front of the others thinking his shield will take the brunt of the sxpefted fiery blast

"Crap! Everyone move!" Darcon called out, lunging for the doorway and seeking to jump out of the room as fast as possible.

The charred smell rose to a nauseating intensity and the great firebox of Old Embermaw gaped open. Roiling heat waves around the furnace seemed to give the cracked stones an unearthly life, moving and shifting like a malevolent face. Twin pinpricks of flame blazed in its eyes, fixed on the rapidly retreating party.

Constantine stood fast to cover the other's escape as they bolted out of the room. When the haunt finally manifested a blazing ray of flame shot out from the mouth of the furnace, splashing against the doughty paladin's shield and playing licking tongues of fire over his frame.

Still charred from the attack, the haunt did not look like it was expended in the slightest. In fact it was charging for a second attack when Keanala reached through the doorway, seized Constantine by the back of his collar, and dragged him through into the training room. Kendra slammed the door just as another ray of flame splashed against the stone doorframe inches from Constantine's head.

From the looks of things the haunt would remain active in that room until defeated or dispelled.

"I agree." Kendra said, panting, hands on her knees. "This place is extremely haunted. Should we try to figure out this haunt? Or just bypass that room?"

---

The haunt manifests and casts a spell that Darcon recognizes as scorching ray. The first cast hits Constantine for 9 damage.

Seeing Constantine injured so badly Garland places a hand over the wound, letting it fill with a soothing white light as he whispers softly "Pharasma, lady of graves and judge of all grant this holy warrior your healing embrace."

Garland looks back and forth at all the people gathered and shakes his head side to side slowly. "Im unsure continuing is the best option. We are all injured, some of us badly so, and we have used a great deal of our spells. It may be time to retreat and research but perhaps we should take inventory of our capibilities and put it to a vote. I have two spells remaining and one last opportunity to channel energy."

OOC: 20:05, Today: Garland Van Burke rolled 7 using 1d8+1.  Cure light wounds. Constantine gets 7 hp back.

"Well, I'm okay to keep exploring, we may be able to examine a few more of these rooms before we need to pull back. It could be good to call it a day though." Kendra said.

She hefted her satchel and the crumbling reams of records from the offices and the warden's office that had been packed inside.

"It will give us some time to go over all of this." She said.