Brankx closes the door and leans against it, his axe in hand, he breathes deeply as he rests, taking a drink of water as he did. He smiled at the group as he did. "Well, this place has had some surprises fer us." He muttered

---

<OOC: Spend 1 HD to recover HP

 Brankx rolled 5 using 1d8+2 with rolls of 3.  hp recovery (use 1hd)

Recovered 5 HP>

"A clever mechanical toy baked into a cake is a nice surprise," commented the gnome before entering the door to the long hallway that lead off to the south.  "Stay back for a moment, Ken."  He waved his mechanical servant back for a moment as he crept forward.  Erky's voice also dropped to a whisper.  "Being raked by skeleton claws and animated nettles not so nice."

Erky Timbers rolled 21 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 19.  Stealth.  Leaving Ken behind for now.
Be vewy qwiet.  Wew hunting wabbits.

Erky decided that discretion was the better part of valor and took the lead to explore the next room, as the rest were still getting up from polishing weapons or reading spellbooks. The gnome was quiet enough to surprise an alert rabbit and entered the room with a dragon statue, a red circular tile before the draconic monument. Something seemed engraved on the red tile, but the artificer did not have the right angle to read it from the entrance of the room.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:52, Wed 01 May.

Keely followed the gnome a short distance away, letting him do his thing.

---

OOC: Following at a distance of 30 feet.

Brankx followed after Keely, not concerned with stealth at all

There was something about a large unoccupied room with a single dragon statue in the middle, and a red circular tile before it.  Something ... unsettling.  This was the place in all of the tales where the giant human in the eyeless mask appeared out of nowhere with bloody knife raised high.  Or a ten thousand ton weight dropped down from - again - out of nowhere crushing the life from you.  Something.

A brief glance over his shoulder revealed Keely and Brankx.  That was comforting.  But not enough to dispel the ominous feeling of ... Something  And so the gnome took his time.  From the corner of the hallway he gave the room a thorough study.  He pondered the purpose of the room from angles both ecclesiastic as well as historical.

"Please let it be nothing," he muttered to himself.  As opposed to, say, Something.

OoC: Erky Timbers rolled 20 using 1d20+1 with rolls of 19.  Perception.
Erky Timbers rolled 7 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 2.  History.
Erky Timbers rolled 21 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 16.  Religion.

Erky recognized that the flowing runes inscribed on the edge of the red tile were in a language he had studied years ago, long before this ordeal had fallen on his shoulder, the archaic language of dragons.

"Well, that makes sense."  The gnome straightened from a crouch.  He scratched his head.  He glanced once again at the statue, and the colored tile, and at the words etched on the edge.  "It's just a statue," said the gnome to those following behind.  "Of a dragon.  With a red tile in front of it.  And there's writing on the edge of the tile.  Looks like draconic," he reported.  He still seemed reluctant to enter the room.

"Say, didn't the kobold, um, Meepo, didn't he say that his people used to rule this place at one time?  That must be why there are so many ... well ... dragon things about."

Vyn'al went forward to examine the draconic script.

As Vyn'al got closer to examine the red block with the draconic script, he noticed a suspicious shadow moving toward him, not following at all the lights of the party.

The creature totally fumbled its stealth roll, I rolled a nat 1, initiative and first action everyone

Vyn reacted with fire, but only a strike rather than the sustained flames he was known for.

---

Initiative	17
Rolls	00:22, Today: Vyn'al Ethinos rolled 17 using 1d20+1.  Initiative
Action	cast Sacred Flame, Dex 14 vs 2 Radiant
Rolls	00:25, Today: Vyn'al Ethinos rolled 2 using 1d8.  Sacred Flame, Dex 14
Move	Back away to keep get out of the creature's range if I go before it in initiative. Otherwise, stay.

"Awk!  I knew there was something here!"  After initial panic, Erky the Gnome stilled his nerves to line up a shot.  "I didn't know it would be *THAT*, though." he mumbled under the twang of his bow.  From behind came the sound of Ken's felt-padded footsteps, as he hied to protect his master.

OoC:
 Target: Shadow
 Standard action: Attack w/Bow
 Free action: Speak.
 Move Action: None. But Ken moves into place in front of Erky.
 Bonus action: Command Ken to Dash if necessary to get him in place.
 Reaction: None.

Erky Timbers rolled 3 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 1.  Initiative.
Erky Timbers rolled 18 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 13.  Attack w/Bow.
Erky Timbers rolled 8 using 1d6+3 with rolls of 5.  Damage.

Note:  The Repeating Shot infusion counts as a magic weapon.

Brankx barely registered the movement as he held out his hand, calling in dwarvem for Dumathoin's wrath to strike whatever it was down. "Don't sneak up on us, ye bastard!"

Initiative	Brankx rolled 2 using 1d20 with rolls of 2.  iniative.
Move	None
Action	Cast Guiding bolt at Bugbear
	Brankx rolled 2 using 1d8. toll of the dead damage (If undamaged).
	Brankx rolled 2 using 1d12. toll of the dead damage (If damaged).
	Wisdom save DC 12 or take 2 necrotic damage
Bonus	None

Keely needed to see what she was fighting.  Right now, it was too much in shadow.  She moved around to try and see it better in the light.

---

Move	Circle around to get a better look.
Action	Dodge, forcing any attacks on me to be at disaadvantage

Hearing the kerfuffle, BEAR steps into the room to see their companions fighting what appeared to be a shadow. They pull out their now trusty bow, and take a shot at the confusing target. They were, in fact however, confused by the unfamiliar target.


Bonus action dash into the room
Failed attack with short bow - 10

Rolls
21:58, Today: B.E.A.R. rolled 13 using 2d8+4 with rolls of 4,5.  short rest.
22:16, Today: B.E.A.R. rolled 10 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 5.  short bow attack.

"Look out!" The discrete Kobold was the first to react to the shadow's presence but his bow shot was completely ineffective (miss)

Vyn'al attacked with a spell he rarely displayed and the creature seemed to be more gray for an instant as it shrieked in pain. (Shadow is hit and takes 4 damage)

B.E.A.R. had been keeping rear watch and ran into the room, its bow shot as effective as Meepo's (miss)

Keely was not too sure what to make of the shadowy creature and decided, for once, to be cautious, maybe too much (dodge action)

The shadow suddenly elongated towards the wizard that had hurt it, engulfing him in a shadowy embrace. The cold fingers drained the wizard's vital force shocking his system, that shut down (Vyn'al is hit for 11 necrotic damage, temporarily loses 4 Str points, until a short or long rest. You fall unconscious, next turn you will need to do a death save)

With Ken running back to his side, the suspicious Erky had his bow ready, and the energy arrow shot though the undead creature, causing another unearthly shriek. (Shadow is hit for 8 magical damage)

The bells of doom resonated in the room from Brankx's spell, but the shadow did not seem to react at all to it (You can make a religion check)


This message was last edited by the GM at 13:31, Tue 07 May.

The gnome's eyes went big as the Shadow wrapped the mage in its cold, lightless embrace.  The wizard's slip to the floor seemed almost graceful, and so much more terrible for it.

"Ken, rend," he commanded, and was almost surprised that there was no tremor in his voice as he did so.  Then, with a quick and definitive pull and release, he sent a second arrow in the direction of the creature of the umbral realms.

OoC:
 Target: Shadow
 Bonus action: Command Ken Attack Shadow.
 Standard action: Attack w/Bow
 Move Action: None. But Ken moves to attack.
 Free action: Speak.
 Reaction: None.

Erky Timbers rolled 22 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 17.  Attack with Bow.
Erky Timbers rolled 5 using 1d6+3 with rolls of 2.  Damage.
Erky Timbers rolled 9 using 1d20+5 with rolls of 4.  Ken's Rend Attack.

Note:  Ken's Rend is Force Damage, if that matters.

"How do you fight a shadow?!" Keely shouted.  Unfortunately, her best guess was fire, and their main fire-creator was down for the count.

"Get him to Brankx!!!"  The barbarian princess shouted before she summoned the spirit of the polar bear, recalling the ferocious strength with which it had fought before she'd slain it.  Bladestaff spinning, she attacked cautiously, uncertain how her entire mundane bladestaff would do against the clearly mythical creature.

---

Bonus	I would like to Rage
Action	ROLL: Keely Navila rolled 23 using 1d20+3 ((natural 20)). Attack: Bladestaff
	ROLL: Keely Navila rolled 10 using 4d4+3 ((2,2,2,1)). Damage: Bladestaff (Critical, Raging)
Bonus	ROLL: Keely Navila rolled 18 using 1d20+3 ((15)). Bonus Attack: Bladestaff
	ROLL: Keely Navila rolled 7 using 1d4+3 ((4)). Bonus Damage: Bladestaff

19:46, Today: Vyn'al Ethinos rolled 16 using 1d20 with rolls of 16.  Death Save

Brankx barely registered the movement as he held out his hand, calling in dwarvem for Dumathoin's wrath to strike whatever it was down. "Don't sneak up on us, ye bastard!"

Initiative	Brankx rolled 2 using 1d20 with rolls of 2.  iniative.
Move	None
Action	Cast Guiding bolt at Shadow
	Brankx rolled 13 using 1d20+4. Attack - Guiding Bolt.
	Brankx rolled 10 using 4d6. Damager - Guiding Bolt (If Hit).
Bonus	None

This message was last edited by the player at 06:59, Thu 09 May.

Meepo took the time to actually aim the shadowy form and his arrow flew true, passing through the undead monster and falling on the ground behind (shadow hit for 1 damage)

Vyn'al regained a little bit of color but was not out of the woods yet (Death save passed)

Distraught by fall of the mage, B.E.A.R. tried to shot it again and missed (GM rolled)

Keely might not have known how to fight a shadow but certainly knew her blade dance and the twin strikes were enough to send the monster to its eternal rest (Shadow is dead)

Fight is over

Brankx had only a moment before he went to the fallen elf, and crouching b=down, placed a hand on him. "Dumathoin....here th' call of ye son. Give life ter this pointy eared bastard - me life would be too booring without his belly-ching"

---

<OOC: Casts Spare the dying>

The breathing of the elf stabilized after the dwarf's call to Dumathoin, but he remained unconscious

<ooc>No more death saves needed, Vyn'al is still at 0 HP, unless healed more, will wake up in 4 hours

"Oh.  Good work."  The gnome approaches the dwarf with hearty congratulations.  "My turn now."

OoC:  Vyn'al gets the paddle.
Erky Timbers rolled 6 using 1d8+3 with rolls of 3.  Cure Wounds.

Vyn'al felt life coursing through his veins after the gnome batted him with the saliva covered paddle. No more shadows moved unnaturally in the room dominated by the dragon statue.