Dispatching a message - Game thread (Post stuff here)

[skydragonknight]

Jarkar stays in step with Talsor who is staying in step with Morthos who is staying in step(at a distance) from the scouts who supposedly know where they are going.

[Tshern]

A few minutes go by before the scouts see enemies for the first time. Two hamatulas are instructing lemures who work to build a barricade before the battered bridge. Another hamatula seems to be guarding the perimetre moving around close to the bridge. The bridge itself is in a terrible condition and all signs imply that there has been a great battle not more than ten minutes ago.

[spoiler]Irthos: By no means are there demons. If I implied that, I will take it back. But no demon bodies.

You stand some 300 feet away from the bridge and the land is very smooth towards the bridge, so crossing it with stealth is going to be an impossible task without some way of hiding in plain sight or invisibility.[/spoiler]

Edited for continuity.

[Irthos Levethix]

[spoiler=OOC] 1d20+24=43 for Knowledge Planes to know wtf a Hamatula is.[/spoiler]

[PhaedrusXY]

[spoiler=OOC] 1d20+24=43 for Knowledge Planes to know wtf a Hamatula is.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/devil.htm#barbedDevilHamatula

Know: Planes to see what Gabriel knows (as opposed to what the SRD knows ):
1d20+14=22

Well... at least he knows what one is. [/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler]Knowledge (the Planes): 42[/spoiler]

[AfterCrescent]

[spoiler]Talsor has no idea: Know (Planes) (1d20+13=15)[/spoiler]

[bogsnes]

[spoiler]Take ten for a 25...[/spoiler]

[Tshern]

[spoiler=OOC]Really, 20 tells you the stuff from the SRD entry. Hamatulas also tend to serve as low-ranking officers in the Legions of Hell, but these dudes sure don't seem like they work for the Dark Ministry.[/spoiler]

[BowenSilverclaw]

[spoiler]Any idea who/what they might work for instead with a Knowledge (the Planes) check of 42?

If I know it's something that opposes Lord Dispater I'll let the other guys know ingame so we can start our assault [/spoiler]

[Tshern]

OOC: A map of the area will be coming this weekend, but here's a short description:
From the mouth of the bridge pretty much everything in 300 feet radius has been cleaned apart from the barricades that start at 50 feet from the bridge and extended 10 feet forwards. After that, there are six enforced guard booths connected to the barricades with short corridors. The booths are 15 feet away from the barricades. At the moment the booths seem to have no guards. You, so far, have no idea what the defenses in the water are, but you can easily sneak to the coast to see for yourself.

As to who they could work for: Anyone really, but seeing that your best assumption is that you are going against the Lightbringer, they probably are under the command of one of his officers. However, the bridge itself is way too small an operation to be commanded by Lucifer or any of his Dukes.

[BowenSilverclaw]

"These devils obviously do not work for the Dark Ministry. Before we begin our onslaught, could you sneak closer to the coast to find out what kind of defenses, if any, the water holds, Syris?" Morthos communicates telepathically to his teammates.

[Irthos Levethix]

"Aye.  Wait here." the shadow whispered, and disappeared.  Several seconds later the figure reappeared nearby and reported its findings to the party.  "I believe I could conceal myself within one of those guard booths, and I can most definitely reach there from here"  Syris gleefully informs the crew.

[spoiler]
K, I'm gonna teleport and hide in the barricades near the coast to the left of our position, scout the area, looking for other forces or magical auras and whatnot.  Then I'll teleport to the far side of the circle and do so again, before returning to the party's position.

Woot, natural 20 on the hide check!  1d20+32=52[/spoiler]

[skydragonknight]

Jarkar hearsd Morthos' mental words, but it still nervous at their stopping so close to the enemy, especially an enemy he currently did not see. He did not believe "if you can't see them, they can't see you" that is basic animal instinct. In fact he believed quite the opposite-it would be foolish to believe that detection of their group was impossible or even improbable. And despite cover and distance he did not enjoy taking chances.

He whispered a single word in Infernal and black wings sprouted from his armor. Then he chanted in a low voice and a protective spell envelops him.

[spoiler]Activated my Infernal(reflavored Celestial) armor for 5 minutes of Fly. Then put up a Shield of Faith.[/spoiler]

He gestured to Talsor that he has words for the bearded one, and moved closer to Talsor, whispering to him, "If they tell you which energy these creatures favor, let me know. One of my spells can offer a few of us some protection."

[Tshern]

[spoiler]A crude map for you.



Irthos, give me the specifics of your scouting including special senses, spot checks and such.[/spoiler]

[Irthos Levethix]

[spoiler]Okay, same strat as far as my movement and scouting locations.  Not that great of spot checks, sadly, a 27 and then a 25.  I have Arcane Sight up, so I'm going to try to make sure that the 120ft range on that overlaps somewhere in the middle of the barricades, effectively searching for any/all magical auras in the area. 

Invis castle spot check
1d20+17=27, 1d20+17=25

Rolled another Hide check, for my teleport to the east side of the bridge.  Forgot to add in the +8 racial from my Collar, so +32 instead of +24.
1d20+24=44
Woot, another natural 20 on the hide check!  fuckin awesome!  That'd be a 52 on my hide, not a 44.  Remember, I've got Hide in Plain Sight right now.
[/spoiler]

[Tshern]

[spoiler]Thanks, I'll get back to this either tomorrow or the day after that. Labour Day means hard booze here.[/spoiler]

[Tshern]

[spoiler]So, as far as I understood, Irthos teleported to the lefthand side (east) of the barricade to study the situation? Is this correct?

Anyway, the water itself seems extremely poisonous and it is common knowledge that all sorts of mutated (fiendish, axiomatic...) animals released by different powers of Hell (mostly Haagenti, the exiled archdevil, and Abigor, Lord Bael's military leader), so entering it is not recommended. Your Arcane sight does not quite reach any of the devils or the barricade (300 feet of empty space between the bridge and the closest obstacles) and you see no obvious traps or reinforcements behind the barricade.

Also, the dead bearded devil I mentioned is not on the map, bad memory on my behalf. Its body is located right behind the barricades on the eastern side of the area cleared by the devils.[/spoiler]

[Irthos Levethix]

[spoiler] Aye, that was what I said.  Reading back on what I wrote, I teleported to the same side twice, oops.  So, is there any way to tell what killed the bearded devil?  Once I check him out, I'll 'port to the righthand side, and check it out as well.   

I'm going to guess that I won't get much more info... so I'll return to the party, and report what little I've found out.[/spoiler]

[Tshern]

[spoiler]The righthand side is pretty much identical to the lefthand side. Not a surprise, you are facing devils, who are known for their precise nature that borderlines obsession. However, the bearded devil shows no signs of violent death apart, although he has a few scars you can spot from a distance. Your best guess is a death effect, but there is no evidence to back your hypothesis.[spoiler]

[Irthos Levethix]

From his position, Syris informs those in the link of the devil, and the possible cause of its death.  "I'm going to have to move in for a closer look, but there's no obvious danger between here and and those guard booths.  Unless anyone has objections, I'm going in for a closer look, so be ready.  Give me a few moments, I need to prepare for this." he telepaths across the battlefield.
[spoiler] Okay, does whatever light source here count as Natural Light?  I think of the Sun, but we're on the second layer of Hell.  I suppose whatever light source that works here would be considered the natural light source for this plane.  Just wondering if my Hide in Plain Sight actually works here right now.  Its subject to "natural light, a Daylight spell, or something similar"

I'm going to cast Lesser Spell Matrix, dealing 1d6=4 points of damage to me, leaving me at 96hp, and then cast an Icelance in to it.
[/spoiler]


Status
[spoiler]
HP = 96 (69 Normal + 31 temp)
AC 25

Active Buffs
Arcane Sight (24hr)
Shield (24hr)
Snipers Shot (24hr)
Heart of Air, Earth, Fire, Water (24hr)
Gr Mage Armor (24hr)
Superior Resist (24hr)
Lesser Spell matrix (Icelance) (10/10 Minutes)[/spoiler]