Clot Busters, Part 2
Last week, in part one of Clot Busters...
The adventurers, at the behest of one Liatris Vorhearst on bhalf of the Town of Greenholme, had found themselves on the trail of bloodthirsty killers. The combined knowledge of the group solidifies the culprits to the horrific prospect of Blood Golems. Through dilligence, they managed to track the abominations to what could be an artificer's hut, where they find the two constructs standing over a small body, likely the owner.
Likely their would-be owner.
Well, in the next world, perhaps.
Battle was joined with stout hearts and resolve by Rocky and Stena, charging to face the danger under the heartsome, bolstering melodies of the inspiring Shara, with the added divine support of wise Sark, while their archer, Alexander supported them with his trusy bow!
Still, battle is rarely a certain thing, and while one of the constructs seems badly mauled, Rocky has been seized by one of the monsters, while the other continues to flail away at Stena!
And so, the battle continues...
Shara easily continues her little ditty to keep everyone inspired, but she's looking for opportunities. At least...for the perceptive.
GAME: Sark rolls 1d20+9: (6)+9: 15
Lowering his Althean emblazoned shield. Sark raises up his rapier and attempts to make a savage stab at the disgusting Golem. Unforutnately the masked cleric is no warrior, and the blade skitters off the hard shell of the mosnter harmlessly.
GAME: Scab rolls 1d20+10: (18)+10: 28 GAME: Scab rolls 2d6+2: (10)+2: 12 GAME: Scab damaged Stena for 12 points. 35 HP remaining. GAME: Scab rolls 1d20+4: (16)+4: 20 (Grapple check) GAME: Scab rolls 1d20+10: (6)+10: 16
Scab, ruddy dust and flakes skating off in the wake of the rapier's point, slams an arm into Stena and crusty pseudopods splay out to anchor to her body, causing more of her blood to seep free, though it's other arm manages to miss the barbarian for her wild bucking.
GAME: Rocky rolls weapon4: (16)+8: 24\ GAME: Rocky rolls damage4: aliased to 1d10+3: (8)+3: 11 GAME: Rocky rolls 1d6: (2): 2 GAME: Rocky's blood came out for 2 points. 39 HP remaining.
Rocky flails a moment, grabbed by an oozing construct. After a second the warriors training kicks in, and his blade strikes, hitting the scabby crust and chipping away to the interior jelly, but not as effectively as a more solid weapon might have.
GAME: Stena rolls 1d6: (6): 6 GAME: Stena bled her own blood for 6 points. 29 HP remaining. GAME: Stena RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 8 temporary HP GAME: Stena rolls 1d20+10: (19)+10: 29 GAME: Stena rolls 2d6+8: (9)+8: 17
...SPLOOSH.
First, Stena uses the haft of the hammer to jab it squarely in the mid section. IT's so battered and soft by this point that it sinks right int. Stena, looking a bit repelled, doesn't stop the motion and then brings the haft upwards. It splits it in twain and it erupts in a fountain of gore over her. She lets out an indecipherable cry of rage.
GAME: Clot rolls 1d2: (2): 2 GAME: Clot damaged Rocky's Constitution for 2 points. 4 total damage. GAME: Clot rolls 2d6+2: (4)+2: 6 GAME: Clot damaged Rocky for 6 points. 29 HP remaining.
Clot continues to hug on the sith warrior, squeezing his precious lifeblood out of his wounds, and in so doing, seems to be repairing itself.
GAME: Shara casts Ear-Piercing Scream. Caster Level: 6 DC: 14 (Alas, the Blood Golem is immune)
Shara tries to assist the others with her song, but letting out a yell that only the golem would hear. However, it doesn't seem to be effected by it at all. So she continues her song...saving the effects of it for other things that could be helpful.
GAME: Sark rolls 3d6: (8): 8 GAME: Sark healed Stena for 8 points. 43 AND 8 TEMP HP remaining. GAME: Sark healed Sark for 8 points. 29 HP remaining. GAME: Sark healed Rocky for 8 points. 37 HP remaining. GAME: Sark healed Shara for 8 points. 45 HP remaining.
Once more the symbol of Althea upon his shield rises up. A murmured prayer and the burst of divine energy flows outwards into the valliant warriors, trying to keep wounds closed and from feeding the vile Golem. Sark entreats Althea to aid in their ongoing battle.
GAME: Rocky rolls weapon2: (18)+7: 25 GAME: Rocky rolls damage2: aliased to 1d6+3: (6)+3: 9
Partly healed and a little more focused, Rocky attacks with his club, cracking the bloody crust and splattering a bit of the gooey interior. Progress, but not there yet.
GAME: Stena rolls 1d20+10: (17)+10: 27 GAME: Stena rolls 2d6+6: (4)+6: 10
"...god damn it, I don't like this!"
Stena moves towards Rocky and then *bashes* the damnable thing with her hammer. "Shoulda brought my axe," she snarls. Sure, she says that, but the hammer seems to be doing well enough in making a mess of things it hits.
GAME: Clot rolls 1d2: (2): 2 GAME: Clot damaged Rocky's Constitution for 2 points. 6 total damage. GAME: Clot rolls 2d6+2: (7)+2: 9 GAME: Clot damaged Rocky for 9 points. 24 HP remaining.
The remaining golem, indifferent to the fate of it's twin, continues to try and wring vital vitae from the Sturdy Sith, absorbing the lifegiving juices and restoring it's crusty shell completely.
More inspiring melodies issue forth as Shara works bardly mojo to help her comrades. (Placeholder)
GAME: Faranmidahn for Sark rolls 3d6: (7): 7 GAME: Sark healed Stena for 7 points. 43 AND 8 TEMP HP remaining. GAME: Sark Healed Sark for 7 points. 29 HP remaining. GAME: Sark healed Rocky for 7 points. 31 HP remaining. GAME: Sark healed Shara for 7 points. 45 HP remaining.
With determination and faith, Sark holds aloft Althea's symbol, beseeching her for the power to shore up Rocky's life essence.
Rocky continues to struggle with the construct holding him! (Placeholder, because accidental skipping.)
With fingers atwirl, Shara keeps the good tunes coming! (Placeholder)
GAME: Clot rolls 1d2: (1): 1 GAME: Clot damaged Rocky's Constitution for 1 points. 7 total damage. GAME: Clot rolls 2d6+2: (4)+2: 6 GAME: Clot damaged Rocky for 6 points. 25 HP remaining.
The massive rent plowed through it by Stena's hammer close slightly as the construct continues to crush all the juicy redness it can get out of it's prize.
Shara continues to twine her melodies together, ensuring her companions do not waver in their struggle.
GAME: Faranmidahn rolls for Sark 3d6: (8): 8 GAME: Sark Healed Rocky for 8 points. 33 HP remaining.
Undeterred by the golem's inexorable hugging the stuffing out of Rocky, Sark channels Althea's favor once more!
GAME: Rocky rolls weapon2: (19)+7: 26 GAME: Rocky rolls damage2: aliased to 1d6+3: (3)+3: 6
Rocky is getting a bit wobbly from the blood loss. But a cookie and a glass of juice and he'll be fine, right? Right? Another crack of the club and more red jelly oozes out of the golem.
GAME: Stena rolls 1d20+10: (20)+10: 30 GAME: Stena rolls 1d20+10: (5)+10: 15 GAME: Stena rolls 1d20+10: (19)+10: 29 GAME: Stena rolls 6d6+24: (28)+24: 52 GAME: Shara rolls reflex: (16)+9: 25 GAME: Rocky rolls reflex: (5)+3: 8 GAME: Shara casts Saving Finale. Caster Level: 6 DC: 14 GAME: Stena rolls ref: (17)+3: 20 GAME: Rocky rolls reflex: (16)+3: 19 GAME: Faranmidahn rolls Sark's Reflex: 1d20+4: (7)+4: 11
"... that's ENOUGH!" yells Stena. The hammer is swung and... well, the saying 'fine red mist' is not as accurate as one would hope. It is neither fine nor entirely red.
In the aftermath of the sanguinous dischord, most of the front of the stiny two-floor is veneered in a bright coating of blood and scab, as is the lawn and certain of the party, though others are nimbly unslathered. There would be a silence, were it not for dripping from the overhang of the porch into the pool.
Also, rapidly slick with blood as likely to be his originally anyway as it is to belong to various other souls, the crushed and dessicated body of a Gnome clad in broken artifice lays sprawled on the porch. Not far from his nerveless fingers is a brass clad club itself caked in dried blood. The goggles hide his eyes, but by the rigored knit of his eyebrows and gaping death howl, he certainly looks like he died surprised.
The investigation, awkward for the scale of the construction, reveals through journal entries, at least what wasn't in Kulthian formula, that the owner of this domicile, one Scaziwhizit Clanggiver, Arcanist Extraordinaire, Esquire, had discovered fragments of a treatise on constructing golems from blood he is certain was from felled Merkabah. Using these, he created two such creatures from the blood of local fauna with intent to carve out a suitable territory for him to begin his grander pursuits in closing his gloved fist around the throat of the world. There was a lot of rambling, to be fair, but that was most of it. There were rumors he'd heard of vampirism in the area, a fine cover for the nature of his kills, and he deemed that discovery to be of providence of his glory. Thankfully, to a point, these were the only formulae within the black, steelbound pages he could get to work.
The guide is pleasantly surprised, if somewhat taken aback by the condition of the crew as they return, and is more than happy to break camp for the trip back home.
The Bard, Liatris, upon hearing the story seems disturbed that yet again, her mother's legacy has touched the innocent about the area. She thanks you all profusely, and arranges for shelter under the roof of the Flashing Blade inn with the total package.
The next morning, the brave heroes are thanked, one and all, and each are presented with a pendant; humble, and admittedly of hasty craft, of a modest green stone with a bronze border that shapes the symbol of Greenholme, in addition to helpings of trade bars, precious stones and gold as befits your exploits, and the promise of many welcom returns should travel again bring them toward the town....