Tombs of Scoria: Episode 84

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== Synopsis ==
The Brothers make their way through Crownhold Keep, killing several guards and interrogating servants to find the location of Scoria’s enforcers. Crownhold is eventually alerted to the Brother’s assault and chaos breaks out as the Brothers move through Crownhold Keep. The Brothers track King Guilder and his Kingsguard to a room hidden behind the throne room, but are ambushed by the Kingsguard lying in wait. The Brothers successfully slay Scoria's agents, with Imrik now wielding Ifan, but Anton is severely wounded and has retreated into Othertime, Tyrael is grappled to the ground, and Imrik is surrounded by the Hasted Kingsguard. Facing dire odds, the McGarys continue to battle against King Guilder and the Kingsguard in a mortal confrontation that will decide the fate of a kingdom. 
==Recap==
===Clearing Crownhold Keep, 18th February, 1515===
Anton casts on Tyrael. Imrik directs to perch above the disintegrated window in raven form and turn invisible. Imprik reports he cannot turn invisible, which Imrik confirms, directing Imprik to remain perched as a raven and keep a lookout. Imrik casts in an attempt to find Nyar's bedroom, the spell points to the castle.
Tyrael turns invisible and proceeds down through Crownhold Keep with Anton and Imrik following closely behind. Anton holds a stone at the ready. They come across a supply room and sleeping quarters, until the stairs eventually narrow into an entryway before one of the keep floors proper. The Brothers exit out of the stairwell into a hallway, whereupon Tyrael detects the noise of something rhythmically slapping the ground, which Tyrael sees is a handmaiden directing a goblin struggling to carry a box. Tyrael, carrying the Silence stone, runs up and kills the goblin, and abducts the handmaiden back into the stairwell. The goblin’s blood sprays everywhere as its head falls to the ground.
Anton asks the handmaiden where Nyar is, and the handmaiden points down the stairwell, saying her sleeping quarters is halfway down the hallway on the right, with a symbol of Scoria marking the bedroom door. Anton knocks the handmaiden unconscious. Tyrael proceeds down the hallway, with Anton and Imrik moving up as Tyrael gives the signal that the way is clear. 
Tyrael reaches the door marked with the symbol of Scoria. The room has a heavy oaken door banded with iron, capable of keeping out mice or creatures in a gaseous form. Tyrael attempts to detect noise within until he hears a candle-bearing servant from down the hallway. Tyrael sprints up invisible to the servant and kills them. Tyrael returns to the door allegedly belonging to Nyar, and detects that it is magically trapped with a fire spell resistant to disarming.
Anton casts on the door, and Tyrael detects no traps on the door. Anton casts from Widow Maker. The Brothers breach the room, but find it empty. Half-eaten food is on tables, as if the people eating suddenly left mid-meal. Imrik casts , but finds nothing. The Brothers search for hairs, but also find nothing. Tyrael comes across another room within, sealed off by a door, which Imrik finds he is able to walk through without effort. The room appears to be a wizard’s room, but Imrik finds nothing of note.
The Brothers hear a scream. Tyrael runs out into the hallway, where he sees another servant. He pulls the servant into the room, asking where the ambassador is. Panicked, she points downwards, explaining the ambassador is with King Guilder, where the King suddenly went down into a chamber with his Kingsguard along with the ambassador some time ago. Anton knocks the servant unconscious. 
=== Chaos in the Hallways ===
Tyrael sees two guards investigating the blood of the goblin on the floor. Tyrael assassinates one of the guards and mortally wounds another, but then realizes there are two other guards around the corner. Anton and Imrik hear the commotion and quickly follow behind. Anton’s Silence runs out.
Combat start: McGary Brothers vs Crownhold guards
Anton finishes off the wounded guard and deals 19 damage to a guard.
Tyrael deals 11 to a guard, then another 13, slaying the guard. 
A mage casts Fireball, dealing 12 to Tyrael and Anton, and 24 to the guards, understanding there is no retreat or surrender against the McGarys. The dimensions of the hallway re-divert the explosion, also engulfing the Mage, dealing 12. 
Tyrael runs past the guard, avoiding an attack of opportunity.
Imrik steps out into the hallway and moves up into position and fires at the Mage, accidentally double-critically striking Tyrael, removing 3 charges of Stoneskin, and dealing 12 to the Mage.
The guard strikes Imrik, destroying a charge of Stoneskin. 
Tyrael slays the Mage and the remaining guard. 
Combat end. Anton casts on himself, healing himself for 7. With the combat ended, the entire Keep is on alert after the battle. Tyrael pulls two magical rings off of the mage and some other possessions. 
The Brothers make their way down the stairs, but run into a guard who cries out at the sound of the Brothers headed down the stairs. The Brothers retreat back up the stairs and see a large commotion of squires bearing weapons, goblins, and other servants. 
Combat: McGary Brothers vs Squires
* Tyrael engages the squires, killing two and mortally wounding another. A squire manages to physically contact Tyrael, destroying a charge of Stoneskin. Tyrael kills the two remaining squires. The goblins run, screaming. 
Bells and whistles can be heard in the distance. Tyrael pulls out the mist-producing candle and lights it before leaving it behind. 
=== A Hidden Door ===
The Brothers head down the other staircase, where they see a squad of four guards and an elite guard clearing rooms, but the guards are moving away from the staircase. Imrik’s telepathy wears off. The Brothers sneak past the searching guards, and make their way through the keep where they eventually reach the throne room, which they find empty. Imrik casts , which reveals a hidden door behind some planters. 
Anton casts , asking the stones whether someone has passed through the hidden door within the past hour and a half or so. The stones reply in the affirmative. The Brothers head through, and the passageway is dark with mundane darkness. The Brothers see that the hidden door begins to slowly and automatically close by itself, as if on a timer. The Brothers see a floating eyeball at the bottom of the staircase which descends downwards about 40 feet. The eye sees the Brothers and begins floating away. Tyrael chases after the eye, catching up to it and grabbing it. Tyrael hurries his brothers along, ignoring the many other hallways they see along the way. 
About a thousand feet down the hallway, the Brothers see more eyes, searching. Imrik shoots at one of the eyes, destroying it. The hallway continues down another two-thousand feet, eventually coming to an end with two open doorways, a raised stone platform, and a wall beyond with two more doors. Anton checks Scoria's location, and detects her flying above the Wyrmwood, whereas he previously detected her circling above Dragon Peak. 
The Brothers come before an entryway into a chamber with two sets of stairs leading up to a second tier within. Tyrael activates the Ring of Trueseeing, seeing nothing untoward. Tyrael ties a rope around the eye, putting it on a five-foot leash. As Tyrael proceeds forward, he is immediately enveloped in silence. Imrik is alarmed upon perceiving the silence, but he follows behind Tyrael and Anton as his Brothers enter into the chamber. A portcullis closes behind the Brothers, sealing off any quick exit.
=== Combat Start: McGarys vs King Guilder and the Kingsguard ===
Round 1
Voltus Stiros acts first, casting into the entryway, covering the Brothers. Tyrael saves. Anton Saves. Imrik's magic resistance fails to dispel the attack.
Imrik thinks to read a Scroll of Dispel Magic, but loses his action in the Silence, realizing he cannot find an area to begin reading.
Tyrael and Anton burst forth up the stairs. Anton discharges the Spear of Rohanna against Dual-wielding ("DW") Kingsguard-1, dealing 6 and stunning several members of the Kingsguard, Voltus Stiros, and Nyar.
Tyrael walks up the stairs to Voltus Stiros and Nyar. No other Kingsguards see Tyrael to prevent his advance. Though Scoria's enforcers are stunned and reeling, they are able to see Tyrael clearly. In a ruling, Tyrael is allowed to Backstab with his longsword because his target is stunned. Tyrael backstabs Nyar, dealing 37, and swings again, dealing 14.
The Cleric of Terrasa casts .
DW Kingsguard-2 and DW Kingsguard-3 jump down to engage Imrik. Both save against the Stinking Cloud.
DW Kingsguard-1 engages Anton, destroying two charges of Stoneskin. 
DW Kingsguard-2 and DW Kingsguard-3 attack Imrik, destroying 5 charges of Stoneskin.
King Guilder produces a section of bone and blows the segment into a conal attack of Dust of Appearance, covering Tyrael. 
Shield Bearing ("S") Kingsguard-1 flank attacks Tyrael, destroying a charge of Stoneskin. Despite being only 10th Level, the S Kingsguards, wielding Longswords +3, seems to strike with a precision and power exceeding that of Tyrael himself (Rolling to Hit: 1d20+7+14; Damage: 1d8+9).
Tyrael finishes off Nyar. Nyar drops Ifan, but Anton and Tyrael cannot track the immediate location of where Ifan drops. Tyrael attempts to turn Invisible, but finds he is unable to do so due to the Dust of Appearance. Tyrael looks behind him and sees a closed door. 
Anton double critically strikes DW Kingsguard-1, dealing 28. S Kingsguard-1 double critically strikes Tyrael with an attack of opportunity, destroying a number of Stoneskin charges.
DW Kingsguard-2 and DW-Kingsguard-3 continue assaulting Imrik, destroying further Stoneskin charges. DW Kingsguard-1 critically strikes Anton, destroying two Stoneskin charges.
S Kingsguard-1 pushes past Voltus Stiros, throwing the spellcaster to the ground to re-engage Tyrael, destroying a Stoneskin charge.  
Round 2
Tyrael attacks and slays the stunned and prone Voltus Stiros. 
The Arcmage's Apprentice breaks their Invisibility and casts , dealing 11 to Tyrael and destroying a number of Stoneskin charges.
 
The Cleric of Terrasa, a Level 8 Cleric, casts : dispelling Tyrael’s and ; failing to dispel any buffs from Anton; and removing her own . 
King Guilder’s skin is grey with . He drinks a potion. 
Imrik saves against the and wields the Staff of Thunder and Lighting, unleashing 4 charges to cast a Thunderclap and Lightning Strike, dealing 32 to one DW Kingsguard and 16 to another. Imrik up into the main chamber and hovers near the ceiling, suffering two attacks of opportunity in the process, breaking his Stoneskin. triggers, re-Stoneskinning Imrik.
 
Anton attacks DW Kingsguard-1, discharging the Spear of Rohanna, failing to stun his adversary but dealing 4. He then critically strikes using Vengeful Smite, dealing 24 damage. 
King Guilder's previously unseen Arcmage emerges and casts on 5 of the Kingsguards. 
DW Kingsguard-2 and 3 save against Stinking Cloud and pursue Imrik into the main chamber, but turn their attention to Anton after seeing Imrik up against the ceiling. They critically strike, breaking through Anton's Stoneskin. 
S Kingsguard-1 drops his sword and tackles Tyrael. Tyrael skewers S Kingsguard-1 for 23 damage as the Kingsguard closes the distance, but the Kingsguard is able to complete his takedown, bringing Tyrael to the ground. 
The Hasted S-Kingsguard-2 breaks his defensive formation protecting King Guilder and moves to confront Anton, dealing 18. 
Tyrael draws his Dagger +3, stabbing S Kingsguard-1 for 6 damage. 
Anton attacks with Vengeful Smite, dealing 21 to the wounded DW Kingsguard-1, slaying them. 
DW Kingsguard-2 and 3 critically strike Anton, dealing 21 and bringing Anton down to 11 HP. 
S Kingsguard-2 sees a heavily wounded Anton and strikes him, rolling minimum damage, dealing 10 and bringing Anton down to 1 HP. 
Round 3
Cleric of Terrasa casts on Imrik, interrupting his spell. Imrik saves, preventing the Silence zone from attaching to him. 
King Guilder, carrying a Sword of Sharpness, draws his weapon, stepping over the body of his fallen Kingsguard and engages Anton, but ultimately fails to deal the killing blow. 
Imrik searches the body of Nyar, finding the legendary dagger, Ifan. Imrik, wielding Ifan, behind King Guilder, calling out for the Kingsguard to surrender, but his demands are ignored. 
Atropos apparently appears before Imrik, claiming she has appeared to claim vengeance on Imrik for deceiving her. Imrik immediately suspects Atropos is merely a Phantasmal Killer spell as Atropos moves through a Kingsguard, but realizes his mettle will soon be tested as the horrifying visage of Atropos approaches him.
A Wizard Assistant emerges and casts , but fails to affect the Brothers.  
Anton casts , disappearing from time for 3 Rounds. The Kingsguards swarming Anton miss their attacks as he manages to cast his spell without interruption and suddenly disappears. 
King Guilder's resolve is strong in the face of his possible death as he turns to face Imrik and attacks him, but fails to strike Imrik. 
Tyrael continues to struggle against S Kingsguard-1 grappling him, critically stabbing away for 15 damage. S Kingsguard-1 endures being repeatedly stabbed as he manages to hold Tyrael down.
DW Kingsguard-2 and 3, and S Kingsguard-2 mantle the ledge to engage Imrik. Ifan is revealed to be +5 on rolls to hit and damage when Imrik attempts to stab at the approaching Kingsguards, but fails to strike his target.  
S Kingsguard-2 double critically strikes Imrik, destroying further Stoneskin charges. 
DW Kingsguard-4 moves up to engage Imrik, squeezing between a pillar, but managing destroying further Stoneskin charges. DW-Kingsguard-2 critically strikes Imrik. At this point, nearly every Kingsguard is swarming Imrik. Together, the surrounding Kingsguard destroy Imrik's Stoneskin, and deal 35 to Imrik, bringing him down to 51.
The battle rages on: Tyrael is grappled; Anton is at 1 HP hidden away in Othertime; and Imrik, wielding Ifan, is without Stoneskin, surrounded by the Hasted Kingsguard. Round 4 begins as each combatant rolls for Initiative.
Category:Tombs of Scoria Episodes