Game: We're Still not Quite Dead Yet

Map is up.

You are in the topmost room on the upper floor (left image). There are two windows.

The next room also has another bunk bed and one window. It also seems to be a child's room. (Though Drum finds this one equally as suspicious.)

OOC: yeah, left to right = highest to lowest. I thought you meant the next actual room, but that dosen't give you the oportunity to check the next door, sou you are in the stair-area. Also, I forgot to say that both the trapdoors in the image are hidden, just pretend you can't see them.

OOC: yes, I forgot to that the stairs are like this:
/
/
/
so you can only see down 1 level

Canzonzabar:

You see annother empty room with stairs below you. there are 3 doors. Voices can be heard in 2 of the 3 rooms. Though you can't catch what is being said at this distance, you hear four seperate voices.

OOC: Dunamin, I rolled you move silently for you--not good at all :shock:

You hear four voices, three male, and one female. None sound like a child's. It seems that there are two people in each room. The voices accent and manner of speaking isn't Sigilian. It sounds vaguely like an archon's, and you sense that all four are making efforts to suppress it. You can't make out specific words, but the voices stop abruptly as you step on a creaky board.

"Nobody's upstairs, right?" asks one of the voices.
"No, I don't think so."

(made your Knowleedge The Planes to identify the accent.)

OOC: Is canzon still invisible? And I assume you will teleport back in.

Canzon:

"I konw," says Min, calmly. "Ixa is very quick to asses a situation. I think it would be most effective if we flanked them You should return to your position. We'll kick down the door."

Drum, Canzonzabar (and Ixa):
You can hear "Jowen" plodding up the stairs to you level of the house. He is halfway up the staircase. If anyone is standing directly in front of the stairs, Ixa will softly push them aside.

Penance, Bruce (and Min):
Whether or not you choose to follow her, Min begins walking towards the house. She raises a booted foot and kicks the door down almost efortlessly (and it's a pretty good wooden door too). As she becomes visible, she appears as a large looking human dressed as a thug. She moves to the next door in the entryway and draws her sword (which changes size to match her new shape).

Sarcasticly to penance and Bruce: There ia *annother* door. Hurrah.

Initiative, everyone

Penance and Bruce:

Min steps aside for Penance and Bruce. (remember, there's a second door to kick in) Of course. After you. Before anyone can kick in the other door, she casts a spell and is surrounded by six duplicates of herself. She steps through one so even you cannot tell which is real. You see Min's (and those of all the illusions) brow wrinkle on concentration, and she raises a head, preparing to cast a spell. (DM: readies cone of cold, uses one 2nd level slot). Almost simultaneously, though following shortly after the casting, you hear a loud exposion.

Canzon and Drum

A spectacular flash and deafaning sound emminates from where Ixa was standing and he becomes visible (he looks identical to Min's disguises and illusions). He is holding a large black musket, though it is hard to tell through all the smoke. The 'Jowen' seems somewhat wounded, but then his eyes widen in terror, and he falls over dead, toppling down the stairs. When he is dead, "Jowen's" form reverts to that of a sword archon. (DM: The surprise round is over since everyone is aware of everyone else)

(OOC: Axi used a +5 unholy, good outsider bane, greater spell storing (up to level 6, +2 enhancement bonus) musket ball with phantasmal killer stored. It's a pity it was his only one, and it wasn't cheap--4,000 gp for 1 shot--kinda like ballistic missiles)

The other 3 sword archons--and they do appear that way now--rush into the landing, each carrying drawn greatswords.

"YOU!" shouts one of the archons. "Surrender and we will show you mercy."

(Canzonzabar and Drum) Fools.

Ixa opens his hands and lets the musket fall to the floor. He raises his hands above his head.

Feigning terror, Ixa says "We were forced to do this, they threatened us and told us they'd kill our families if we didn't help the. We didn't know, I swear."

"Who sent you? Tell us," commands annother archon. "We can protect you from whoever it is."

Initiative so far:
Min: 5 (Readied action)
Ixa: 11

OOC: Edited above post. This keeps happening and it's really wierd. And min and Ixa have access to--and I mean this literally--one +10 musket ball. Really, a 9th level scroll would be more cost effective (wail of the banshee costs 3850 gp) and all that was technically nescesary is a +3 one, (+1 and greater spell storing)

Will somone please kick this in. I'm covering you.

Initiative
Bruce: 17
Ixa: 11
Min: Delay until the door is down (probably acting after Penance)
Canzon: 25

You burst the bolt on the door and it swings in (your attack couldn't break the door down in one, but clouting + the attack should be enough to burst it (in the future, let's say the clouting ability gives a +4 to strength checks to break things.).

As the door swings open, you see a swor archon kneeling behind a chair about 10 feet directly in front of the door. He holds a very familiar looking crossbow. The huge bolt impales itself in the doorfame, and the archon unslings a massive greatsword. You hear faint his as a jagged blackish bolt that seems to absorb all light whizzes over your shoulder, slamming into the chest of the archon, who seems to wither and decay into a dead husk over the course of a few seconds. The body collapses)

OOC: You know, both of those guys were meant to make thier saves. Sword archons with extra levels of fighter aren't meant to be mooks. This is like the exact oposite of BoGR. The good guys are all failing thier saves. This is a problem. Expect a remedy.

Round 1 so far (correct me if I've messed up):

Bruce: 17 (Brought down the door)
Ixa: 11 ('surrenders')
Min: 15 (Finger of death to the guy guarding the door)
Canzon: 25 (Casts mirror image) OOC: you have annother action
Downstairs Archon/s: 16 (lose thier readied action after firing at bruce)
Upstairs Archons: 23 (Menace Ixa)
Penance: ?

Bruce: 17 (Brought down the door)
Ixa: 11 ('surrenders')
Min: 15 (Finger of death to the guy guarding the door)
Canzon: 25 (Casts mirror image) OOC: you have annother action
Downstairs Archon/s: 16 (lose thier readied action after firing at Bruce)
Upstairs Archons: 23 (Menace Ixa)
Penance: Delay

Penace: You move 10 feet up so you are right in front of the table. Bruce is one square behind you, and Min is one square behind him, still in the entryway. You see no enemies.

End of round 1.

OOC: Benyamin, when you ready an action, you need to specify a condition and a response (E.g. 'I will ready an action to fire at anyone walking through this doorframe'), otherwise it's delaying, not readying, and your action dosen't interrupt the innitiative count. And I'm quite not sure what you're apologizing for, but apology accepted--real life is kind of more important than PBP D&D.

Round 2:

Canzonzabar, Drum, and Ixa:

"Come down here," one of the archons commands Ixa. "We swear we will do do you no harm. (Failed sense motive again.)

Ixa makes a good show of reluctantly descending the the stairs. He is surround by celestials on three sides. He makes an even better show of looking around at the sword carrying archons with concern--probably because at least part of the concern is genuine.

finish later, sorry

OOC: Benyamin, the great thing is that since you've delayed, you can move into the initiative count anywhere

Finishing the post above.

Penance, Bruce, and Min.

You are all in a line. That is most unfortunate. Annother archon steps out of the door immediately next to Penance (below on the map) and casts a spell (He succesfully cast defensively, so he dosen't provoke). Everyone needs to make a reflex save or take 51 slashing damage (subject to DR). Penance and winds up on top (on the map) of the barrier and Min is still trapped in the entryway. Unfortunately, Bruce has nowhere to step (Trapped by the staircase. and therefore no reasonable way to save for 1/2 damage, but next round, if you make a reflex save, you can move out of the wall without taking any damage. Min manages to step back and evade the worst of the spell (OOC: Min made a reflex save--barely. That's not supposed to happen with only a +4 bonus to ref.) and takes 16 damage (DR 10/good)

Min will dispell the blade barrier when it is her action (and fail to do so).

round 2:

Downstairs archon: Blade barrier
Min: Dispell magic
Upstairs archons: Surround
Ixa: 'Surrender'

OOC: thanks. Also, remember, drum is further back, and would have to sneak out before attacking.

Bruce:

The blades seem to bend around you rather than passing through you

The Archon collapses, dying.

OOC: Damn. He rolled a natural 1. This isn't even sporting. :/

Round 2 so far:

Downstairs archon: Blade barrier
Min: Dispell magic
Upstairs archons: Surround
Ixa: 'Surrender'
Canzon Delay
Drum: ?
Penance?
Bruce Kills annother poor sod.

Benyamin, you could step through the door since its right next to you, but no trudging is needed. The room you step into seems to be a lounge of sorts. There is a simple couch and a mtching rug. There is also a large cabinet opposite the sofa.

Penace:

The closet (or whoever is in it) does not appear to be terrified. Make a listen check.

(OOC: Hey, it sure beats the hell out of intimidating and then executing a chair--not that I wasn't a part of that madness too.)

Having not acted round 1, you can jump in on any count you feel like (I would house rule that that couldn't be higher than your best possible initiative, though, so, you can act on your maximimum initiative score now)

Penace:

You hear flowing water below you. (Remember, Sigil dosen't have a sewer, so this seems especialy suspicious)

Penance:

It's a full round action to search a single 5 foot square (there are a total of exactly 7 squares in the room). If you want to do a quick sweep starting on round 3, that's a full round action or more (the longer you take the lower you penalty. You can also ransack the room in 2-3 rounds to see if you find antything interesting that isn't broken.

Spot and sense motive don't require actions (I'm pretty sure) so you can do both on round 2. (Used your most recent checks. ) You do not see anything hugely unusual about the room except that the closset seems to be locked and the rug is not straightened propperly.

(waiting for Drum. Trias, sorry I skipped you round 1, but Drum would have to move up to the stairs before any kind of an attack, so I'll assume you did that first round.)

Round 2 so far:

Downstairs archon: Blade barrier
Min: Dispell magic
Upstairs archons: Surround
Ixa: 'Surrender'
Canzon Delay
Drum: ?
Penance: Checks out the lounge area, casts fear
Bruce Kills annother poor sod.

You need to roll damage for your attack) and a reflex save or take 59 points of damage (DR applies) success means you take no damage.