Seraphiel calls on his long past and brings blades of searing light to add to the wounds on the sacrificial clerics.
Blades of Astral Fire (ref) v S2, S3 (1d20+9=16, 1d20+9=26).
Blades of Astral fire damage on S3 (1d6+6=7)
Vel strides forward and attempts to finish off even one of the bloody priests.
The flickering light and the moaning fanatics put Vel off slightly and her usually sure aim just betrays her. The force missiles land close, but not quite close enough.
Whiteclaw shrugs off the encroaching acid and slams her axe hard into the mutilated human in front of her. He falls dead at her feet and the fanatics start a low, inhuman wailing what bites into your heads.
Ignoring the wailing and her own wounds, the gnoll pads menacingly up the stairs to help Gobi. She marks him for herself with a slight determined nod.
Reason's bright attack just fails as his target ducks aside at the last second and the tiefling looks to be in increasingly dire straits as the acid continues to eat into him.
The clerics are starting to look battered themselves as their wounds continue to bleed. Even in the depths of his pain, Reason realises something.
Reason
S2 spins towards Pirot and Arianwyn and hurls a ball of fire towards them. Flames leap upwards, charring them and Whiteclaw into the bargain.
Call Inferno (Ref) - area burst 3 within 10. Centred on H1. Versus Whiteclaw, Pirot and Arianwyn (1d20+12=19, 1d20+12=21, 1d20+12=28)
Call Inferno fire damage (1d10+9=13).
S3 moves vengefully towards Kia, stabbing at the warlord with one of the now familiar and hateful glassy daggers. His aim falters at the last second the dagger shatters, wounding both Kia and himelf. He is now visibly bloodied himself.
Acid Dagger attack v Kia. On hit target takes 7 ongoing acid damage (1d20+9=20, 1d4+6=7, 2d6=4).
S4, trapped between the two evils of Whiteclaw and Gobi makes the best of a bad job and stabs at the dwarf with his last acidic dagger. The blow strikes true, but his actions damage and bloody him in the process.
Instinctively, Whiteclaw lashes out at him with her frosty axe, nearly bisecting the man as he stands. Desperately, he shifts away from the pair.
Basic melee for not being attacked (1d20+11=29, 1d10+6=12)
Acid Dagger attack v Gobi. On hit target takes 7 ongoing acid damage (1d20+9=25, 1d4+6=7, 2d6=11).
Arianwyn snarls in fury, "Pathetic figments, you shall be rendered unto ash!" as he fires a bolt of white energy at one of the cultists.
The sigils on Arianwyn's armour glow as the acid evaporates away.
Rising like an enraged phoenix from the bloody squalor of the floor, Arianwyn curses his foes and prepares to defend Pirot with his life. Anger makes him misjudge his attack, but the acid befouling him is eradicated in a single burst of white flame.
In the depths of pain, Reason turns to Vel. "You can probably fry them now. Their resistance to fire is diminishing. They're not full tieflig yet."
Trying to find some of her old inner calm, Kia steps in front of the foolish priest and with a peculiarly heartening shout, stabs at him with her longsword.
Inspiring war cry vs. S3. (1d20+9=23, 2d8+3=12)
"We will triumph, no matter what you do! And Reason will no longer be subjected to your ongoing torture. So say I!"
Finding an inner strength in this horrible place that she didn't know she had, Kia strikes hard and strikes true. Something of her indomitable spirit rubs off on Reason and he finally breaks free of the acid eating into him.
Gobi edges in towards his injured friend, he swings his weapon at the evil creature in front of him.
"Avandra tells me it's your lucky day" Gobi says to whiteclaw as he extends his hand outward and channels his healing energy towards her.
Whiteclaw smiles back at her old friend as he sends holy energy coursing through her body. While his own blow misses, he nonetheless shakes off the acid afflicting him and glares sternly at the demented cleric in front of him.
Revived by Gobi, Whiteclaw prowls over the stairs to flank with the dwarf. Her battleaxe rises and falls, trailing chill mist in its wake and with a single word, she adds to the power of her blow. It is enough and the cleric falls. Now only two of them remain and the tide at last seems to be turning.
Strength of Stone v S4 (1d20+11=30, 1d10+6=13)
Extra damage to S4 (1d8=8)
With a snarl, her primal instincts aroused by the sight and smell of blood, Whiteclaw hurls herself towards S2, easily negotiating the hideous slipperiness underfoot. The cleric can do nothing to stop her.
Athletics to stay on her feet (1d20+8=21, 1d20+8=28)
Charge at S2 (1d20+10=25, 1d10+6=9).
Taking courage from Whiteclaw's attacks, and relieved that he is no longer melting, Reason gathers himself. Extending his holy symbol, he sends Ioun's pure light lancing into the mutilated form of the cleric in front of him. With a nod, he indicates that Arianwyn should gain the benefit of his attack.
Lance of Faith v S2 (ref) (1d20+9=20, 1d8+5=7).
S2 tries and fails completely to stab at the oncoming gnoll and can do nothing but try to shift out of her path.
Dagger attacks v Whiteclaw (1d20+9=13, 1d4+6=8, 1d20+9=10, 1d4+6=9)
S3 attempts to engage Kia, using the last of his glassy weapons on the warlord. The dagger shatters, spraying him and his victim, but doing no substantial damage. His second attack with an ordinary dagger fares even worse.
Dagger attacks v Kia (1d20+9=14, 1d4+6=10, 2d6=9).
Dagger attacks v Kia (1d20+9=12, 1d4+6=10)
Save v ongoing (1d20=17).
With the fall of two of the clerics, the moaning fanatics seem to fade, as if they are becoming insubstantial.
Eldritch Blast (1d20+8=22, 1d10+4=6, 1d6=4)
"Die! Let the memory of this mockery of mortality be rendered unto nothingness!" Arianwyn cries as he blasts one of the imaginary proto-tieflings.
Slightly put out by the determined efforts of the smelly priest to deal damage to her, Kia tries hard to do lasting damage to him. Alas, to no avail.
"Can't you just learn when to leave a person alone? I am really NOT having fun here."
Warlord's favour vs S3. (1d20+9=13, 2d8+3=13)
Then she teleports to M10.
Saving throw against ongoing damage: Saving throw. (1d20=16)
Kia's efforts to hit the cleric are indeed unavailing, but she nonetheless managed to clear the acid from her system and teleports elegantly to the edge of the pit. There she is afforded a most unpleasant view of the recent activities of the clerics. Many victims lie there and beneath them, she sees steam rising and a faint infernal glow growing as she watches.
Gobi moves to his friends and tries to help them while he hurls his shield outward into the room, letting Avandra guide it.
Sorrow at this debased creation ritual touches Seraphiel's serene features as he sends the pure sunlight at his command lancing into S2. Seconds later, Vel's force balls hit and the cleric falls, wide-eyed with horror at the disruption of his life's work. Now only one remains and the fanatics grow mistier still.
Sun's Strike v S2 (Ref) (1d20+9=19, 1d8+6=9)
Barreling past Reason, Whiteclaw wastes no time with philosophical niceties. Her concerns are solely to do with ridding the world of enemies. Marking the hapless cleric, she tries to exact full measure for the earlier injuries he inflicted on her, bloodied muzzle raised high. Her axe misses. Snarling with ill-suppressed frustration, she lunges again. . To her horror, her second blow fares no better.
Basic melee v S3 (1d20+9=12, 1d10+6=14)
Earthgrasp Strike v S3 (knocks target prone. When it stands up, it takes 1d10+3 damage). (1d20+9=11, 1d10+6=13)
Glad to be finally rid of the caustic liquid, Reason blasts at the last cleric.
Reason's attack makes the hapless cleric flinch away as the group finally take control of the battlefield.
recharge on Inferno (6) (1d6=6).
In the depths of extremity, with nothing left to fear, the last cleric finds himself granted a boon by his infernal masters. Calling on all the powers he has sacrificed so much to gain, he hurls another ball of explosive fire at the companions, targetting Vel, Kia, Whiteclaw and Reason.
Call Inferno (burst 3 within 10 - Ref) v Vel, Kia, Whiteclaw and Reason (1d20+12=28, 1d20+12=17, 1d20+12=22, 1d20+12=18)
Call Inferno damage (1d10+9=11).
However much damage he does, he cannot save himself from either his own wounds or the acid oozing into his flesh.
Save v ongoing (1d20=7)
White hair flecked with blood and eyes blazing, Arianwyn charges through the battlefield to land a devastating blow on the renegade. It isn't enough to finish him, but you are all aware of how near the end must be.
Torn between whether or not Arianwyn or Vel are in most need of healing, Kia opts for Arianwyn (who keeps getting himself into trouble) on the grounds that he it right next to the enemy and Vel is sensible enough to look after herself.
"Arianwyn, please be sensible and step back! Whiteclaw, if you wouldn't mind trying to end this...?"
Once again, Gobi's marksmanship proves its worth. Scything through the air, the shield decapitates the last cleric.
As he falls, the fanatics vanish too along with the bodies and you are left in the blood-soaked temple, silent but for the crackle of the flames and your own heightened breathing. Pirot remains unconscious at Gobi's protective feet.
Bloodied as you are, you know you still have work to do. Pirot must be restored to sanity in order to release you all from his very personal hell. Knowing Kyleth as you do, you are all aware that she will not give up her prize easily.
Arianwyn examines Pirot, looking in his eyes, and thinking of any previous experiences he may have read about that could have a bearing on this.