Just as Yahirma is about to take a sip of her aromatic beverage, Shu-Ak'Eh-Di stands and begins bullying the old lady. His quick movements interrupt Yahirma's sip, and the team is spared a spit-take.
Honestly! A bull in a china shop! We cannot take this one anywhere!
As Ophal changes shape, Yahirma cannot help but be amazed at the Beast's instincts. Well, pardon my quick accusation regarding your quick accusation, she thinks while trying to get a sense of what this creature might be.
Oh my, and it appears to have some special combat training.
Tough break—so do I, oni.
Yahirma quickly adds a quick remark in Infernal, mentioning Derek's name while stepping to the left (G7 to give Appario a prospective flanking position).
Hmm, Xerath is the most likely to have fire or acid, but I better not tell him specificly, or she will focus on him.
"Did you all catch that? Fire is needed to stop her wounds from regenerating, or acid."
I wonder if I can persuade the others to all learn Shoanti, for secret messages in combat?
While Yahirma succeeds at her part in the proceedings - concentrating, touching, and overcoming - the ogre mage resists her spell's effect.
***
After some of her wounds have closed, Ophal continues her martial artistry with another series of rapid kicks and punches.
The Beast is struck by a fist and a slap, taking 19 nonlethal damage but resisting both the stunning effect of her fist and the serenity-inducing effect of her slap.
***
Derek begins to sing a song to raise the morale of his friends.
"When evil stalks upon the land,
I'll neither hold not stay my hand.
But fight to win a better day,
over the hills and far away."
Yahirma pulls out a wand and contemplates who she might try to heal first.
"Well I do have one fire spell left, better make it count. But for the time being, better give her regeneration something to so."
Troglodyterath lets loose with his two claws and his bite.
***
The Beast strikes two solid blows of his hammer upon Ophal, then smashes the table to splintereens with his hooves. Troglodyterath also hits the giantess with both claw and bite.
Ophal's wounds look far more grievous now, and a flicker of doubt appears in her face.
***
Appario sighs, realizing that the festivities have been ruined.
to hit;
damage;
to hit;
damage.
"You've ruined this par-tea for me!"
***
Appario misses with both his extortive swings in this instance, perhaps having been distracted by the nearby table-smashing.
A few more of Ophal's many wounds close up. By now heavily injured, she elects to change tactics and fight in a more defensive manner. Her punches and kicks fly through the air slightly less frequently, but are just as strong as before.
Once more, all of her punches and kicks miss.
***
Troglodyterath attempts to tear the ogre mage limb from limb.
However his fighting mirrors his opposition as he too misses with every strike.
Appario keeps hacking.
to hit;
damage;
to hit;
damage.
Ophal's decision to use her ki for defense instead of an additional attack proves fruitful, as even The Beast only succeeds at hitting her with a single hoof, while both Troglodyterath and Appario miss with all of their attacks.
***
Yahirma exchanges a richer debt for a lesser favor as she tries to befuddle the oni's strikes.
More of Ophal's wounds close as she continues the previous round's tactics.
She's unable to hit with her fists or her kick, but The Beast feels the serene effect of her slap.
***
Appario swings again.
to hit;
damage;
to hit;
damage.
Xerath continues to fight at the Ogre monk.
Yahirma pulls off a glove and swats (claw) at the oni to distract it, perhaps giving Appario the opening he needs to connect.
***
Troglodyterath hits with a claw, while Appario misses despite the distraction offered by Yahirma.
Ophal continues to punch and kick The Beast.
The first of her fists hits The Beast in the stomach, dealing 14 nonlethal damage and driving all the air from its lungs, while its arms lose their grip on Maddok's hammer.
Ophal follows up with a kick on the stunned Beast, then a slap to Appario and a punch at Troglodyterath.
The Beast suffers another 14 nonlethal damage from the kick, but succeeds at staying on its feet.
The slap hits Appario, but the holy warrior fights away the feeling of serenity.
Ophal's final punch misses Troglodyterath.
***
At this point, Xerath wishes he knew how to fight as he again flails ineffectually at the Ogre.
Seeing her allies disabled all too quickly, Yahirma tries to gate in her own somewhat unreliable hag-spirit just above Appario (seems like there must be 10 feet of clearance or more).
Seeing the spirit make a solid strike, Yahirma decides that it's worth the risk of picking up Maddok's hammer to have ready for the Beast, should he awaken anytime soon.
Unfortunately, just as the hag spirit is about to hit the giantess, it dissipates.
***
Ophal sends a punch in Yahirma's direction as she picks up the hammer, dealing 11 nonlethal damage to the oracle.
***
***
Hoping to end this combat sooner rather than later, Ophal returns to her original tactics, and sends out punches and kicks at a rapid pace before The Beast can get his hammer back.
The Beast takes another 18 nonlethal damage from her fist, but this time it avoids being stunned.
The kick misses, as does the slap.
And her final two punches also miss.
***
***
While Maddok takes much of The Beast's punishment upon his own body, The Beast takes his hammer from Yahirma's grasp and proceeds to maul the ogre mage with one exceptionally strong hammer-strike and an only slightly less strong kick of one hoof.
Ophal drops to the ground, unconscious. Some of her many wounds are already in the process of closing up again, however.
Appario takes total defense.
Xerath decides to get creative and grabs a broken table leg. He casts Spark on it, instantly igniting it before handing it off to the beast to finish off the Ogre Mage.
In case Xerath's firebrand is unable to complete the job, Yahirma also has a flask of acid that she can use.
After a few proddings of the flaming table leg, Ophal's clothes and soon her body catches on fire. It seems likely that the rest of the building will soon follow suit, as flames begin licking up the plaster walls beside her body.
"Gah, that was not what I was hoping for," shouts Yahirma as she puts up the wand. "Gather around me, then we will check to make sure that there is nothing of value to be saved."
She will use her remaining spirit favor to request protection against the licking flames for her and her allies before making a fast check around the basement for magical auras.
"Me neither."Not wanting to commit arson, Xerath casts Drench to put out the fire, but waits until he is sure Ophal is dead.
Appario stands for Yahirma's spell, then happily accepts Maddok's offer of meat.
Putting the two together, Appario will place the meat on his dagger and sets it to a fire to be cooked.
"Let's take a look around while we can."
Perception
After putting out the fire he started, he is offered a chunk of meat from the Ogre. He resists his Trogoldyte instincts despite their powerful presence. "You can have it all as far as I'm concerned. You earned it."
Still-warm heart of an oni? This seems more a rite of Shu-Ak'Eh-Di and less of Maddok.
"As it was Maddok's hammer that dealt the killing blow, perhaps he should share in the feast, Shu-Ak'Eh-Di," suggests the woman with two-hued eyes as she channels a few loads of water onto the licking flames. "If truly the manor is purged of villains as these flames sought to violently cleanse this house, then it is time for a respite and celebration."
With the oni dead and the flames quenched (only destroying parts of this room), Appario and Yahirma have no problems finding the few items she carried.
There's an amulet of natural armor +1, a set of bracers of armor +2, and a ring of protection +1, as well as another three doses of oil of taggit.
The pantry contains several jars of spices, but none particularly exotic or valuable.
***
The Beast considers Yahirma's words. He nods briefly and a moment later the spirit-stuff disperses leaving Maddok kneeling and groaning on the ground.
Maddok looks at the massive steaming, partially eaten heart, before him in partial confusion.
"The beast thought it appropriate to feast on his kill. Yahirma suggested that he share with you since it was your hammer. Apparently the Beast agreed. Enjoy." Xerath explains to the Shoanti. "Oh and I may have started a fire here. But I put it out."
Maddok gets up shakily and lifts the mass of warm flesh. He takes a bite, wiping his mouth on his arm afterward. He chews slowly contemplating what memories he had from his time possessed by the Beast.
"Let's return to the safehouse. My strenth... Is spent."
Appario, still a bit winded from the strike by the oni, takes point on leading the party back to the safehouse, his eyes often looking up and above, as if looking for something (like an imp).
Around midway on the 2-hour boatride back to mainland Westcrown, something tiny suddenly lands on Appario's shoulder. Livia's unmistakeable voice sounds in his ear. "You didn't say you were going back! What if I hadn't noticed you?! I would have been all alone with all those nasty dark folk!"
She drops a pouch with the goods he sent her to collect into his lap, then becomes visible and sits down near the stern of the boat to rest her weary wings.
***
Appario laughs and thanks Livia for her delivery.
"I don't think there are any dark folk left in Westcrown, Livia. I think we're wanted in the Underrealm for genocide for we've dented their population for years to come. I'm happy you found us though."
Appario paws through the pouch.
"Excellent. Here you go." Appario will offer her a big, if flawed, red gem for her efforts. (Something in the 50 to 100 gp range.)
Appario places the potions in his bandolier.
"You were very helpful while you were around, Livia. You're training is coming along quite nicely." "That is more than I can say about myself. Being around them has made me weak. I need to refocus my energies. "