[dice=Will Save (Shield Other, Good Hope)]1d20+3+1+2
Carina's knees buckle under the priestess' magical assault. Despite her weakness, she reloads and fires again, this time at the priestess!
[dice=Ranged Attack (PBS, Precise, Sickened, Cover?, Good Hope)]1d20+8+1+1-2-4+2
[dice=Damage (PBS, Sickened, Good Hope)]1d8+1+1-2+2
[dice=Nonlethal Damage]1d6
Carina's bolt sinks into the priestess, who gives a yelp. The wound is curiously shallow, but in an evidently sensitive area, causing the bolt to inflict a nonfatal wound.
Eben fires a single shot, the arrow sinking deep into the throat of Farrukh's foe and ending her life instantly. He moves south and fires an arrow at the other, but Astraden gets in the way and he has to fire wide at the last second to avoid hitting her.
Tanith beats the other drow into a bruised mess, finishing her off with a kick that causes her head to strike the stone floor very hard. She lies there and does not stir.
Astraden points to Myrianaas again, sort of like a druid pointing out a rare bird. "She's got some sort of variant channeling from being a 'demonic apostle.' Can make her followers go into rages!"
Rodrigo steps even closer behind Carina, to get a line of sight on the battle. Seeing his archons aren't doing well, Rodrigo decides to call something a little more beefy to their aid. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty," he says, then whistles. A shimmering golden portal opens behind the drow priestess. A loud growl, in a bass register precedes the entrance of a massive white tiger to the scene. The beast's stripes have a slight blue hue, and it sports an almost lion-like mane and long tufts of fur at its fetters. The feline death machine leaps on the priestess with a roar, trying to bite and claw her.
Tiger CR 4 XP 1,200
N Large animal
Init +6; Senses low-light vision, scent, darkvision 60'; Perception +8
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +3 natural, –1 size)
hp 57 (6d8+30)
DR 5/Evil
Fort +10, Ref +7, Will +3
Resist Cold, Acid, Electricity 10
SR 10
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 claws +12 (1d8+8 plus grab), bite +11 (2d6+8 plus grab)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +12, 1d8+8)
Smite Evil 1/day as a swift action (it adds its Cha bonus to attack rolls, and a damage bonus equal to its HD against evil foes; smite persists until the target is dead or the celestial creature rests).
STATISTICS
Str 27, Dex 15, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Base Atk +4; CMB +13 (+17 grapple); CMD 25 (29 vs. trip)
Feats Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills Acrobatics +10, Perception +8, Stealth +7 (+11 in areas of tall grass), Swim +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Stealth (+8 in tall grass)
The tiger claws and bites the priestess viciously, but when it moves to grab her, her form seems to twist and writhe unnaturally, escaping its grip.
Myrianaas looks enraged now. She shrieks something in the language of the Abyss. The remaining drow raise their rapiers and make a near-suicidal rush at the adventurers. One even leaps down from the raised area in her zeal.
The priestess herself waits a moment, glancing back where her demonic servants have fled.
The short demon runs back into the chamber. He doesn't look happy. He fixes Tanith with a fierce glare...
...and vanishes.
The quasit flies back as well, looking very nervous. It alights hesitantly on its displeased mistress's shoulder and jabs her with the wand.
The priestess's wounds seem to fade slightly.
Myrianaas gives a feral grin, hefting the mace high. "You think the demons are your true danger! You toy with me with little cat! Well, then we shall play!"
As her mace swings, a harsh red glow radiates off it, a foul counterpart to the archons' vibrant light. It hits the tiger three times with sickening clangs and, on the last hit, a bloody smack. The tiger's innate resistances are corroded away by the drow's evil energies, and by the last hit it is fading into nothingness once more.
Myrianaas gives a deranged shriek of laughter, blood from the tiger's claw pouring down her face. She seems to be bleeding internally as well, as blood is coming out of her mouth as she laughs. "Goodbye, kitty, kitty, kitty."
"Must have gone running back to the Abyss..." Eben says smugly, seeing the demon poof out. His previous volley of arrows having proved rather effective, he simply repeats the stunt, taking a step back and firing under Tanith's floating feet.
Carina isn't paying any attention to the back ranks, instead focusing entirely on the smug drow priestess before her.
"Congratulations. You killed a summoned beast. If you would like a cookie for it, I'm afraid we're all out." She snarks as she reloads her crossbow and fires at the drow.
Unfortunately, the priestess' magic is still affecting her aim--her hands shake so badly that her bolt goes flying wide.
Farrukh's head snaps around.
"Rodrigo, watch your back, there's a demon like five feet away from you!"
Farrukh then continues his methodical harvesting of the Drow running into him.
"Astraden, this goop doesn't seem to be going away. Do you have anything that can help with that?"
Rodrigo nods his thanks to Farrukh and quickly chants a spell. When he finishes, he vanishes from sight.
Doing his best to stem the tide of beautiful but deadly, evil, and mind-controlled dark elven women, Tanith drifts forward and delivers a few more punishing backhands.
Astraden's eyes widen as Myrianaas tears into the tiger. "Okay, she'd definitely be useful." The Olidammaran steps back, barely wounded thanks to the archons' blessing, and sheathes her rapier. She points her free hand at the demon apostle. "Shed a layer, and be free!"
Provoking one AOO for sheathing from drow down and left of my figure; then provoking an additional one to cast the spell, if she has any remaining after the first.
"Must have gone running back to the Abyss..." Eben says smugly, seeing the demon poof out. His previous volley of arrows having proved rather effective, he simply repeats the stunt, taking a step back and firing under Tanith's floating feet.
"Ugh. I wish."
Eben's first shot catches the drow in the stomach. The second arrow punctures his chest and pierces his black heart, dropping him instantly.
Unfortunately, this means he's just killed Farrukh's nearest target. Farrukh is forced to move forward, and his single slice at the rapier-wielding drow before him just barely skids off her buckler. She grins.
Unfortunately, the priestess' magic is still affecting her aim--her hands shake so badly that her bolt goes flying wide.
"My, I tremble. It is sad that noble art of chemistry is practiced by such amateurs."
Casting invisibility. Can I spend a hero point to retain the spell?
Tanith flies again, flipping almost horizontal to manage several backhands. The drow's neck snaps, a bone jutting out as he slumps to the ground.
First CL check: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
An aura surrounding Myrianaas dissipates, and she gives a hiss of annoyance.
The two remaining rapier-wielders rush at Farrukh.
But even with Farrukh entangled, their attacks still miss.
The demon behind Carina closes his eyes and stays very still for a moment.
The quasit jabs Myrianaas with the wand again.
This time, though, the wand fizzles. He shakes it, scowling.
Myrianaas looks at Tanith, an amused glint in her eye. "Oh, lovely. I have not fought a warpriest in a long time."
She steps forward, already swinging her mace at Tanith's kneecaps. Her foul weapon shines with unholy radiance.
"...I may be out of practice."
Farrukh curses the sticky goop holding him back, but strikes at the priestess anyway.
"Out of practice you may be. But me? I've had pretty good practice killing priests lately."
"Sorry 'bout that, Farrukh!" Eben calls out aplogetically after stealing the warrior's kill. But, Farrukh having alerted him and the others to the demon creeping in from the rear, he simply focuses his archery on the other side of the fight stepping back around the corner to get a glimpse of the flaming sword bearing demon. "Aw, itty-bitty, you really should have gone running back home..." he taunts the demon. "Wait. Why aren't you doing anything? Are you casting a spell? No, no, no, can't have that..." Some more cold iron arrows find themselves soaring down the tunnel...
"Arrows, come home!" he says with a whistle as the fired shots reappear in his quiver.
Astraden mutters a spell and jabs her hand at the gum entrapping Farrukh. In moments, he finds the goo shriveling away and drying on his flesh, consumed by a thin indigo aura visible only out of the corner of his eye.
The priestess then re-summons her duplicate, weaving in closer to the dangerous priestess.
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Carina stands tall, throwing off the demonic energies that sabotaged her aim. As Farrukh keeps swinging at the priestess, she unhooks a bomb from her belt and lobs it at her with the intent of shutting her up once and for all.
"Sad thing is, I have to say the same of your religion. It's quite sad that Lolth lets incompetent, brainwashed fools like you worship her. I thought she'd have higher standards."
Tanith is surprised to find the insane woman's mace recoil off of his thighs without any major injury. Damned glad I didn't skip leg day.
Though he'd normally be irritated at Farrukh for muscling in on his fight, the fact that he wasn't super excited about hitting women meant the slayer got a pass - this time. The big Kordite slams into her with several crushing knees.
On the last strike of his flurry of blows, Tanith pauses for the briefest moment and in that time the script-form shape of the mighty roaring bear tattooed across his powerful torso animtes and pulls away long enough to rake the priestess's eyes. The ursine shape roars again as it returns to its resting place across Tanith's chest.
Farrukh curses the sticky goop holding him back, but strikes at the priestess anyway.
"Out of practice you may be. But me? I've had pretty good practice killing priests lately."
Farrukh slashes into the priestess. On the last klar bash, the blade catches her in the chest and rips a huge chunk of skin away. She trembles, tries to raise her mace to strike once more, but ultimately drops the weapon and collapses in a bloody pile of bodies.
Meanwhile, Eben sinks three arrows into the demon. It screams in pain. "Oh, bugg—hck!" The third arrow lodges in its eye, and the creature collapses to the ground.
Seeing her target destroyed, Carina aims for another drow instead. She and Tanith are able to bring the last two bolt aces down.
The quasit looks at his fallen mistress, then up at the adventurers. "Hey, just gonna throw this out there, if she dies I get to take her soul back to the Abyss and probably get a huge promotion. I'd owe you a favor. Eh? Interested?"
Appearing to decide the adventurers don't look interested enough to justify the risk, the quasit backs away and turns invisible.
Farrukh ponders it.
"You know, the thing COULD be useful. We were gonna kill her anyway."
"Pick up whatever you can but let's not waste too much time here", Tanith explains while kicking over the slain priestess. "Every second that passes that little s@$@ is warning his buddies and they're sure as hell getting ready for us. Anyone badly hurt?"
"Rodrigo are you out there?" he asks after realizing that the pretty boy is nowhere to be seen.
"Hey! I killed a demon! Okay, it was only three feet tall, but still: a demon!" Eben enthusiastically bounds into the room and looks around the slaughtered drow. "And then all these guys too... oh, hey, another demon!" He reaches back for a cold iron arrow before the littlest demon starts trying to make a deal. In spite of his newfound enthusiasm for demon-slaying, Eben thinks it over. "Tell you what, leave the wand and you can go collect all the souls you want. I think we can pass on demons owing us favors, though. There's something just wrong about that s+%$."
"I'm here, Tanith. Just a little safer this way. Ready to move on."
Eben retrieves his dropped metamagic rod, then heads back to the fallen demon to loot it. "So... here's a weird one. What do we do with the livestock? Be inhumane to just leave them here. Take them back through the sewer? I can't even imagine how they got them down here in the first place."
Carina winces as the party utterly eviscerates the remaining drow and demons. "Oh my..."
She wanders up to the now dead priestess and sighs. "This day really didn't turn out the way you hoped, did it? Oh well..." She says, feeling a rare moment of sympathy for their fallen foes.
When Eben brings up the subject of what to do with the livestock, Carina scratches her head. "I could give leading them out of here a try... that said, shouldn't we press the advantage while we have it and hunt down the mind flayer here?"
Farrukh slices the head off the Drow priestess, to make sure she's dead.
"Can't have her waking up a few days from now and enacting her "End the world plan"."
Astraden carefully pierces the priestess' heart with her rapier. "I dunno guys. Normally when someone makes a deal with a demon they are the ones owing a favor. Here we've got the opposite!"
Moving back into the naga's room, she holds the shoddy silver mask and summons a burst of healing for the party.
"Uh... I think she's--" Carina starts before Farrukh slices off the priestess' head.
"Yeah, she's definitely--" Then Astraden spears her through the heart for good measure.
"...Fharlanghn's boots." Her jaw hangs open at the overkill the priestess is subjected to.
Yep, definitely not coming back.
As the priestess is killed—twice—a hiss fills the air. A dark glow begins to seep off of Myrianaas's body, trailing towards the quasit's location.
The adventurers hear the quasit laughing. "Finally, Niniane is headed home! Hey, make sure that stinking brainsucker dies slo—"
His voice cuts off as the glow winks out.