Nodding, "Sounds good ta me."
Praxim scans the cages for evil auras, then while the others deal with them, he continues to scan the general area, lest the demons return under guise of invisibility.
A human-sized birdcage with flimsy silver bars decorated with delicate golden birds and flowers stands on four slender legs here. The cage doesn’t seem to have a door.
The inside of this birdcage contains a shivering man wearing little more than a set of chains and
a thick leather collar. A pair of clay bowls occupies one corner and a pile of straw sits in another.
Praxim scans the cages for evil auras, then while the others deal with them, he continues to scan the general area, lest the demons return under guise of invisibility.
"Well?" Lym says to the man in the cage. "What's your story, man?"
Praxim clears his throat in the signal they’ve developed that says the man is registering on his detect evil scan.
Rexil unhooks his water skin from his belt and hands it to Praxim, who takes it with a distracted thanks.
If the man in the cage can hear you, he doesn't respond. He lies curled in a ball in the corner of his gilded prison.
"Looks like whatever lurks here has done in his head. Get ready for battle, gents; unless the Alu's mistress comes out, we'll have to go in."
The huge pavilion is made of silk sheets of various colors—crimson, lavender, ochre, cobalt blue, and purple. The sides ripple softly, as if a breeze were gently caressing the fabric. The entire structure looks unabashedly glamorous and out of place, yet here and there, splashes of what can only be blood mar its beauty.
"Come on out, you bloated doxie! We know you're there. Save us the effort of burning your nest down around your ears. Bring the cowardly Alu-harlots; let's make it a party!" Lym shouts.
”Do you suppose all that silk is protected from fire? Might make things safer to have better visibility by burning it down.”
Praxim casts weapon of awe on his bow.
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"This place is so glutted with magic, I couldn't tell if I was protected from any element by looking," Lym admits.
”Anybody have a flask of alchemist’s fire hanging around from the old days?” h asks.
Shaking his head, "Not me, lad. I've got some flint and steel though," he mentions with a shrug.
@ Torod
How much time has elapsed since Torod called upon the Hound Archons?
"I doubt they'll appear while Archie, Jughead, and Reggie are still here." Tomaru says softly to Lym.
@Aurora:
"I bet I can make it burn." Aurora says.
”However, if there’s one part of this Runeforge that could have innocents tied up in there for whatever pleasures, it would be this one.”
"Our presence here can mean his fortunes have changed, but I suggest we aid him after the danger is done"
”I mean that there could be innocents imprisoned in there, so we can’t risk lobbing fireballs at the pavilion.”
"I'll conjure something loud up to charge in and make a distraction," Lym whispers to the others. "We hit the joint from another direction once they're in, making a ruckus."
Unless the others object, Lym starts chanting under her breath, her voice reaching into faraway places ... and something goes wrong. By now, the sound of Lym's summoning chant is familiar enough, the way her voice recedes into the weird distance, then returns, drawing in its target creature. This time, her voice seems to ... scatter. It fragments, and then reassembles.
When it does, runes burn on the air. The runes twist, become three-dimensional, become radiant flesh. Four lamias stand before the party.
"By your command!" one of them shouts, her voice a clarion, her face joyous. "For justice! "
Each lamia blurs and multiplies in place, then charges the pavilion!
Lym goggles after the lamias, clears her throat, then says: "Um. Distraction enough, yes? Let's uh, let's go before the archons fade out."
The lamias roar off into the pavilion, their shouts of challenge preceding them. However, as soon as they get past the opening in the heavy fabric, the sound is swallowed up as if by magic. All that remains is silence.
Rushing around the back of the pavilion takes several rounds, whereupon you discover that this is no mere canvas tent. Whatever the pavilion is made of, it's not of this world.
@ Torod
If its been two minutes, then the archons have returned to their realm.
Torod casts Shield of Faith, then goes up to the entrance of the pavilion. He turns around before going in though. "It would be rude to enter without being invited, wouldn't you say, Thordak?"
@Aurora:
Aurora gives Thordak Protection from Evil before moving to support Tomaru.
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Torod casts Shield of Faith, then goes up to the entrance of the pavilion. He turns around before going in though. "It would be rude to enter without being invited, wouldn't you say, Thordak?"
Thordak ponders the question a moment or two before eventually shrugging. "Probably right, lad. BUT, why do we care because we're gonna kill 'em all anyway, heck yeah!" he says with excitement, grinning and nodding assuredly. "Now let's go get 'em and make 'em wish they we're on 'Team Good Guys'," he says. As he looks over and catches sight of Lym, "Oh! And Gals. 'Team Good Guys and Gals'," he says with a thumbs up.
So I guess we’re going in the front door?
Torod casts Shield of Faith, then goes up to the entrance of the pavilion. He turns around before going in though. "It would be rude to enter without being invited, wouldn't you say, Thordak?"Thordak ponders the question a moment or two before eventually shrugging. "Probably right, lad. BUT, why do we care because we're gonna kill 'em all anyway, heck yeah!" he says with excitement, grinning and nodding assuredly. "Now let's go get 'em and make 'em wish they we're on 'Team Good Guys'," he says. As he looks over and catches sight of Lym, "Oh! And Gals. 'Team Good Guys and Gals'," he says with a thumbs up.
Mighty proud of the clever name he's come up with, he revels in it a moment, completely losing track of their current objective until he just so happens to notice the others seem to be staring at him in a somewhat impatient manner. Looking a bit confused until it finally dawns on him, "Oh right! Okay, let's go!" He moves forward with gusto and brings his longaxe to bear, using it to 'open the door'.
The material is definitely NOT canvas. At least not any canvas you've ever seen. Thordak's first swing barely registers on the gossamer material, and his second just begins to open a rent. It's only after his third slash at the pavilion wall does an opening large enough to step through appear.
The air in this room is unusually close—seeming almost to shimmer with pleasant-smelling mist. Pillows, cushions, and throw rugs cover the floor, and four beds sit in the corners of the room. Each bed has an iron frame to which numerous ropes and leather straps are attached. A large padded throne sits against the far wall, between two beds,
while opposite it in another corner, a tall, spindly censer sits on a low wooden table—it’s from here that the faint mist seems to be issuing.
On the throne reclines a creature of otherworldly beauty. Everything about her gives off an aura of sensual evil. She is flanked on either side by a pair of stone giants, and two of Lym's lamias sit before her, passively watching you enter. Her daughter-demons stand to the side, looking none the worse for wear from the battle before.
She strokes the mane of one lamias absent-mindedly as she purrs. "Please come in. I suppose I should thank whomever sent these lovely creatures, they should provide some needed...distraction...later. Even if they did get themselves 'tangled up'...oh dear...with some of my slaves."
She throws a glance to the corner of this chamber where you can see an opening to the front door. Two stone giant corpses lie in a bloody heap with two dead lamias.
"How very rude of me. My manners have slipped. It's been so...so...soooo long since I've had visitors." She eyes you hungrily as she takes in the sight of each of you. "I am Delvahine. Submit, and I promise you an eternity of pleasure...and maybe some pain. You may call me Mistress..."
Lym refrains from banter; the instant she sees what awaits and what has befallen her summoned lamias, the Wizard launches into a chant. Magic wraps itself around the party, bolstering their will, their senses, their insight!
Praxim also doesn’t bother with chit chat. Once his head clears he activated smite evil against Delvahine and launches a thistle arrow.
+1 If she’s large or larger
+2 if she’s large or larger +1 bleed
Rexil shakes off the effects as well. He pulls a rock to throw at the thrones woman, but remembers the tactic Praxim asked for last time and readies the throw to disrupt a spellcasting.
@ Tomaru
"No." Is Tomaru's response as he casts Shield of Faith.
Cast Summon Monster VI bringing Archie and Jughead back.
The duo wants to charge, but remain close to the Heroes of Sandpoint to aid them with Magic Circle v Evil
@ Aurora
Aurora takes her cue from Praxim and casts x1.5 = 109
As the dwarf seems to mentally fade out a moment, "Pleasure? And pain? Wow that sounds...," he shakes himself free and narrows his eyes at the demon. "I don't think so, demon! Before we're done with you, you'll be the one callin' us Mistress!" he retorts, to caught up in the heat of battle to realize how inane his reply was as he rages into battle and attacks the nearest giant, swinging mightily at it.
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"Well done, Thordakking up the snappy banter," Lym mutters under her breath as she rolls her eyes at Thordak's back. "One of these days, one of our enemies is bound to laugh themselves to death..."
"Thordak is a verb now?"
"Well he is a dwarf of action."
Praxim's arrow glances off of the beautiful creature's armor.
Three of the four stone giants are instantly immolated by the fireball. The two sisters manage to take only part of the damage, as do the lamias in front of the succubus. Thordak cuts down the last of the giants.
The succubus is unscathed by the fire, and she hisses in anger through the stench of burnt flesh.
"Rude! I gave you a chance at pleasure beyond your feeble ability to comprehend! And this is how you answer me?"
"The creature is immune to electricity, fire and poison!" Lym yells. "And she has high resistance to magic! Choose your spells accordingly!"
Delvahine - the succubus - casts Haste, ducking under Rexil's rock.
The dominated lamias leap forward, using their ability to spring -attack to stab at Thordak and Rexil.
The alu-demons take up positions next to their mistress.
Praxim let’s the arrows fly, wishing he had a haste spell of his own. If anybody looks like they might be casting haste on the party, he’ll delay.
and shaken for 1 round (no save) and 1 bleed
Kapow!! Three of the arrows glance off, but one catches her right in her lovely but exposed bossom.
Lym chants in an urgent tone, her hands making a rising, rising gesture -- and the ground directly beneath the succubus buckles and tears. Black, squirming tentacles burst forth, clutching at the group's opponents!
Tomaru doesn't have haste, but he does have a Bit of Luck for Praxim.
Having been given the command to guard, Archie and Jughead offer Aid to both Thordak and Rexil. Each of them gets and +1 morale bonus to hit.
Aurora casts Haste on the party. You're welcome Praxim.
Then casts a Quickened Glitterdust (DC 20 Will)
Thordak steps forward and brings his axe to bear against one of the giant-sized lamias.