Nicola is up. Wellard, can you confirm Heather's state?
Varlis looks around and sees the sudden danger for Heather. Not trusting to anyone else, he quickly aims and fires again and again into the creature's body. But he foregoes his deadly precision concentrating on accuracy instead.
Nicola remains where she is, fearing to become a victim of the snakes herself, and invokes Cayden's aid for Heather.
"There's somebody over there, calling these things or egging them on or something," she cries, pointing to her southeast (roughly in the direction of B8).
With deft fingers, Philippé reaches into the black leather pouch at his side and grasps the sand within. Using a single fluid movement he casts it in the direction his sister indicated, whilst his voice chants a softly completing the conjuration of the mornings learning.
Rather than falling short the mica is propelled upon the mystic ether and glistens in the dancing lights - creating a kaleidoscope of colours. A vivid rainbow explodes over the area his sister indicated.
Nicola brings Heather back around and warns the others about this new unseen threat.
Round 2. Initiative
Giant Cobras 29
Em 24
New Threat 18
Nicola 14
Heather 13
Varlis 7
Philippe 4
Audible hissing speech from behind the group. The snakes uncoil from Heather and strike at Emerion.
Dull Snake bites v. Em .... damage
Bright Snake bites v. Em .... damage
Grapple check bright snake
Emerion is struck in the leg and the snakes try to wrap him up and drag him down, but are unsuccessful. (13 hp damage)
Emerion stop thrusts the duller one as it strikes, and it dies biting on his blade. The brighter one latches onto his thigh. He stabs desperately at its neck and draws blood.
From across the room comes a furious shout commingled with a thunderclap. Lightning arcs across the room toward Philippe and Varlis. In its wake stands a man clad in a short gown. Or not a man. His neck is three times too long and topped with a serpentine head. His bowed legs bend backwards.
Arrogant twisters of men and reality. Resistant to magic, invulnerable to normal weapons. They see themselves almost as gods.
Only the blessing of the gods combined with the arm of man can they be defeated.
Varlis is too busy with attacking the snake to notice the electricity arcs until it is too late.
Nicola's eyes go wide as the serpent-headed man appears. "Evil! Rakshasa! Cayden aid us in this fight or we shall surely die!" After kissing her holy symbol, she flings her arms wide, as if showering her allies with sand. But it's Cayden's power she grants them, not dry dust.
Varlis skims two arrows over the last snake. His third shatters on the floor.
Nicola's shout triggers a dim memory of legendary tales. Rakshasa's can only be harmed by a "BLESSED" weapon. [ooc]DR 15, good AND piercing []/ooc]
Casting defensively.
Heather's hand glows with energy as she reaches for a snake.
Caster check
Shocking grasp touch attack no save
Drawing upon his inner reserves he throws balls of force towards the cat-thing rather than throwing the glittering sand as he originally planned.
Sparks fly from Heather's hand and the snake writhes and fries. It's charred body drops to the floor.
Philippe's force balls flash into man-thing's chest.
Round 3. Initiative
Em 24
Rakshasa 18
Nicola 14
Heather 13
Varlis 7
Philippe 4
Philippe's magic missiles fracture into nothingness as they strike. The snakes neck winds out and to the right before twisting down to look at its unharmed chest. Then it looks up at Philippe and hisses a sort of chuckle.
Emerion shakes his leg free of the charred corpse and wheels toward the new threat. Rapier stretched forward as an extension of his arm, he dashes forward to skewer the snake-man.
....
The blade stabs through the Rakshasa's chest and grounds on the wall behind him. That hissing chuckle comes from his mouth and even as Emerion pulls back the blade to stab again, the snake-man lunges forward, unharmed. Quicker than Emerion's recoil, the snakehead snaps for his throat, one hand claws at Emerion's wrist to hold his sword down while the other hands slashes with a broad oddly bent dagger.
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Philippé remembers why the cat-headed creatures are so feared in the Cheliax empire; "Be careful for they can only be hurt by those divine weapons or such that have been touched by the Gods. Of course massive damage may still tickle them."
Varlis heads for the creature, drawing his greatsword on the move and drinking a potion of cats grace from his handy haversack.
SR Check
Heather throws rays of sparkling energy at the beast to no effect..
Pondering for an instant over his course of action, Phillipe tries to come up with a way to extract themselves if it all goes wrong.
Varlis starts his greatsword swinging.
"Lets get out of here. She isn't paying us enough for this job." Phillipe says with the hint of panic creeping into his voice, whilst trying to sow dissent.
He then starts to move his arms as he conjures up the black tentacles to cover the evil cat creature.
Nicola lets the tangible power of Cayden lighten her being, hoping to be able to dodge any attacks the creature makes as she ducks away from it, dodging around to behind Emerion.
From behind her human shield, she murmurs a prayer and reaches out to touch his already magical rapier. "Cayden's blessing on this weapon; may it be used for good. Defend thyself and I shall heal you momentarily. All of you, gather near me if you would have Cayden's protection."
The party moves in on the strange creature. After Nicola bolsters the others by Cayden's power, the thing hisses its laughter again. While it tries to sidestep Emerion's rapier it says, "My spirit was old when the drunk stumbled into godhood, but he'll be dead and forgotten while I am still young."
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (octopus or squid tentacle)
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: none; Spell Resistance: no
This spell causes a field of rubbery black tentacles to appear, burrowing up from the floor and reaching for any creature in the area.
Every creature within the area of the spell is the target of a combat maneuver check made to grapple each round at the beginning of your turn, including the round that black tentacles is cast. Creatures that enter the area of effect are also automatically attacked. The tentacles do not provoke attacks of opportunity. When determining the tentacles' CMB, the tentacles use your caster level as their base attack bonus and receive a +4 bonus due to their Strength and a +1 size bonus. Roll only once for the entire spell effect each round and apply the result to all creatures in the area of effect.
If the tentacles succeed in grappling a foe, that foe takes 1d6+4 points of damage and gains the grappled condition. Grappled opponents cannot move without first breaking the grapple. All other movement is prohibited unless the creature breaks the grapple first. The black tentacles spell receives a +5 bonus on grapple checks made against opponents it is already grappling, but cannot move foes or pin foes. Each round that black tentacles succeeds on a grapple check, it deals an additional 1d6+4 points of damage. The CMD of black tentacles, for the purposes of escaping the grapple, is equal to 10 + its CMB.
The tentacles created by this spell cannot be damaged, but they can be dispelled as normal. The entire area of effect is considered difficult terrain while the tentacles last.
Emerion's newly enhanced rapier darts forward toward the rakshasa's heart. The rakshasa flinches and the blade rips into its shoulder, cutting deep and drawing blood. A long hissss of pain follows immediately.
....
Tentacles CMB
Damage to R 20 +
Phillip's tentacles burst from the floor to snare the Rakshasa. Thick rubbery black strands wrap the Rakshasa and tear at its limbs, but the serpentine man pulls free.
For its part the Rakshasa, attacks Emerion with its oddly crooked knife, claw, and a darting strike from its fangs. The knife cuts twice into his wrist and its claws rake his cheek.
.... (15-20)
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crit confirm ....
damage to EM 15 + 21 earlier damage = 36, 19 hp remaining
Varlis chops at the beast, using the blade with all his weight behind each blow, trying to overcome the invulnerable flesh of the creature with brute strength alone.
But the creature bats away the sword like a child's toy. Varlis grunts.
Philippé winces as he sees the creature effortlessly walk out of his most powerful spell, quickly he tries to come up with another way of disabling the defences or the creature.
Nicola maintains her divinely-enhanced defense and touches Emerion's shoulder, sending healing coursing through the swordsman's body. Some of his wounds knit as his vigor is restored.
The serpent-man is quick and lightly clad in a white gauzy robe. He easily sidesteps Varlis' first swing and turns the second with his blade.
Hemmed in by both Varlis and Emerion, back against the wall, the creature trades slashes, strikes and parries with the two fighters.
Nicola intercedes with Cayden for Emerion and his wounds knit.
Heather intones the words of a spell that you've seldom heard her use. As she speaks her words drag more and more slowly from her mouth and the rakshasa seems to slow down too.
Renewed by Nicola and supercharged by Heather, Emerion flicks his rapier with near lightning speed, looking for weaknesses in his foe's defenses. But none of his attacks draws blood.
For it's part, the Rakshasa turns its attacks on Varlis, ignoring the ineffectual rapier wielder. With Cayden's aid Varlis deflects two attacks from the bent dagger that might have gutted him. A claw rips a jagged cut in the man's cheek however.
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attack choice
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OK guys. Your turn. Don't forget the fervor and haste!
"Friends, we stand and fight. Take this creature down - burn her with your power and strength. Crush the creature, destroy." He invokes the powerful words, trying to motivate and enrage Emerion and the enlarged Varlis.
The noble moves as required to keep away from the creature, but enflame the spirits of his companions.
Thus from these buffs, Emerion has an extra attack, +3 to hit, +1AC, +1 Reflex, +1 Will & +1 damage.
Varlis will get an extra attack, +4 to hit, no AC alteration, +1 Reflex, +1 Will & +2 damage.
(And there CMB/CMD is a bit of a mess :P )
Varlis grows before the eyes of the snake headed beast and his sword grows too. With a murderous growl he swings at the waist of the rakshasa, hoping to cleave the creature in two before it can react. However he does take the time to set up a flank with Emerion.
Nicola hastily intones another prayer, touching Varlis as he moves to flank the creature, then tapping Emerion, Heather, her brother, and herself. "I pray this creature is evil!"
First, the subject gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saves. Both these bonuses apply against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures.
Second, the subject immediately receives another saving throw (if one was allowed to begin with) against any spells or effects that possess or exercise mental control over the creature (including enchantment [charm] effects and enchantment [compulsion] effects, such as charm person, command, and dominate person. This saving throw is made with a +2 morale bonus, using the same DC as the original effect. If successful, such effects are suppressed for the duration of this spell. The effects resume when the duration of this spell expires. While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target. This spell does not expel a controlling life force (such as a ghost or spellcaster using magic jar), but it does prevent them from controlling the target. This second effect only functions against spells and effects created by evil creatures or objects, subject to GM discretion.
Third, the spell prevents bodily contact by evil summoned creatures. This causes the natural weapon attacks of such creatures to fail and the creatures to recoil if such attacks require touching the warded creature. Summoned creatures that are not evil are immune to this effect. The protection against contact by summoned creatures ends if the warded creature makes an attack against or tries to force the barrier against the blocked creature. Spell resistance can allow a creature to overcome this protection and touch the warded creature.
Larger, stronger, Varlis cuts the snake man twice with his great sword. The blade opens rents in the rakshasa's arm and thigh and the rakshasa barely evades the bounty-hunter's third attack. Despite the pain and blood loss, the snake-man continues to fight.
Emerion redoubles his effort also and his rapier darts at the rakshasa's chest again and again.
Rapier, Fervor, Haste, Rage: .... damage:
Rapier, Fervor, Rage: .... damage:
Rapier, Fervor, Rage: .... damage:
The tentacles continue to grasp at the snake-man, trying to pull and rend.
Black tentacles 1:
Black tentacles 2:
Blocked from a direct line to the rakshasa by Emerion and Varlis, Heather waits to cast a spell.
The tentacles can't seem to grab hold of the elusive thing. Still they distract him and he finally seems to realize the threat they pose. He tries to push through the gap between Emerion and Varlis, but the big bounty hunter bars the way.
Acrobatics to avoid AoO :
Rapier, Fervor, Haste, Rage AoO: .... damage:
Heather intones more arcane words, a pattern easily recognizable to Emerion now. With impeccable placement, grey sticky strands surround the Rakshasa but leave Emerion and Varlis free.
Save
Miraculously the rakshasa avoids being caught again. He stares down at the rents left by Varlis' greatsword and the punctures of Emerion's rapier.
"You may have bested me, but you won't defeat the others. We will devour Korvosa. The tiger Bahor will rule instead of your Crimson Whore."
Again he returns to the attack, striking at Emerion.
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