Kia's attack is as unexpected as it is effective. Dribbling ink, Scribe 3 can only mutter a final "Woeful, a shameful effort, calling on imprecise deities for help ..." before collapsing. To her surprise, the warlord sees no body, merely a pool of acidic ink which sinks rapidly into the floor.
Whiteclaw doesn't add to the scholarly banter, which, all things considered, is likely not suprising! She merely swings her axe.
Gobi rushes over to help Kia with her wounds, before turning and hurling his shield across the room at one of the scribes.
Throwing Shield Vs S1 AC (1d20+6=21)
Reason strides into the room, eyes streaming with tears of rage and despair, and launches a bolt at the Scribe who last injured him.
Kia nods gratefully at Gobi as he helps her heal.
Gobi's shield and Reason's divine light hit the prone Scribe at almost the same time as Whiteclaw hacks savagely and successfully at the Inspiration. The tide of battle is definitively turning in favour of the group as you support and heal each other, moving to surround the foe.
The Inspiration sneers again. "Collaboration has merit, but not when used by amateurs. You will never rise beyond the mediocre."
Seraphiel ignores the creature's taunts and merely reaches deep into his own past to send the divine light of the sun into the Inspiration.
Sun Strike v Inspiration (Ref) (1d20 8=20, 1d8 6=11)
Bloodied now, by the continuing cold and fire damage, the Inspiration none the less digs deep, scoring further savage wounds into Whiteclaw.
"Mediocrity..."
Inspiration v Whiteclaw - on hit makes secondary attack v Will (1d20 8=23, 1d8 6=11).
Secondary attack v Will. On hit target is dazed. (1d20 8=28).
For all its efforts, the Inspiration cannot seem to shake itself free of the dazing power of the spells surrounding it.
Save v daze (1d20=4).
As it tries to rise, Scribe 1 succombs to the effects of the flames around it. Acrid ink seeps into the floor as it vanishes.
Scribe 2 is made of sterner stuff and strides free of the flames, hurling another volley of abuse at Kia, Arianwyn and Gobi. Arianwyn and Gobi wilt under the force of the words, accompanied as they are by snickering laughter, but Kia finds inner resources and shrugs it off.
Volley of Abuse (Ref) v Kia, Arianwyn, Gobi (1d20 10=12, 1d20 10=26, 1d20 10=18)
Volley of Abuse damage (4d4=11)
Vel, down to one visible target, launches a simple magic missile at the Inspiration, missing. Nonetheless, lights writhe within her orb, and she allows herself a small smile of satisfaction..
Vel's missile may fail to hit, but the Inspiration notes the swirling motes in her orb with disdain.
Arianwyn's attention is distracted by the book.
Kia urges Whiteclaw on to do more damage to the Inspiration.
Commander's Strike against Inspiration. (1d20+8=22, 1d10+7=17)
Warlord's favour against whoever (1d20+8=11, 2d8+3=18)
Kia looks slightly embarrassed at her effort.
Whiteclaw's axe rises and falls at Kia's urging, cutting deep into the Inspiration. "We are trained to deal with ruthless criticism," it sneers, wrinkling a shriveled lip at the warlord as she appears at its side.
Gobi hurls his shield once more at the scribe
Throwing Shield vs AC S2 (1d20+6=18)
Valiant Strike (+1 for action point, and +1 for Adj enemy) (1d20+10=15)
The snow and ice fade as Whiteclaw's swings her axe once more.
For all his determination, neither of Gobi's attacks hit. As he ranges alongside the remaining Scribe, he hears a dusty hiss.
"Inadequate preparation."
Whiteclaw's chill field drops away as she concentrates her efforts on the Inspiration, drawing further acidic ink from the creature.
"More hair than wit. The pen remains mightier than the sword," it sneers at her.
Reason ensures that Whiteclaw will continue the fight, then attacks the Inspiration.
The tears in his eyes blind him momentarily.
"The victor writes the history." Whiteclaw snaps back. "You won't even be a footnote in it."
The mere existence of such perverted beings blinds Reason, but he manages to invest Whiteclaw with healing grace.
Seraphiel holds his ground and sends a further bolt of sun into the dusty corners of the Inspiration's mind and body.
Sun Strike v BI (Ref) (1d20 8=25, 1d8 6=13).
The Inspiration stabs again at the gnoll. "Worthless effluvium. What do you know of the immortality of words?"
As before, the gnoll is unexpectedly affected by the Inspiration.
Skewer v Whiteclaw (on hit gets secondary attack) (1d20 12=27, 1d8 6=8).
Secondary attack (Will) v Whiteclaw - on hit, target dazed to end Inspiration's next turn. (1d20 12=19).
Turning abruptly on Kia, the creature confronts the eladrin.
"So little respect for learning? You will never make a student."
For once, the cruel words strike home and the warlord allows the wound to daze her.
Inspiration v Kia (on hit gets secondary attack) (1d20 12=31, 1d8 6=10).
Secondary attack on Kia (Will) (1d20 12=24).
Emboldened by the success of it's attacks, the Inspiration shakes off the dazing effect that has been plaguing it.
Save v Daze (1d20=20)
Scribe 2 ignores the looming figure of Gobi and splutters a worthless diatribe in the direction of Kia and Whiteclaw, missing both of them.
Volley of Abuse v Kia and Whiteclaw (Ref) (1d20 10=15, 1d20 10=13)
Face tight with disgust, Vel aims another arcane blast at the Inspiration, hoping to stop the thing in its tracks or at least get it to shut up. This time her aim is sure and it is now clear to you all that the creature cannot survive much longer.
Magic Missile v BI (Ref) (1d20 8=21, 2d4 4=10).
Arianwyn bobs and weaves. A bit too much.
Vel's flames flicker for the last time and die away as Arianwyn moves panther-like around the room, looking for an opening.
The eyes of both the Inspiration and the Scribe watch his progress.
"The bright light of knowledge will always reveal you, eladrin. Alas that it is not in your brain."
In her dazed state, Kia can think of very little of intelligence to say or do. She gives the inspiration a withering look.
"Just... shut up!"
Basic attack against the Inspiration. (1d20+8=9, 1d8+3=6)
Her way with words has completely abandoned her.
As the Inspiration attack Kia, Whiteclaw slashes at him, but her blow goes wide.
Gobi swings once more at the being in front of him, he cries out with a wrath that is part his own and part of it is given to him by Avandra.
Ferocious though Gobi's attack is, the Scribe simply will not fall. "The virtues of scholarship are past price," it drools through ink stained lips.
Whiteclaw keeps slashing at the Inpiration, doing her best to keep the spirit focused on her.
Whiteclaw sticks doggedly to her self-imposed task of demolishing the Inspiration, cutting deeper and deeper into its thin body. By now, the creature is almost beyond words, spurting ink as it tries to speak and fails.
Reaon attempts to expire the Inspiration, and fails.
Tears of rage and distress mingle on Reason's face as he tries and fails to blight the Inspiration.
Wrapped in serenity, Seraphiel again raises his hand, calling on the cleansing light of the sun to rid the world of this abomination. The shaft of sunlight bounces off the ceiling and misses the creature.
Sun Strike v Inspiration (1d20 8=12, 1d8 6=12)
Ink dribbling from every limb and spurting gouts of acid, it stabs once more at Whiteclaw before shifting away. Turning horrid eyes on the dazed gnoll it adds insult to injury with a sneering critique of her skills.
Skewer - v Whiteclaw (on hit makes secondary attack) (1d20 12=29, 1d8 3=10).
Secondary attack v Whiteclaw (Will) (1d20 12=21)
Critical words (Will). On hit target takes -2 penalty to attack to end Inspiration's next turn. (1d20 12=25, 1d6 3=9).
The remaining scribe allows Gobi to swipe it with his craghammer as it hurls more insults at Kia, Whiteclaw and Reason. Once again, Kia shrugs off the harsh words, but Whiteclaw and Reason both suffer horribly, Reason in particular finding that the attack appalling to his scholarly sensibilities, but Whiteclaw suffering nearly as badly.
Gobi OA v Scribe 2 (1d20 8=20, 1d10 6=14)
Volley of Abuse (Ref) v Kia, Whiteclaw, Reason (1d20 10=12, 1d20 10=23, 1d20 10=30).
Volley of Abuse damage v Whiteclaw (4d4=15).
Vel moves slightly to try to gain line of sight on the Inspiration. , then fires a magical bolt of force at the creature.
Vel's attack misses by a hairsbreadth and is greeted by an ink-stained snicker as the Inspiration leans away.
"We are not so easily erased."
Arianwyn moves to defend Reason, and with a snarl launches a great bolt of white light at the perverted scholar. "Full mickle is my might. Not scanty is the knowledge in my head." he says with an eerie air.
Eldritch light blasts from Arianwyn's sword tip and outlines the Inspiration. For a fleeting second, you see the creature dark black on white before the light folds around the Inspiration and obliterates it entirely.
A dusty whisper rings around the room, "I shall not be overlooked ..." but very clearly, this is untrue. The last inky remnants dissolve into nothingness.
Kia nods appreciatively at Arianwyn as the Inspiration falls in front of her. Then she turns a menacing eye on the last Scribe.
"Now, I can see only one. Gobi, try to make that none!"
She does a little double take at her inadvertent rhyming.
Gobi against the scribe. (1d20+8=22, 1d10+9=11)
Turning to Whiteclaw she gives her a few reassuring words and a healing surge +1d6+3=4 HP. Then, in case the Scribe is still alive, she moves to towards the book.
Arianwyn returns Kia's nod.