Quite right, my apologies Davin, Matthias never got the chance to enlarge you and even if he had, it takes a round to come into effect.
I'll reverse the damage due to that fact, with one caveat - I also forgot to add the Duergar's +2 to his attack from striking while invisible. The resulting 23 would indeed have been a hit. But since I forgot, not going to apply it in this case.
Spinning from cutting down one duergar, Kevkas briefly considers rushing the drow but instead moves to assist the stranger flanked by two of the dwarves. The giant-sized half-orc shuffles a few steps closer and swings his massive greatsword at the smaller of the two duergar.
Hezar shifts, and sends two arrows towards Durgar C having a clear line of sight on him.
for
for
"I'm quite fine, Matthias," Nijena said, a little dreamily, "You all have this well in hand. I'm just going to go take a walk in the woods. They're quite lovely, don't you think?"
Tranche order reminder:
Action tranches:
Group 1 - Duergar A; Duergar C
Group 2 - Nijena, Hezar, Kevkas
Group 3 - Drow, Hooded Figure
Group 4 - Matthias, Janiries, Davin
Group 5 - Duergar B
Actions for Tranche 2...
Hezar puts both arrows into the newly revealed Gray Dwarf - one strikes it in the flank, and the other in the shoulder, though neither are enough to drop the sickly looking creature!
Kevkas' gigantic sword misses its target by inches, as the little dwarf shows admirable reflexes!
Tranche #3 is up next - the Drow and the hooded figure!
Actions for Tranche #3.....
The drow seems stunned by the ferocity of Janiries' attack - it takes a five foot step backwards and casts a spell (DC 16 spellcraft to identify):
Damage:
The two magical bolts cut into the lovely elven Rogue but she remains standing, undaunted!
The hooded figure raises a hand from beneath it's robe - mauve in colour, long and slender, the hand is raised, palm outwards. Let usss ssstop fighting, You hear it's voice in your mind, but cannot see it speaking or otherwise moving. and let usss parley. Let usss reassson together. I do not wissssh to sssee my property further damaged nor do I have any quarrel with you.
Hooded figure holds it's action until offensive action is taken.
Hearing the voice in her head speaking of peace brings one thought to Janiries' mind.. trickery! There could be no peace with the great enemy.
Rage suppressing the pain of those magical blows, Janiries slides after the drow and strikes with both weapons, still screaming in Elven.
Matthias called out, "If you mean us no harm, then why were you fighting that Tymoran?"
"Snap out of it, Miss Osuki, please! We need you here!" Matthias pleaded, trying to keep her hair out of his mouth. Seeing things going badly for the Tymoran, he wrapped his left hand in the cloth at the scruff of Nijena's neck, then released her from his bear hug, relying on her clothes to keep her anchored.
Janiries rapier pierces the Drows' throat, dropping him instantly. As the hooded figure requested parley the drow and the duergar seemed to freeze in place; Janiries' blow was thus a coup de gras on the Drow.
I never liked him anyway. The hooded figure refolds its arms under its robes. Mussst we continue? Isss the urge for violenccce now sssated? Once again you hear the figures' voice slithering through your minds.
"You attacked my people," Davin dared to say in a slowly growing voice. "Slaughtered them. And you ask me for parley? You force your will on others. Enslave their minds. And you DARE ask me for parley?!"
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Matthias called out, "If you mean us no harm, then why were you fighting that Tymoran?"
"Snap out of it, Miss Osuki, please! We need you here!" Matthias pleaded, trying to keep her hair out of his mouth. Seeing things going badly for the Tymoran, he wrapped his left hand in the cloth at the scruff of Nijena's neck, then released her from his bear hug, relying on her clothes to keep her anchored.
"Snap out of it?" Nijena asked, sounding slightly puzzled, "Out of what? I just wanted to go take a walk. The forest, it's lovely. And you are all so brave and strong, you can mop up down here." Her voice seemed almost sing-songy, as if she was repeating the words of a poem or memorized speech. She tugged at Matthias' hand, but didn't really seem terribly determined to break his grip.
As Janiries' rapier pieces the drows throat, she leans in and whispers in Elven..
Letting the dead drow fall down to the floor, Janiries turns to the hooded figure while wiping her blade clean on the deceased's outfit.
"Why would we talk to someone who works with Drow?"
Yes there is evil here, let us end it.
The robed figure remains still, though the sibilant voice echoes in your minds. Thessse onesss entered our domain without our leave. We were merely defending ourssselvesss. We grant you leave to depart unmolesssted... we know you ssseek another, would you not wisssh to faccce him at full ssstrength?
"Is that true?" Matthias demanded of the Tymoran. They were already fighting on two fronts; he would prefer that not become three. That said, if this stranger (and whatever "we" he was speaking of, assuming it wasn't the duergar and the drow) was a threat to the people of Tethyr, he or she needed to be dealt with.
But if the figure's evil was contained out here, in the middle of nowhere... perhaps the party could pick its battles.
"We already killed the main threat here anyway." Janiries shrugs, kicking the drow's corpse with the heel of her boot.
Davin wanted nothing more than to cleave the Hooded Man in half. But then a shooting pain in his side reminded him that he was in no position to argue.
He decided to ignore the other man's accusation. If they needed to believe that he was some sort of vagabond, then perhaps that was for the best.
"This isn't their fight. Let them go first, and I'll leave quietly."
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Kevkas grins at Davin, the duergar blood splashed on his face making it more macabre than mirthful. "Funny enough, we didn't come in here to rescue you, stranger whose name we don't even know." The big half-orc points his sword at the hooded figure. "We're here to investigate demonic activity in the area and this looks like a likely source. At the very least, we can eliminate a possible threat at our backs."
"What kind of demon? Or is it a devil? Or Daemon?"
He slowly backed away, sheathed his sword, and then drew a flask from his bandolier. He drank it quickly, frowning at the bitter taste.
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The robed figure stands stock still, seemingly satisfied to wait out your actions. The remaining Duergar stand still as well, making no aggressive movements.
"Really, everyone," Nijena said, her voice a bit dreamy, "this is well in hand. We should all just go take a walk in the woods. They're quite lovely, don't you think? Matthias, Kev, will you come walking with me? The rest of them are so brave and strong, they can mop up down here."
Once again, she took a step towards the door, but didn't resist very much when Matthias' grip on her clothing pulled her up short. She did frown, however.
"Why are you holding my clothes, Matthias? Do you want to come with me? We could take a walk in the lovely woods. Everyone else has things well in hand."
Who are you?
The figure stands still a moment longer, silently, regarding Hezar. The question asked by the young ranger hangs heavily in the air for a moment. Then slowly, it draws it's hood back. Very well, let usss all reveal our true naturesss.
The face that is revealed is so alien, so WRONG, that reality itself seems to bend around the creature as it's hood is thrown back. Jet black, squinting eyes are set forward on a sickly purple, overly large head; instead of a mouth and nose, long suckered tentacles squirm down to the creatures' chest. It still takes no action, merely regarding you with curiosity.
Dungeoneering Knowledge check DC 20 to identify:
With the Drow dead at her feet, Janiries could think a littler clearer. The fact that Drow and Duergar were here meant that somewhere in these tombs was a path to the Underdark, which was a nightmarishly huge problem. But they were in no way prepared to deal with that.
Nor were they in a great tactical situation with Matthias and Nijena seemingly out of it, leaving them in a 4vs3 battle. Not the best odds.
"We should fall back. I'm taking this with me though." Janiries pokes the corpse at her feet with her rapier for emphasis.
Davin's teeth grit in anger.
"It's a mind flayer. Monsters from the Underdark. They can control minds."
He turned to the group.
"We need to leave. This enemy is beyond us."
The words felt foul in his mouth. But there was no other palatable option. He needed a small army to defeat this foe.
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Kevkas turns to frown and mutter something at Osuki and when he turns back around the mind flayer has revealed itself. He grimaces. "And I thought goblins were ugly. Ugh. What happened to your face?" The big half-orc pointedly didn't put down his sword.
Aghast at the monster's alien visage, it took a moment for Matthias to gather his thoughts enough to speak. "If you mean us no harm, then release the woman I'm holding back." He paused, frowning. "What are you doing in this place? You spoke of the one we hunt. What do you know of him?"
You are one ugly...
Know this, if you advance to the surface with ill intent you will be slain, without mercy
Your evil will not be tolerated! You shall be destroyed you unnatural beast!
"If you mean us no harm, then release the woman I'm holding back." He paused, frowning. "What are you doing in this place? You spoke of the one we hunt. What do you know of him?"
"You heard the man. Let her go. Now."
Yay
for
for
for
Hezar cannot bide the evil creature and he fires...giving a chance for Kev to cast hs pro evil on our dominated friend.
Okay, so order of action here before we return to the initiative order...
Kevkas casts protection from Evil on Nijena; her new will save frees her from the suggestion planted by the Mind Flayer.
Hezar raises his bow to attack; that triggers the Mind Flayers' held action.
Mind Blast, 60' cone, will DC 20 to resist - the cone will catch Janiries, Kevkas, Davin and Hezar in its area of effect.
Kevkas:
Janiries:
Hezar:
Davin:
Kevkas, Janiries, Hezar and Davin all have the stunned condition for rounds.
I do not wisssh to fight! Leave thisss placcce!
Group #4 is up next - Matthias is the only active character in that group at present.
Nijena, looking shaken, though her eyes were once again glowing with green energy, raised a hand.
"Withdraw from this place. As a show of good faith. Withdraw into your darkness for half of an hour's time, to give us time to recover ourselves. We will not fight you between then and now. Perhaps you could take a walk in the woods. I understand they are lovely."
The unnatural hooded being stands still for a moment, its eyes narrowed and unblinking, saying nothing. Then the voice in your heads returns. Very well. We will withdraw for the moment asss a ssshow of good faith. When we return, do not be here, or you ssshall find that faith tesssted.
The mind flayer and the two remaining Duergar withdraw to the northwest. As it is leaving, the voice in your minds speaks one final time. I have ssseen your thoughtsss, and while you are no alliesss of oursss I would warn you nonethelesss. We have no love for thossse beyond the pale, in particular the chaosss and filth of demonsss. Do not be ssso quick to trussst one who ssso obviousssly hidesss their true intentionsss. Choossse your alliesss more carefully!
With those cryptic last words, the unnatural creature and its slaves disappear into the shadows.
Davin shakily picked up his sword from the ground. He leaned on it for a moment to catch his breath and felt the searing pain of his wound. His potion had helped, but not enough.
"Everyone okay?" he asked as he made his way over to the body of his former employer.
He sighed as he looked down at her.
"You never did tell me what you were looking for down here."
He closed her eyes and palmed the Harper pin from under her cloak and put it in his pocket.
"Good bye."
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Hezar drools for 7 rounds
Shaken by the creature's effect on his companions, though he had felt nothing himself, Matthias released Osuki and went from one stunned party member to the next, assuring himself that they would be fine.
He had a bad feeling about the creatures' words, though... they troubled him more than anything as he helped his companions and the newcomer to leave. An unaccustomed frown lay over his features as he thought, and he said little as the party fled.
One moment they had been talking to the mindflayer, the next her mind felt like it was on fire, making her lose all concentration. By the time she recovered, the creature was gone.
"Guess we're leaving now then?" Janiries would utter outloud to no one in particular, dragging the drow's corpse with her as she heads towards the exit.
After a good half minute or more, Kev groans and shakes his head like a dog, finally able to clear his mind. "Damn thing was so ugly I couldn't think of anything else. So... that's one more thing to worry about. Good thing, too. I was starting to get bored with just demon cultists and murderous bandits."
He nods at Janiries. "Yeah. Let's see if we can seal up that door on our way out, too."
"Good idea. We'll leave a warning too, make sure people know what's down here."
Davin looked back over his shoulder as he walked out with the others.
"I'll be back someday," he grumbled while glaring in the general direction of the mind flayer. "You can count on that."
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