Arianwyn murmurs to himself, "Yea verily, like unto the oysters... Is there no natural predator to limit their increase?"
Seeing the bizarre squabble escalating, Arianwyn races to Whiteclaw and says "Forgive me, my friend," and fires a bolt of white light at her.
Feyfire outlines Whiteclaw briefly and she hangs for a second, limp in the One Who Devours's jaws. Then the teeth grind once more and it swallows convulsively, engulfing the gnoll. The huge head turns and lunges towards Vel, standing exultantly before it. Ripping through the air, it snatches up the firemage and she dangles doll-like and docile.
Vel recites a quiet incantation, then is outlined in rippling flames. She follows that with a familiar gesture, immolating herself and the One in golden fire.
Vel flames briefly before invoking her element to engulf the One Who Devours as well. Maddened by the unexpected pain, the creature's teeth grind down, causing her fiery aura to blaze once again.
"Finally!"
Reason unleashes a blast of light at the Devourer.
"Reason, no!" Despite her best efforts, Vel feels her wounds closing over in the light of Ioun.
Reason sees his moment and seizes it, sending the pure light of Ioun's grace cascading over the primordial maw. Vel's protests go unheard as he relentlessly forces her to heal.
"Vel! stop being an idiot. It doesn't want to eat you, it already has Whiteclaw!"
Kia resolutely fits another arrow and fires at the devourer.
"Right. Let's get her out of harm's way then. Arianwyn! you can pull her out of there, can't you? Does anyone have any idea what we should be offering it to make it spit Whiteclaw out again?"
Thoroughly irate, Kia sends an arrow firmly into the One Who Devours, forced the creature backwards and releasing her unwilling friend at the same time.
Inside the One, Whiteclaw's form changes to a mix of flesh and stone, as she draws the power of life from the earth.
Unseen by her companions, Whiteclaw pulls on the primal forces surrounding her to quell the worst ravages of the One Who Devours.
Arianwyn flexes his knuckles and locks his gaze with the primordial beast. His eyes glow as energy swirls around him.
The One Who Devours roars as Arianwyn's attack thuds into its ancient form.
The jaws snap again at Vel, snatching her up, roaring as the firemage's armour blisters it.
Vel, frustrated, brings Adalram closer and evokes the golden flames once more.
Neither Vel nor Reason can make any impact on the One Who Devours, although Vel's barbed baldric springs out and into the creatures tender jaws. Adalram flaps closer to his mistress.
"OK, remember that we mustn't defeat it. It's got to give Whiteclaw back voluntarily."
She goes up to the devourer (to N15 not right next to it).
"Look, what is it you want us to offer you? We'd like our comrade back now, please. Will this do instead?"
Kia offers up her bow which is the only thing of value she can bear to part with.
"Or is there anything you need us to do for you?"
Whiteclaw, inside the thing, swings her axe at it.
The ground beneath Kia rocks as she makes her offering and a sullen glow pulses through the One Who Devours, seeming to ripple up the great body.
Deep within, Whiteclaw swings and fails to make any impact.
"I think that was encouraging."
Kia looks wistfully at the bow on the ground in front of her.
"Perhaps..." says Arianwyn.
As the warlock waits, The One Who Devours bites deep into Vel and flinches back as once more, her fiery aura retaliates.
Deep within the creature, the glow rises, exploding upwards in a spiral of pure radiant light. The ground beneath you twists uncontrollably as the light twists and shapes itself into enraged horse shape, kicking violently at the surrounding ground and seeking to free itself from the hideous form of the One Who Devours. Kia's bow sinks into the ground and is seen no more.
Alone of the companions, Reason retains enough sense of self to act as he wishes.
Flat to the ground, you all see the throat and jaws of the One Who Devours convulse wildly as the primordial thing drops Vel and gulps as Whiteclaw reappears, her white fur marred with the acid of the thing's stomach. In too much pain to bear, it starts to retreat back into the salving earth.
From an infinitely far distance, Pashira calls from his tomb.
"Make offerings, all of you. Swiftly. You have little time."
Dropping her dagger to free a hand, Vel in agony rips her protective amulet from her neck and flings it to the ground. "You wouldn't take me -- take this!"
Assuming that he must offer something of great personal value, Reason stands and holds out his ritual book in trembling hands.
Vel's amulet and Reason's treasured book sweep into the maelstrom surrounding the One Who Devours and are lost to sight.
Kia stands up and starts to look around disconsolately for any handy sized stones she might use as a ranged weapon.
Whiteclaw doesn't look happy about this at all, but she tosses her axe forward. And she keeps her mark active.
Arianwyn snarls in annoyance and strips off his leather armour, dumping it on the ground.
Arianwyn snarls in annoyance and strips off his leather armour, dumping it on the ground.
Axe and armour are pulled in to the vortex and sucked down as the primordial monstrosity writhes once more, seeking to free itself. The great horse shape screams as the gifts reappear around it. For a fleeting moment you see your treasured equipment reappear and transform to chains of binding light, forcing the fragment of the Sun Stallion's dark sibling back into the earth.
Beneath your feet, the ground churns once more and then blazing light sweeps over you, cutting agonizingly into your damaged bodies.
Alone of the companions, Whiteclaw is unaffected, bolstered by her status as a swallowed victim. Nothing the One Who Devours can offer impacts on her sturdy gnoll sense. For Vel, the last assault is too much, and the mage slumps to the ground unconscious. She does not see the One Who Devours sliding back into the earth, nor hear Pashira's distant voice urging you all to return.
Reason scrambles upright, and calls on Ioun's soothing light to aid the party.