Jim dodges in to set up a flank with Kaul before striking.
Knowledge Planes
"I have no idea what that thing is".
Cast Haste for everyone!
"Me either!" Corliss replies in his usual jovial tone. "Fer a second there, I think I even thought the beastie might be undead! Thunderation! Eh--when in doubt, stab fer its 'eart!"
The brain-scrambled priest scoots forward and attempts to stab the conjured monster with his magicked rapier.
for
for
Jim moves up opposite Kaul and lunges at the goatman. His crackling blade scores a hit but the supernaturally tough hide of the creature defies the thin blade resisting the thrust and dissipating its electrical charge.
Corliss thinks the creature is a fiend but Dingus isn't sure what it is. Dingus casts a hastening spell and Corliss charges in. He lands a direct hit but it isn't enough to injure it.
The goatman gives a bloodcurdling scream and hacks Jim with its halberd. . Riemme gives a strangled cry as the chains dangling against the pillar behind him come alive and begin constricting him in iron coils!
The Taldan grunts at the impact, then strikes repeatedly at the fiend, trying to keep its attention on him so Kaul can take it down.
Dingus attempts to send a Vapor Viper at the resistant enemy.
VV: Force Damage
"Quit messing around and kill it".
Corliss performs a double stab in the hopes that he can hit a tender spot.
for
for
Kaul obliges with two more quick cuts o' the axe:
The enquickened crew converge on the summoned goatman. Lopper snicker-snacks. The first blow is hard but inaccurate. The follow-up hits leaving a gash in the uncanny hide. Jim assaults it from the opposite side. Jim's thin quick blade makes the most of an exposed side and the creature pops back out of existence.
"Ah! What is happening"!
Dingus casts Dispel magic on Riemme.
Dingus casts his last high-level spell but the chains are unaffected. He senses that the animated chains are not from a spell which could be dispelled, but under the control of some other entity in the room!
Not certain what might or might not work on the chains killing the stranger, Corliss sighs and casts a searing light spell, targeting areas of the chains not currently wrapped around or flensing their victim.
for
A bright beam of light erupts from Corliss' palm and strikes the binding chains above Riemme seeking to sever them. The chains grow red hot but are not broken by the burning light. Riemme stops moving as his head is nearly severed by the barbed chains cutting through his neck.
The chains dangling from the columns throughout the room rattle as if a psychic wind blew through them. A death rattle laugh stirs from the dead throat of one of the corpses hanging from the big central column and then it is pulled upward by its chains about fifteen feet toward the ceiling. From what can be made out beneath its shroud of chains, there is something familiar about the pale corpse dressed in dour black clothes.
Barbed chains from the pillars closest to Jim and Kaul hurl forward to slash at them. Jim dodges his pair, but one catches Kaul.
"Feck! Idiot never should've run in here!" Jim drops his rapier, draws his bow, and sends an arrow up at the apparent corpse.
Jim's arrow shatters against the chains enshrouding the figure.
Kaul moves toward the chain-corpse with grim purpose;
Axe and claw readied he bellows a challenge, hoping the links will come to him...
"Come on ye chain-rattlin' rancid! Come to Ol' Kauly! He'll cut ye like ye links in a butchers!"
"Come on ye chain-rattlin' rancid! Come to Ol' Kauly! He'll cut ye like ye links in a butchers!"
[dice=Intimidate]1d20+18
"I can't make you bigger or your arms & legs longer... but I can lift you up there".
Hurling threats, Kaul suddenly rises in the air to become level with the chain yanker.
Corliss casts call lightning, his first bolt targeting the monster mummified in chains.
As he floats upward Kaul chuckles to himself and Lopper bobs excitedly;
"Hur... Hur... Hur..."
He swipes at the chain rattler with some wild swings;
Overeager and a bit off-balance as he dangles from the levitation spell, Kaul swings wildly, missing his foe. Corliss begins calling for lightning, waving his arms as the air thickens in the chamber and there is the smell of ozone.
The chains rattle and pull back from the stranger's face revealing pale, puffy skin, stringy black hair that drip salt water, and eyes with a corpse light glow. the Groom gives a wet chuckle as his cold gaze passes over his former comrades.
A pair of barbed chains fly out from the pillar and one strikes Kaul. While another pair flail at Jim, but grate off his armor as he dodges.
Jim is unshaken by the sight, but not unmoved. "Aw, feck, Groomy--what'd you do to yourself?" Wait a minute--how did he even get here? Despite the resemblance to his old friend, Jim sends another pair of arrows his way.
Jim quickly releases a pair of arrows at what appears to be a chain-wrapped Groom. The first arrow sticks but doesn't seem to sink as deeply as would be expected at close range, the next almost hits but deflects off the iron links.
Corliss calls a bolt of lightning from the roiling mist near the ceiling and it strikes the pillar as the rattling menace dodges. Still the current courses through the chains to have some effect.
Dingus watches Kaul fighting and tries to keep him steady (Move Action)
Then attempts to spit a glob of acid at the pillar
Ranged Touch
Acid Damage
"Quit playing round and hit him. This spell doesn't last forever you know and I feel my magic weakening".
Corliss brings down another bolt of lightning on the chained Groom wannabe.
Dingus settles Kaul for another swing and spits acid but the glob falls short. Corliss is taken aback as he recognizes the Groom's face on the chain-enshrouded figure.
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As Dingus' magicks settle him, Kaul's scarred brow furrows and beady eyes widen;
"GROOMY! Say it ain't so!"
Once again he swings...
... but his heart ain't in it.
Startled by the sudden appearance of his lost mate, Kaul swings wildly nearly spinning full around from his floating stance. A pair of barbed chains whip out at him and one slashes the dangling half-orc. A chain arcs at Jim, a near miss as it rings against his mail shirt. Corliss calls up a duplicate and both dodge away as another chain flies out at them.
Kaul reels are more barbs find their mark on his lumpen hide.
In frustration more than pain, the brute bosun lashes out anew;
Jim switches to cold iron arrows, on the off chance that the material matters. All three are on target, and he grins at the ersatz Groom. "Come down or stay up, you'll die either way!"
Jim's arrows strike the pale flesh between the chains, but the cold iron doesn't seem to have any greater effect than regular steel. The arrows are pushed out of the flesh immediately with only one leaving any trace of a wound and even that begins to scar over.
Jim's arrows strike the pale flesh between the chains, but the cold iron doesn't seem to have any greater effect than regular steel. The arrows are pushed out of the flesh immediately with only one leaving any trace of a wound and even that begins to scar over.
Dingus takes the opportunity to look around the room and see if there is something else in the room that might be dangerous.
Perception
Although the thing looks like his lost mate the Groom, Dingus senses that it isn't undead. Probably a fiend and more likely a devil than a demon given its ease with chains and control.
Jim's arrows still have little effect though he substitutes a different metal. Dingus tries to assist with an identification though Corlisses' lumpy skull can't offer anything. Kaul continues spinning and floundering, perhaps considering his life choices. At least Corlisses' lightning bolt is a direct hit.
Two barbed chains fly at Kaul but the wobbly bosun presents a difficult target and both miss. Likewise the chains below miss their targets just as the speedy spell begins to wind down.
Jim grimaces as his arrows fail to do much despite their accuracy. Let's see if this works. Since he doesn't have that many, he looses a single alchemical silver arrow at the false Groom and waits a moment to see if it bounces off before continuing to shoot.
The silver arrow sticks and a trickle of black blood drips over the chains.
The Corliss Twins call down more lightning on the false Groom.
Dingus continues to swish around in his mouth and hacks up another gob of acid mucus.
Ranged Touch
Acid Damage
Having stepped a bit closer while pondering their enemy, Dingus spits a burning glob that hits the creature's foot. Corlisses call down another bolt and the the bound figure is looking harried.