Clebsch GM Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path (Inactive)

Game Master Clebsch73

Franti read the note aloud, returning human after the plant creature was slain. He grabs the pendants, showing them off to everyone. "All yours, princess! You wouldn't catch me wearing something so..." The fool rolled the pendants between his gloved fingers. Were they coated in grime? Trying to remove the blemish, Franti's eyes widened.

"Poisoned pendants!" he cried, voice alarmed though perhaps somewhat gleeful. "Whoever they were, Ellena, they have a sense of humor. Though to try to prank a prankster? What novices! Oh, how fun, how fun."

Franti looks over the note. He pondered a moment, head bobbing.

"These we don't need no more,
you conquered our surprise.
We thought it best,
to fill our chest
with a crusader's prize!"

The fool clapped merrily, proud of his own work. He winked at his party. "Rolls off the tongue much better. Expect nothing less when I poison you, friends."

Ellena and Karas both recognize that the mechanical construct that was triggered by a word spoken by the Magic Mouth spell on the symbol (probably the last word, "Baphomet") is worth some money both for its connection to the cult but also just as a mechanical marvel. They estimate it would be worth 250 gp. It weighs 10 pounds.

Both PCs got a nat 20 on the appraise roll. Appraise is another skill that's good to have in the party skill pool. Currently, Franti and Tauni have the best bonuses in Appraise.

When the device is returned to the Defender's Heart, a merchant is interested in it. Someone else points out the statue is a representation of a marilith. Quednys Orlun, a wizard helping Irabeth at the Heart knows about them and gives the following information:

"The leaders of Abyssal hordes and queens of Abyssal nations, the dreaded mariliths serve demon lords as governesses, advisors, and even lovers, yet their brilliance as tacticians makes them most sought after as generals and commanders of armies. The most powerful mariliths serve no one, and instead command ravenous fiendish legions.

"A marilith is 6 to 9 feet tall and measures 20 feet from head to tail tip. It weighs a couple of tons. Only the most arrogant and proud evil souls, typically those of cruel kings, sadistic generals, and exceptionally violent warlords, can trigger the manifestation of a marilith.

"The fiends have the body of a snake, a six-armed woman's torso, pointed ears, and glittering, otherworldly eyes.

"Pray that this mechanical model is the closest you ever come to one of these accursed demons!"

Ominous background music, typical of when a dread event is being foreshadowed!

"I can't wait until we find one of those demons and chop it to bits. It will go running from my blade..."

Quednys Orlun listened to Ellena's grim statement about demons fleeing from her blade. His face was angular, creased with wrinkles, with a tattoo on his left cheek of an eagle's talon. He shook his head a little yet also smiled slightly. "That sort of fear must be earned. Demons fear death as do all normal creatures, yet for some death earned facing a righteous foe may win them a greater reward than they now can expect from their pitiful existence. If you want to test your theory, I suggest you start with dretches and work your way up, although if you want to fight a marilith, you can journey to Drezen, which is supposed to be ruled by one." The old man patted Ellena's armored shoulder and added, "Good job. Get some rest, there are more demons than we have longswords to shake at them. Iomedae's blessing on you if you face one."

While the group was dealing with the threats at the Topaz Solution, Orlun sent a small group of the Eagle Watch to the Blackwing librarium to rescue and return with the survivors that the group reported were there along with Aravashniel. Soon after they arrive, the dinner tables began to buzz with the story of the valiant rescue of the librarians by the 'new arrivals,' as the group had been dubbed for the time being. As news of the Topaz Solution events circulated, the group noticed people staring at them. They received hopeful smiles from those they passed and whispered conversations tended to form a wake behind the group's movements through Defender's Heart.

The PCs will get more than one chance to defeat a marileth before the AP is complete.

Once Aravashnial reached the Defender's Heart, he greeted the group warmly, although he seemed overall disheartened and depressed. His eyesight was attended to, but ordinary spells to remove blindness were not able to help him. The consensus was that it would take a regenerate spell to restore his damaged eyesight, since the wound was caused by a glancing blow from the Stormking's flaming whip. Hope was offered that when the Queen arrived with her army--some said "if" the queen arrived--she would have clerics who could cast such a spell. Until then, Aravashnial rested and recovered and served as a consultant on his area of expertise, ways to defeat demons.

When he learned of the evidence of the Cult of the Ivory Labyrinth operating in secret throughout Kenabris before it fell, he made somewhat sour statements about those who doubted him when he asserted that such forces were at work in the city. He asked for an update when the group investigated the last safe house, the Tower of Estrod. Aravashnial said he had been in the tower many times, using its library documenting the history of the crusades. He drew out a map of what he remembered of the place.

Scouting reports on the Tower suggested that the top part of the tower had been knocked off by an ulkreth, but the bottom floor appeared intact and Aravashnial said there was a basement.

Regarding the tower's history, Aravashnial shared the following:

Two decades ago, a historian and researcher named Niuna Estrod came to Kenabres to write a history of the crusades. Estrod constructed a tower of pale gray stone to hold the volumes of history he wrote, as well as other tomes and scrolls acquired from traders and returning crusaders. Ever since Estrod’s death from food poisoning 2 years ago, researchers and wizards have occupied the Tower of Estrod for short periods of time, using it as a temporary library or laboratory. These temporary residents pay a small fee to the city in order to make use of the tower.

Before attempting to enter the Tower of Estrod, re-read the note found in Hosilla's lair under the city.

Also, I'm not pushing you to explore the tower before Terendelev's Manor, just setting that encounter up for when you do attempt that location.

Karas stepped out of his sleeping quarters from their rest, there was a noticeable change in the tiefling. The small patches of scales had gained ground on the visible patched of his skin.

He was still uncertain about the looks he was getting but did not lash out. He kept his head down and tried to stay near Anarya. Proximity to her made him feel somewhat better in the crowded building.

He smiled once Aravashnial found them and made light conversation with the blind mage regarding plans to investigate his old place of residence with Terendelev.

Soon he was ready to move out with the others.

Ellena reviewed the maps of the city, if any were provided. The group should go to the closest spot next, whether it was the tower or it was the dragon's home. "Taking the closest target has worked so far...I think we should keep doing that," she explained to the others as they sat and plotted their next move.

While talking, she kept cleaning her armor and shield, making sure they had a nice gleam. She occasionally held a piece up to the light, and looked for just the right reflection.

Listening to Ellena’s exchange with Quednys, Tauni couldn’t help but wonder Was there a marilith in the invasion force that laid the city low? Could one yet be lairing in the ruins, biding its time?
Tauni was overjoyed at Aravashniel’s arrival. She rushed him and hit him with a big embrace. ”I was so worried about you!” When she heard of the extent of his blindness, she tried to be reassuring. ”We may yet find a scroll with such a spell as we reclaim the city. In the meantime, at least your mind is as keen as ever, and Defender’s Heart needs that more than anything. How can they fight what they face without knowing what it is?” She proceeded to tell him about their encounter with the mandragora. ”I don’t know why, but in the moment I couldn’t place it. Was it just a plant, or was it some kind of demon? If Ellena hacked part of it off, would it grow another one like a troll? If we burned it, would it shrivel away or grow to the sun? I knew that I should know what it was, but I failed them.” Choking back the tears at her failure, she added ”And that is what you can do for these survivors. Your lore can help them more than your spells ever could. And before things are said and done, I have to believe we will see some big miracles. Don’t count anything out at this point.”

”New Arrivals”? Is that our a cappella group performing name?

Karas responded to Ellena from a seat nearby. "I Um... would very much like to see if my home is intact Ellena. I'm worried that its been looted or worse. If its not much trouble could we venture out there next?"

It was easy to tell that he was trying hard not to show too much worry.

Upon returning to Defender's Heart, the fool checked with his armorer, hoping that perhaps by some miracle it only took hours rather than days to make. Franti's face fell flat when he was told that they hadn't even began taking inventory for darkwood as of yet.

Franti inspected the maps, though had some difficulty tracing their trail without destroyed landmarks and ruin. "Yeah, what's a bit longer of a trek? See Karas' pad, hit the tower on our way back here."

Aravashnial listened to Tauni's emotional appeal for him to help with teaching the lore of how to fight demons. It seemed to shake him out of his self-pity. "I did not come to Kenabres to join the crusades. My people have been fighting a similar fight against a demon for over two thousand years. We call him Treerazer. He wanted to create his own rift to bring demons into Golarian. The elves returned from exile in time to prevent this, but the demon has not been vanquished. All this happened before I was born, before even your goddess, well, their goddess, Iomedae was born, let alone ascended to divinity. Anyway, I came to Kenabris to learn more about how to fight demons, intending to return to my people to share what I learned."

"I will eventually do that, but I will remain and do what I can to assist the fight against the Worldwound incursion. Not that I'm fit to travel anyway. Thank you for your help. If you have questions, please ask and I will answer as best I can."

We have two votes for Terendelev's Manor. We can follow the rule that some GM's use that once someone suggests a path and someone else seconds the idea, the group follows that path. In any case, you can set out for Terendelev's Manor when you're ready. Scouting reports suggest the best route would to to follow the Gate District north and west and then cut through a gap in the wall just north and east of the manor. There might be some interference from enemies roaming the streets, but a large group will likely not be bothered.

Ellena considered that Karas's request might be a bit selfish, but he had proved a worthy companion, despite her earlier prejudiced thoughts. Maybe he deserved a bit of special treatment for once. She nodded after listening to the others, "If you think that the best plan, I'm fine with it. To your home and then the other tower when we are finished."

"Treerazer..." The fool repeated, shaking his head with a smile. "Bit on the nose, no?"

Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

"But a demon is a demon, and even a fool knows the best demon to be a dead one."

Tauni laid a sympathetic hand on Aravashnial's forearm. "A noble goal, indeed. And we will seek you out when we need help. In the meantime, until you are ready to travel, Defender's Heart is a good place for you. And who knows? Before all is said and done, perhaps we can find you the answers you seek."

When your character is leveled up and you have dealt with any equipment changes you may want to make, make a post indicating this, either on the gameplay board or the discussion board. I will be busy updating my documents that contain the PCs current dice rolls and then I'll begin the narration of the trek to Terendelev's manor.

Avelina danced and pranced about the room.

"I feel the Grace of the Inheritor's Love through me now, my companions! I look forward to unleashing these new Divine Boons upon the forces of evil! And also showing you what lovely names I have crafted for them!"

She winked and grinned. Not skipping a beat, she suddenly bounded towards the pile of loot acquisitions and began scouring through, finally producing the cloak of resistance.

"If nobody else minds, I would very much like this cloak."

She draped it over herself, then sashayed and twirled as she absorbed its appearance. She used her Infinite Panoply of the Favored Soul Sleeves of Many Garments to adjust the color and shape a few times, until she finally settled on a translucent red mantlet.

"There! Now, if we are all ready to go, I should very much like to see this manor and what other Holy Artifacts and Knowledge we should find there!"

I'll take an antitoxin and perhaps one of the Cure Moderate Potions. A few tanglefoot bags (maybe 3?), too

The group headed north from the Defender's Heart, following the same path they took to get to the Topaz Solutions shop, but once around a large rift that almost opened up under the old inn, they headed more west toward another pair of rifts similar to the ones that had swallowed the group a life-time ago on Armasse. These two rifts cut through the northeast part of the Gates district. There was a narrow bridge of land between the two faults that allowed the party to get past the rifts.

The city here was a kind of no-man' land, with no armies and deserted streets with only the harsh wind making any sounds. After passing through a section of small shops, they set out along a broad street that ran east-west, giving them a view of another rift that ran east-west just north of them. This rift had cut the grand temple to Saranrae in half. A large stain-glass window was still intact, by some miracle. The group could see a man standing below the circular window, casting a spell. He raised his hands and suddenly, there was a resounding crash, followed by splintering of glass that rained down just in front of the man.

Before anyone could say anything, he looked back and noticed the group and took off at a run. He appeared to be armored under a robe with a symbol of Iomedae on it, with a heavy crossbow and a morningstar as weapons. He was far enough away that any ranged shots at him would be difficult. -2 range penalty, but don't make any attacks just yet.

Once you've read this, make an initiative roll and indicate the state of leveling up. Then we'll launch into the chase, assuming you want to apprehend this scoundrel who destroyed a great work of art and tribute to a Lawful Good goddess.

Initiative: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21
Leveled

Initiative 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17
Leveled, but still working on hyperlinking her character sheet.

Are Tauni's prepared spells selected?

Now they are. I missed filling her new 1st level spell slot. Thanks!

Chase rules link added to campaign header. Also, you can download a Word document here. I'm working on a set of obstacles. We'll get started late tonight. If I haven't heard from anyone, I'll 'bot him/her until he/she is able to rejoin.

Initiative 1d20 ⇒ 15

I'm here and ready! Feeling significantly better now (and I updated my character sheet and rolls and all that already)

Franti: When you post, let me know what form you are taking during the trek to the manor: Human, kobold, etc.

Leveled up! Details in discussion thread. Ready to roll!

Initiative: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (16) - 2 = 14

The leader is the guy you are chasing, whose name is Eldaster, although no one knows that yet. Everyone else starts at short range.

The man ran across a relatively open area along a wide street, heading toward some low buildings. The ground was covered with frozen patches of water (requiring a DC 12 Acrobatics check to avoid falling. Alternatively, one can try to spot a relatively straight path without ice by making a perception check (DC is 15).)

Declare your actions
Choices:
Move at top speed: Gets normal movement bonus (see above)
Desperate Push: Movement bonus + STR modifier, must make a fatigue check at the end of round.
Standard action+Move action: Movement bonus is halved. This can be a ranged attack (takes a -2 range penalty, no cover this round) or cast a standard action casting time spell (must have range of at least medium).
Full Round Action: Movement bonus is 0. Movement result cannot result in gaining on the leader.

Eldaster is moving at top speed.
See rules for details of what happens once everyone has stated his action. If you are doing an action, make any rolls that would normally be required. I'll narrate the results.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19 Move at top speed.

"The temple! What did he do that for?" Anarya exclaimed. "Hasn't this city suffered enough devastation?" She rushed after the fleeing vandal, noticing the danger posed by the slick ice and finding a clear path through the streets.

I forgot to mention, there is no need to post in initiative order. That is mainly for the outcomes that involve doing something in addition to movement. Also if you have anything creative you want to try, feel free to suggest an alternative to the options listed for clearing the obstacles using a different skill or bringing a spell to bear in combination with a skill. We can be pretty flexible.

The rules indicate that the leader doesn't get a choice of methods around an obstacle, but it seems sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, so I'm going to give the leader the same option as the chasers. Technically, players have to declare their action before knowing if the leader had a problem negotiating his obstacle, so I'll put his action under a spoiler. You can look at it after you've declared your action. If making a ranged attack, that outcome will be determined based on the initial range to target. The results of the obstacle checks and the movement rolls will then adjust the positions for the next round.

I also made a mistake to Eldaster's movement. It should be 12.

Ellena tries to focus on trying a way around those slippery puddles of ice.

Perception 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8

Taking a move and a standard

Avelina took off after the scoundrel as one does when someone runs away from them. Naturally, the imperceptive princess didn't notice any of the icy patches until it was too late.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20

She slipped only momentarily before she began gliding along, using the puddles for periodic boosts. A thought began to dawn on her, and her mouth opened wide with glee. She paused and held her outstreched palms towards the scoundrel.

"My beloved allies! The time has come for me to unleash the True Glory of the Goddess. This occasion shall be momentous, chronicled in all tales of our Glorious Quests! For this is the first..."

She suddenly threw her arms towards the heavens, her head back and eyes closed in complete abandon, as if awaiting the dawn itself to embrace her. Or perhaps a certain goddess.

"RADIANT DAWN OF THE INHERITOR!"

A flash of light erupted right in front of the scoundrel, the blinding burst consuming him briefly in its golden radiance.

Here's the link to Radiant Dawn of the Inheritor Burst of Radiance
Untyped Damage (if evil): 4d4 ⇒ (3, 4, 4, 3) = 14
Blind Duration: 1d4 ⇒ 4
DC 15 Reflex Save for him dazzled instead of blind for that duration

Challenge to anyone who can draw (Franti?): capture Avelina in mid cast, sliding on the ice, arms outstretched, robes flowing in the wind. I am well familiar with the spell, as my elf wizard/investigator uses it regularly, most recently to blind a dark creeper.

Tauni took off after the vandal, trying to find a route through the treacherous ice.

Perception 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

Paras gritted his teeth and charged after the Vandal while trying to pick his way through the ice. The cold did not bother him in the slightest but the ice was still slick.

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

top speed

Dropping his backpack to the ground, Franti shifted to his reptilian form. No honest man would run so quickly, the fool thought as he so quickly chased the man. The fool's human smile curled, then morphed into a snarling, toothy, Kobold's maw. The chase was on.

Acrobatics check that I literally cannot fail: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30

Ice would not stop the fool - so seldom did he slip not of his own accord! The kobold clown suppressed his urge of theatrics, and sprinted over the frozen waters. He removed his saps from his bandolier, gave a quick spin on the ice to see who followed at his heels, and continued onward.

Top Speed!

Since changing form is a standard action, Franti's action is a Standard action + move action. Full speed is essentially a double move action.

Okay, so this chase ended very quickly, a combination of a successful blinding of the target of the chase and extremely low movement roll by the target and high rolls by everybody else.

As the man ran Franti transformed into a more nimble form, while everbody else began to give chase. Avelina paused from running as she slide across a large patch of ice and cast a spell that caused a burst of light to appear around the fleeing man. Both Ellena and Karas tried to avoid the ice patches but overlooked a few covered in a dusting of snow and tumbled to the ground, taking some minor bruises to their bodies and their egos.

The blinded man could not see to avoid the ice and he too fell. He scrambled to his feet but was disoriented and ended up running toward the group. Before he knew it he was surrounded by the group, with Tauni catching up to him first, followed by Franti, Avelina, and Anarya, with Ellena and Karas bringing up the rear.

The man was about to say something when his head tilted back, his eyes and mouth opened wide and as he gave out a pitiful scream, something dark flowed from his mouth and nostrils and took form next to him. It looked like a deformed person, with a large hunchback and a head that almost looked attached to the front of his chest. It had a long, ugly face, with horns, a rat-like tail and feet, and each hand had an extra thumb, one on each side of its hand. The possessed man collapsed.

We'll roll new initiative and I'll get a map up tomorrow. Ellena and Karas have 5 and 4 points of non-lethal damage respectively.

Oops, sorry if that was overkill >_<
I feel bad now....

On the contrary - I think you did precisely what was needed! Well done.

No need to apologize. I was going to make the guy use perception to avoid the ice, since he is encumbered and has low Dex and no ranks in Acrobatics. So he's -7 at acrobatics, but has a good perception bonus. But without his sight, he was at an even greater disadvantage, so it pretty much ended the chase. Even then, the rules would have staggered the arrival of the character, particularly since two of them slipped on the ice and made no forward movement. But there is still a roll for the movement that gets made regardless of your movement bonus and on that roll the guy rolled a 2 with no bonus and everybody else either rolled very high (Karas: 19, Ellena: 17) or rolled midling and had a high bonus (Anarya: 8 + 12) or rolled high and got a high bonus (Tauni: 14 + 12), so everbody caught up to the guy, except the two who fell. So Karas and Ellena will have some movement to get up to the melee to come, but otherwise, the chase was over almost as soon as it began.

Not to worry. I think the system is a good one, so I will use it again as appropriate. And it looks like everyone is leveled up, so just check your profiles and make sure it accurately reflects your character. Some have still not really got the full Paizo format, so as you get time, if you can adjust the profile so that the main stats section is the same format as used in the Paizo publications, I will appreciate it. If you prefer other ways of showing the information, feel free to include that under spoilers. It just saves me time when I go to look something up on your profile if I can look one place and count on finding the information I need. As you get time, link feats and spells and traits to the appropriate page in the SRD to help me find the details quickly, or copy and paste the text to a spoiler section.

I'll have the melee map up this afternoon and I'll make the rolls for initiative and knowledge of what this creature is. This is not meant to be a long melee, but it will give you some useful experience.

I'm using a new system for determining what information a successful Knowledge roll gives for monster lore. For a success, you get a randomly selected list of information (10 possible outcomes). For each 5 points above the DC, you get another 1. On a natural 20 you get one more than the result would allow. The normal procedure is to give the player a choice of various categories of information. Rolling random saves time and as compensation, I give you more information generally than you would get from the standard procedure. You will be limited in how much of this information you can share with the rest of the group. You can share one category of information as part of a move action and another as part of a standard action, provided the standard action doesn't preclude talking (like stealth, casting spells, etc.) In character, try to limit this to about a sentence or two short ones.

I spent about an hour working on the initiative, knowledge rolls, perception checks, etc., but then noticed I was constructing it in the discussion thread rather than the gameplay thread. I copied the text and pasted it into a post on the gameplay thread but then realized all the dice rolls changed. Rather than spend another hour working out the consequences of the new rolls, I'm going to present what was learned by the knowledge roll and the initiative and surprise order without the rolls. Hope that's okay.

As Tauni, Franti, Avelina, and Anarya approached the blind man, they could see he wore a badge that marked him as an inquisitor of Iomedae. Such inquisitors were charged with seeking out corruption within the ranks of crusaders and often are not much liked by the rank and file soldier. As they approached, a steamy substance emerged from the mouth of the man and coalesced into a humanoid creature about 4 feet tall with a hunch back and a hideous long face. It had horns on its head, rat-like tail and feet, and strange hands, each one with a thumb on both sides of the four fingers. It bore no weapons, wore no armor. It did not seem happy about the situation. As it formed, the man collapsed apparently unconscious, perhaps dead.

Avelina, excited by her successful first use of a new spell, was distracted and did not notice this thing forming, but everyone else, except Karas, who was still getting up after slipping on the ice, noticed the transformation. Karas and Avelina are surprised. Everyone else can act in the surprise round.

Initiative order:
Karas: 21
Tauni: 17
Creature: 17
Avelina: 15 surprised
Franti: 14
Anarya: 7
Ellena: 5

Tauni should post first. Then I'll post for the creature, and then those not surprised can act. This is the surprise round, so take either a move or standard action, but not both and not a full round action. Map should be up shortly in the GM header. If you would have had a weapon drawn during the chase, you can start the round with the weapon in hand.

Tauni pointed and shouted "Demon! It's bite will stain your soul!" She stepped back and cast a spell beneath it, hoping to keep it from rising.

Casting Grease on its square, the square that Tauni was just in, and the two that form a square with them.

It looks as if you think the figure shown upside down on the map is the demon. The demon is already standing and was 10 feet north and 5 feet east of Tauni's original position (or 15 feet north of her current position). The figure holding a book in one hand and currently upside down is the inquisitor from whose body the demon emerged. A large view of the demon is shown to the left of the map, the one with the rat tail holding the book in two hands. If Tauni wants to adjust her actions in light of this clarification, she can. I put down a marker that is just a suggestion of where Tauni might want the grease spell to be, but she can move it.

Ellena gasps at seeing the demon made manifest emerging from the Iomedaean warrior. "By the gods, you'll pay for attacking the chosen of the Inheritor!". Ellena gets to her feet, ready to take the battle to the demon once she regained her balance.

Move action to stand in surprise round.

The demon slipped and fell when the grease spell was cast under it by Tauni. He stood as soon as he fell.

Ellena was assumed to be already standing, so she can take a move action to get closer.

Others may take their action for the surprise round.

Surprise Round:
Karas: 21 (surprised)
Tauni: 17 (casts spell, 5 foot step)
Demon: 17 (falls, stands)
Avelina: 15 (surprised )
Franti: 14
Anarya: 7
Ellena: 5 (moves)

Franti pressed towards the demon, flailing his saps one after the other. The kobold gave attention to Tauni's words, and took a defensive stance to avoid this soul-staining bite.

Defensive Attack: 1d20 + 9 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 9 - 4 = 19 for Damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6, nonlethal
Defensive Attack: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 8 - 4 = 14 for Damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3, nonlethal

Free action to 5ft step NE, Full-round Defensive TWF attack. AC bumped to 20. As this is a demon, it may be worth mentioning both my Saps are Cold-Iron.

Good call, DM. I'll move 20' closer.

Franti closed and struck at the demon with his saps, but although one of them hit, as the sap neared the creature, it seemed to lose a lot of its momentum and did very little damage 1 point.

Surprise Round:
Karas: 21 (surprised)
Tauni: 17 (casts spell, 5 foot step)
Demon: 17 (falls, stands)
Avelina: 15 (surprised )
Franti: 14 (5 foot step, attack, hits, 1 nl to demon
Anarya: 7
Ellena: 5 (moves)

"The Inheritor protects her own, fiend!" Anarya challenged, as her palm lay on Franti's shoulder, imbuing him with a sacred ward against evil.

Surprise Round action: Casting protection from evil on Franti.

Round 1
Karas
Tauni
Demon (1 non-lethal)
Avelina
Franti (Protection from Evil)
Anarya
Ellena

Karas and Tauni are up.

Tauni loosed her whip and let it uncoil, testing it with a flick of her wrist. Even as she did so, she whispered an arcane phrase to try and predict her foe's movement.

"Be wary, it may try to destroy your weapons!"

Ready whip and cast True Strike.