"More ooze things? What the hells do we do with them? They're huge!"
"We need to get the prisoner out of the line of fire, then I can heal... them. If someone can swoop in and grab the prisoner while the rest of the team keeps these slime-things busy..." says Zileska, letting the thought trail off.
"Yeah, I could try that," Zhi answers, looking over the horrendous things. "I'm not too strong, though. Maybe Sara might have a better chance." She eyes the taller woman. "How'd you like to be like a speedy, invisible, flying Valkyrie?" she asks with a grin.
Holding back from the creatures, Zhi begins her enchantments.
Melodie steps forward and focuses her will on the sludge gnawing on Iphalt-C.
Sara nods at the plan, ready for the rescue.
Zileska preps for Sara to return with Iphalt-C.
The ooze gnawing on Iphalt-C pauses long enough to hurl a spell your way. Shadows swirl around Zileska as an image of her greatest fear looms in her mind!
The other one surges forward towards Sara, negative energy surging through its body!
The ooze manages to resist Melodie's spell with a supreme effort of will!
Though the ooze succumbs to Melodie's spell, it manages to resist its effects for the time being...
Worried at what these creatures could do, Maria nevertheless headed into the fray.
The spell Zhi follows up with causes Sara to vanish.
"Do you want to go now or would you like to fly as well?" Zhi asks with a smirk, unaware of the powerful magic already flying around them.
"I have it's mind." Melodie reports through slightly gritted teeth. "It's slippery though, you'll need to... ugh!, move quickly!"
"Nevermind! Go now! Zhi adds after Mel's announcement.
Sara rushes in, grabbing the arbiter and interposing her body with that of the prisoner, before rushing them both out of harm's way.
Sara resists the worst of the negative energy as it wracks her body. Zhi makes her disappear, then she dashes over to the stricken Iphalt-C and wrestles the arbiter free of the ooze's grasp. Unfortunately, the oozes are able to sense Sara despite her invisibility, and both lash out at her as she moves past them. The brawler is battered, but succeeds in protecting the inevitable as she brings her back to Zileska. The priest heals Iphalt-C back to full health.
Maria runs up and stabs the nearest ooze, though it doesn't seem to hurt the thing much. It retaliates with two swift slams, but the tiefling's shield protects her from harm. The other ooze, denied its prize, slithers up to the tiefling to attack her as well. This one manages to land one good slam, leeching the lifeforce from Maria.
The ooze Melodie targeted seizes up, the magic taking effect after a short delay!
Zileska says, "Sara, give me your hand."
She holds out her hand with her holy symbol in it, since she can't see the invisible fighter.
Cursing in pain, and recognising the tell-tale cold feel of negative energy, she stepped back from the creature and activated the Band of the Crusader's Alliance, the Eye of Aroden symbol flashing for a moment as its protective energies wrapped around her. It wouldn't do anything for the blunt force of the creature's blows, but it would at least act as a buffer.
"I've always wanted to try this," Zhi says grimly as she moves between the two abominations, keeping her family out of the potential area. Her hands move as if drawing something out of the air. And, in fact, swirls of darkness start to appear near her. A moment later they coalesce into an explosion of flames.
Sara safely deposits Iphalt-C, waits for the boom and heads back in, studying the oozes.
Melodie tries to paralyze the second ooze, but while the spell succeeds, the creature is unaffected for now.
As Maria and Sara hang back, Zhi moves in and unleashes illusory flames! The paralyzed ooze only seems slightly singed, but it is more effective against the other creature.
That ooze moves in and lashes out at Zhi. It destroys one mirror image, but then it manages to hit the real rogue, sapping her strength!
The first ooze shakes off Melodie's hold spell! Both are active now!
Divine Interference: You can convert a spell to interfere with an enemy’s attack.
Prerequisites: Divine spellcaster, caster level 10th.
Benefit: As an immediate action, when an enemy within 30 feet hits an ally with an attack, you can sacrifice a prepared divine spell or (if you are a spontaneous caster) an unused spell slot and make the enemy reroll the attack roll. The second attack roll takes a penalty equal to the level of the spell you sacrifice. You must sacrifice a spell of 1st-level or higher to use this ability. Whether or not the second attack is successful, you cannot use this effect on the same creature again for 1 day.
"And that confirms why I don't do that more often," Zhi mutters to herself as her spell flops. She curses under her breath.
She moves and stabs at the nearest undead ooze in annoyance.
Sara steps back in and whales on the oozes. Though the oozes are not fooled by her invisibility, with each stab of a heel she pretends it is instead a righteous wind punching into their protoplasm.
Sara kicks the ooze over and over, and Zhi scores a hit as well, but the monster is resilient against weapons not infused with the power of good, and thus it survives the assault, though it is badly damaged!
Melodie closes with the ooze and stabs it.
Zhi growls in frustration and continues to stab at the creature that Sara is assaulting.
RETCON: Sara's heels slice through the ooze, reducing it to a puddle of protoplasm and bones. One foe remains!
Figuring that Sara will be doing the same to the second ooze as she did to the first, Zileska gifts hereith a bit of luck.
Maria hits the ooze twice, though only one attack does enough damage to pierce its resistance. Melodie lands a telling blow with her dagger!
The ooze rises up to assault Sara, battering the brawler, including a critical hit!
Invisible Sara stumbles back and growls, thrusting forth and landing a series of lucky hits.
Zileska's interference prevents what might have been a devastating blow on Sara.
Sara proceeds to stomp the second ooze into a burbling puddle!
With the threats neutralized, Iphalt-C returns to her senses. "Thank you for rescuing me. This attack is unprecedented! I was present when the building began rattling, followed by the north end of its foundation buckling, after which putrid gases and hungry oozes poured out. Before I could seek help, a serpentine creature emerged, cackled, and struck me down with a spell.
"I fear these creatures are far beyond my ability to combat. I can provide you with some wards against chaos, at least."
"Don't suppose you know of a way to settle this place back to normal? Or is it just a case of 'kill everything trying to kill us' and worry about the rest afterwards?"
"You must find the source of the corruption that has spread through the cemetery and eliminate it," Iphalt-C says. "Only then can we restore the sanctity and integrity of this structure."
Zhi smiles and nods at Iphalt-C. She looks at Maria. "I think that means that the answer to your question is 'Yes'." She whips the point of her rapier around.
"That's what we do best, right?" she adds with a glance at her wife. "So, into the building?"
You head into the Hall of Final Deeds and make your way to the north end of the large building. A series of private counseling rooms and meeting halls surrounded the large ritual apse at the building’s north end. However, much of this chamber has collapsed, creating a precarious ramp of rubble that descends into darkness below.
Standing at the top of the ramp is an ugly creature that has a boar-like head with short antlers, a thick bullish body covered in spines, and cloven hooves on its stumpy legs. It is idly bouncing a corpse on its sonut, but when it sees you, it tosses it aside. It bellows something in the Aklo tongue as it prepares to attack!
"Ware its breath!" Zhi calls out as she begins the gestures for her spell of speed.
Zhi then moves to flank the big beastie.
"Something is watching us." Melodie says quietly once she loses the observer. "I think it might be one of the eyes that we've kept seeing during the campaign. This is no accident."
She takes a moment to renew some of her gifts.
--------------------------------
As the monster appears and Melodie feels her wife's magic surge through her she has enough time to blow Zhi a kiss before closing the distance and attempting to claim the monster's mind.
"Don't attack, I have it!" Melodie calls. "Can anyone help me speak to it?" She holds up a hand to the creature and makes a firm 'sit' gesture at the beast.
The monster growls at you but sits obediently at Melodie's command.
"One of my extracts will let you understand all languages," Maria remarked, drawing a small vial from her pouch, "never had a chance to use it before now. Anyone in particular want it or should I do the honours?"
Zileska helps to patch up Sara after the second ooze is destroyed, while Iphalt-C is explaining.
She declines the protection from chaos.
Melodie closes her eyes for a moment to unleash her own innate magic but shakes her head at Maria. "Unless that will work on the creature its not enough. I need it to understand me."
Reduced to pantomime, she glances at Iphalt-C. "What can I do with this creature? It'll do as I command unless someone attacks it. Is there a place it can be restrained? An animal pound or some such?"
"If you turn it over to Sayashto's authorities, I am certain they can accommodate it in an appropriate facility," Iphalt-C says. "Alternately, my functionalities include truespeech. I can speak to it and translate your commands to it if you desire."