"Oh, now you are just being stubborn, just lie down now, and make no BONES about it!"
"Oh, now you are just being stubborn, just lie down now, and make no BONES about it!"
Appario stifles a laugh. This is serious business.
Derek hits the skeleton square in the glowing gem on its forehead, causing it to shatter and the bones to fall apart in a heap at his feet.
The steps of the Tieflings coming down the staircase slows to a stop as the sound of the skeletons continue, but then begin again. Theron sees a Tiefling coming slowly down the stairs, with a loaded crossbow in hand.
Theron roars at the Tiefling, attempting to spook him before he can get a shot off.
Theron roars loudly, but isn't able to put as much effort into it as he had intended. The Tiefling pauses briefly at the foot of the stairs, then fires a shot at the big cat in front of him.
Although the Tiefling appeared to have been unfazed by the cat's roar, it must still have startled him, as the bolt flies wildly into the wall behind Theron.
Current Initiative order:
23 - Semenya, Derek, Appario
14 - Theron
14 - Tieflings
9 - Eklektos
"You go ahead. I'll catch you up. A spear's better than thing." Eklektos drops the mace and moves to retrieve his dropped spear.
Appario smiles as the last wolf skeleton goes down, ever so happy, yet a bit worried about what further abominations lie ahead.
Appario will thank Eklektos for his thoughtfulness and double move to L12 and take a look at the new space.
in the room
Semenya will continue withdrawing, and will say, via Message, "Company is following me. Find a tight space to fight them - but I'm nearly out of spells other than Acid Orb. Suggest we withdraw, I have three metal boxes that jingle on me."
Appario whispers: "Ah darkness! My old archenemy, we meet again!"
Appario then curses.
"When in doubt, charge, when in darkness, curse...or cast a light spell, haha."
Theron hears the door to the southwest open, then two new wolf skeletons come bounding towards him, both attempting to bite at his rear legs. Theron's hearing and sense of smell also tell him that several other creatures are coming through the door, and he can hear crossbows being loaded.
Both wolf skeletons hit the big cat, dealing a total of 6 damage.
Current Initiative order:
23 - Semenya, Derek, Appario
22 - Enemies to the southwest
14 - Theron
14 - Tieflings near Theron
9 - Eklektos
While cursing all that is holy and unholy under the sun and especially cursing the great, omnipresent spirit that would unleash yet more hellwolves upon this party, Appario is ready to help Theron.
"And lo and behold, the paladin quickly improvises a new battle strategy, he attempts to make the undead blush themselves to death, forgetting that they HAVE no blood. Full marks for effort however."
Theron, realizing he is too hurt to deal with the skeletons, chooses to retreat, keeping a wary eye on the skeletons before turning to run.
The Tiefling edges forward to , spots Appario around the corner, then loads and shoots. The female Tiefling behind him comes down the stairs and moves to before firing her loaded crossbow at Appario.
Both attacks miss the armored and shielded knight.
AoO against the streaking non-wolf.
"May my blade bite you deep."
Appario's blade strikes well, and it does cut deep. But not deep enough to drop the Tiefling.
Eklektos cautiously moves past the spear to get a view of the corridor beyond, keeping a watch as he reaches down to pick up the spear.
Happy that the blade hit the tiefling, Appario tries his blade on the wolf in M11.
Appario will then 5' step to K11.
I came here to help the kitty...now I'm the one who gets caught holding the bag of the curious cat?
The corridor appears safe, however Eklektos hears something unexpected. He can hear a conversation that appears to be coming from the other side of the stone wall, even though the thickness of the wall should be blocking the sound, as well as the sound of someone moaning. Taking a closer look, Eklektos can just see a thin door-sized outline at one point in the wall .
One voice can be heard first. "This is a disaster. The Council will never accept me as a full member if I can't even keep my own hideout safe."
Another answers. "We've got them now though; The skeletons have got them running, and the thieves and the digger will take care of any that linger."
The original voice responds. "Yes, but for how long? They'll be back, and we have lost many today. I fear we will all have to fight to the death if we're to have a chance when they return."
The moaning stops briefly, and a third voice, sounding pained, pipes up. "When are you going to heal my wounds?"
The first voice snaps. "Be still! I can't expend my resources on you when they may yet be needed elsewhere. You'll live a while longer on your own."
Appario's blade again strikes well, and wolf bones shatter. However, unyielding to what should be a lethal blow, the wolf skeleton still stands.
Appario's blade again strikes well, and wolf bones shatter. However, unyielding to what should be a lethal blow, the wolf skeleton still stands.
Appario again curses the omnipotent being that would deign to send yet more devildogs against us.
"By Abadar's Scales!"
Eklektos whispers into the message, "There appears to be a hidden door back this way. At least three people, one possibly the leader, one definitely injured. They're concerned about their chances. Do we let them regroup?"
"WE need to regroup before we tackle them, and Appario is still battling, he needs to fall back so we can aid him...he is such a diva, always trying to upstage me, tsk tsk."
"Make a note of where that door probably is. I don't know that we can take them at the moment. Which side of the corridor is that door on?"
She moves to G6 to be able to coordinate both groups. "Appario, please feel free to fall back whenever you get the chance. If you think we can capture the leader here, I'm willing to support a plan."
Appario whispers back, "Sure, Semenya. I'll just ask these nice goggies and two hellborn fellows to stay here. Should they not listen to me and decide to follow, how about setting up a welcoming party?"
Note to self: remind me to have words with that cat about re-burying the things it digs up.
"And the Paladin reveals his role in the party as...dun dun duuuun, the deadpan snarker! All good rag-tag groups of adventurers needs one."
"Retreat it is. I should be there soon, and I should be able to find the door again. Where'd Theron get to?"
The two wolf skeletons attempt to make a snack out of Appario. Then, a big, bulky Tiefling with claws on both hands comes lumbering forward to take a swipe at him.
Appario catches one of the bites on his shield, while the other snaps the wall in front of him, but the big Tiefling's claw hits for 5 damage.
The two other Tieflings both reload their crossbows and move to positions out of the dim light.
Sheesh, them tieflings grow big in the darkness.
Appario wonders where that kitty is going.
Theron moves back toward Semenya and Derek growling, frustrated at their lack of consistency regarding it being time to leave.
Eklektos does his best to hustle back toward the group.
Appario will withdraw, first 5' to J10, then move to G7.
"We will have friends here shortly, make ready your maces!"
Derek switches out his rapier for the mace once more, then he readies himself for company or as he likes to call it, the "audience".
"Insistent are they not? But I guess it's our own fault for not charging admission."
Semenya will prep Acid Orb and hold her action for any tiefling or Skeletal Wolf that comes forward.
"We withdraw if they don't come. If they come, focus on any of them that seem to be leaders."
The two wolf skeletons come up on fast-moving skeletal feet, one going after Derek and one after Appario. The big Tiefling comes lumbering after them, but he's moving much slower and doesn't get close enough to attack.
Both bites miss their targets.
Theron springs forward, latching onto the skeleton with teeth and claws.
The wolf skeleton attempts to take advantage of Theron's briefly exposed flank, but is instead pummeled by the big cat as the two creatures are locked together.
Semenya will cast Acid Orb against the skeleton-wolf in F7, and swap places with Theron. Through the Message cantrip, "Appario, kill the tiefling as quickly as you can get to him."
Ranged Touch attack.
Crit Confirm - Nope.
1d3 Damage Acid
The acid sizzles and burns on the skeleton's bones, leaving small pits and holes in several places.
Derek strikes out at the skeleton as it approaches.
The attack is woefully inaccurate and Derek smirks.
"I blame the drink...I clearly have not had enough today."
On his turn he once more strikes out, this time more defensively.
Derek's defensively minded strike hits the skeleton locked in Theron's grip, crushing several of the largest bones in its body. Despite the extensive damage, the skeleton's body somehow still holds together.
Semenya is going to hold her action to cast Acid Orb on the Tiefling if he tries to cast something or make a spell like ability effort.
Theron continues to grapple the big skeleton, pinning it to the ground with his greater mass.
Eklektos moves into the vacant space near the others, casting a flame spell as he gets there in preparation to trying to burn the skeletons.