"Anyone need healed before we go on?"
Iesha studies the rickety-looking rope bridge with a doubtful expression.
'Hm. Maybe we should link together with rope just in case?"
Sunset offers her length of rope towards Iesha's suggestion.
Adelram was already making his way across the bridge while the others were working on tying ropes together. As he moved beyond the scaffolding, the slender rope bridge swung slowly back and forth causing him to clutch the ropes and balance lest he be thrown over the sides into raging gorge below. At the far end of it was a two-story building with a tower. The others were just making their way onto the bridge, having linked themselves together, when Adelram was already mid way.
Adelram stepped on a board that suddenly started burning beneath his feet. It took him only a moment to realize it wasn't burning but activating a magical rune that had been placed there. He'd stepped directly onto a trap!
The air thrummed with magic as magical runes appeared instantly off the left side of the bridge, these runes formed a circle that cracked open a tear in reality. What stepped out of it was a beautiful dark wing woman with a dark burning gaze, holding a burning bow some sixty feet away from the bridge. It's burning gaze fell on Adelram and with a booming laugh it raised its bow. "I was summoned for this? How pathetic of them to bother me with such prey..." With that it pulled back on its string and an arrow appeared seeming made from molten lava and dripping bits of burning flames.
Sunset gasps in surprise at the appearance/arrival of the winged woman. Leaving the group's rope skills where they lay she draws her sword... but beyond brandishing said weapon there is little she can do.
Guess its a good thing Eloise rolled better than me.
Adelram hurries across the rope bridge.
You recognize this beautiful and sinister creature as an Erinyes! They are resistant to weapons not empowered by good. Have strong spell resistance, are immune to fire, poison and have strong resistance to Acid and Cold. They are a formidable creature that uses both bow and rope to attack its prey, focusing primarily on those of good faiths as a target!
Adelram uses his lashes to help him get across the bridge.
A mocking laugh echoed from on high as the winged woman took aim with her flaming bow. "Where do you think you're going maggot!" Her words were as swift as the flaming arrows that slammed into Adelram's side.
She seemed to delight in his pain, her dark wings keeping her aloft effortlessly as she put her hand onto her bow once more. Another arrow forming out of molten flame once more as she did so. "Are you just going to run?" This time her eyes hovered towards those on the far side of the bridge still. A mocking smirk on her beautiful face as spoke.
Sunset glares at the flapping b!tch. "Okay.. if she wont come to us..." She mutters even as she sheaths her sword and draws her light x-bow.
Adelram will try to get inside the building and take cover. He won't be able to handle her continued assault.
Adelram
On this side of the bridge you discovered it is quite secure, you find a poorly maintained statue of a Nymph standing next to the shut doors of this building. Taking cover you hear the blacked feathered winged woman tsk in a vexxed manner before laughing again. "You can only hide so long my pet... Perhaps your friends will make better sport..."
"Why don't you come over a bit closer, my fine feathered freak?" Eloise calls, making an insulting gesture at the erinyes - and an arcane gesture over herself. "You look silly from afar. Let's see what you're good for up close."
Tries to figure out what sort of creature this is that is killing him currently.
"Heck, we could maybe offer to work out how to 'Unsummon' her and she goes home... never to be at any one's beck and call again?" Sunset offers her suggestion as she changes weapons and takes more cover.
You recognize this beautiful and sinister creature as an Erinyes! They are resistant to weapons not empowered by good. Have strong spell resistance, are immune to fire, poison and have strong resistance to Acid and Cold. They are a formidable creature that uses both bow and rope to attack its prey, focusing primarily on those of good faiths as a target!
The devils eyes drift to Eloise, its cruel smile turning to a frown at her words. It winged forward closing the gap in two brief flaps of its black feathered wings. Though it had came closer it had yet to land. It reached for something coiled at its hip and once it took hold it uncoiled into a fifty foot strand of something long and black. The fifty foot long item writhed like it was alive and the devil hurled it towards Eloise.
When it strikes her it coils around her like a snake, attempting to limit her movements immensely. As she struggled the devil laughed mockingly. "Silence filth! You lowly maggots are not worthy of my blade! I'll...!"
However Eloise's quick reflexes allow her to shake off the coiling and writhing rope like object which, up close, appeared to be braided hair...
The devils irritated growl at her avoiding her entangling attack cut its words short...
Iesha snaps out of her shock and fires her crossbow at the flying devil.
for
for
Eloise recites a few lines that sound like poetry in a dark, rigid language, then spits over the side of the bridge.
"But is that really all you're good for? Is there nothing more to you? A coward sniping from a distance and a harlot bending over for stronger devils and any warlock with the right spell?"
With a casual gesture, Eloise tugs the silver holy symbol of Milani, patron of devotion, hope and uprising, out of her collar to sparkle against her chainmail.
"Come face me," Eloise says, her dark eyes blazing as she takes her black blade in a two-handed grip. "Face Eloise Tow!"
"Come on down, you who could once have been an angel, and prove your mettle, if you have any left."
Sunset lets fly along side Iesha,
*Spung!*
Adelram drinks his Potion of Fly and readies his Ectoplasmic Lash.
Seeing the holy symbol brought the Erinyes full ire to bear on Elois. Sunset's crossbow bolt clatters off the devils tough skin, bringing a dark smile to its lips. "Angel? Those weak things? Don't insult me." She points her finger at Eloise then. "I serve in His army, where weakness is purged... Begone Filth!"
A cold dark miasma started to seep from the ground around Eloise, the tendrils of shadow and pure darkness seemed to reach out for her and her alone. As they wrapped around her they spiderwebbed outward, seeming to infect her very veins with the icy despair of the abyss...
Rounds.
Adelram flies closer to the demon and strikes out with his lash.
1-hand Ectoplasmic Lash +2:
*Spung*
"Aha," Eloise says, mockingly. "So that's why they kicked you up here... harlot."
"Cowardly crawler," Eloise says, disgust in her voice. "Too craven to face me, and you hamper my movement, rather than come down to fight one-on-one. You have my contempt."
The Magus lifts her voice in song -- and starts to march forward! Though the evil taint hampers her, the words are recognizable as a hymn to Milani the Everbloom, a call for rebellion against all tyrants... and when she comes within reach of the foul devil, she lifts one hand. Three silver coins lie there, sparkling, clean -- and the hymn turns into a chanted spell, arcane force shimmering around the coins. One of them levitates and zips away, aimed at the erinyes' black heart!
Sunset gulps as Eloise suddenly raises her voice and begins to saunter out onto the swaying rope bridge. With her own quick 'prayer' Sunset lowers her x-bow and then reaches out to add some bolstering spells.
The devil angles her head in confusion as the coin goes wide. She was about to respond but Adelram's surprise attack catches her off guard. "Ho~ This ones got some spine... I'll enjoy breaking it."
Leaving her bow in her off hand she draws her longsword and engages him in melee combat, smiling viciously at him as she does a flourish with the blade prior to striking at him with a powerful sideswing.
Adelram used reach to attack her. So I presume she will take a 5' step to get within range to attack him.
The devil woman's attack nearly causes him to fall into unconsciousness. Adelram chooses to withdraw before he is killed. He returns to the rest of the group to heal up.
When Adelram reaches her, Iesha converts her domain spell to cure Serious wounds and casts it on him.
Sunset steps back and readies her x-bow again for another shot.
Eloise lifts up her hand, sighting on the erinyes again, and chants a single word: "Rakansen!" A second silver coin flares brightly, then zips through the air separating Eloise from the devil.
The coin strikes the Erinyes in the back, causing it to turn and glare down at Eloise. A dark smile crossing its face. "You are persistent." It turns its blade on Eloise now. "But now you die..." It drops, letting Adelram get a free hit in, as if his attacks were no longer a concern as it engaged Eloise while she stood on the bridge.
Eloise calmly leans out of the way of the erinyes' strike -- and then her lips split in a twisted smile. Arcane power crackles in the air around her as she turns that smile on her enemy.
"Hello there," she says. "Good of you to finally stop cowering at a distance, throwing things at me. As for using magic in battle... I think you could use a few pointers. For instance, that spell you used on me...?"
With a flash, Eloise's black blade comes up and describes a perfect arc, the air hissing as the sword parts before it. The sound that rises when the rose-marked blade cuts flesh... that is up to the erinyes.
"... not as useful as you might have expected."
Eloise resumes her sacred hymns while she readies herself for the next round of combat, steadying her body against the sway of the bridge. The eager battle-smile never leaves her lips...
Adelram casts to heal himself.
*Spung*
The Erinyes isn't so keen to Eloise strike and literally burns with rage at her taunting. Though they smile as Eloise's blade draws blood, remarking in a casual manner. "How little bite you have..." She doesn't even dodge Sunsets attacks this time, letting the bolt fly past as they raise their blade to strike back. The Erinyes response was two rapid strikes with their longblade at Eloise with little regard for what it actually hit. Including the bridge she was standing on.
The first strike hits home and the second slides past, grazing one of the ropes as the Erinyes cows alluringly. "Hopefully you don't fall pet."
*Spung!*
(-_-)
"Let's see if I can give you a bit more sting, then," Eloise says. "Magnifica tauri!"
The spell crackles around Eloise at the same moment that she sweeps her black blade at the erinyes again, a sudden surge of strength filling her frame!