Pirknok's face twists in horror as the lightning tears through the group and the gnome and wizard collapse. He pauses in a moment of indecision as flashbacks threaten to overwhelm him.
Shira, her hair the admiration of every Shoanti, being lifted by those beautiful locks and thrown carelessly across the valley.
They're killing them. They're killing them all.
A flash of black fur as Nanuk comes for their souls; theirs and the others that have been released since the attack began.
No... no no no! Brother! No!!
The dwarf's eyes flash with pain as he's pounded by the flood of memories.
screams Pirknok savagely.
Snapping out of his stupor--or perhaps allowing the memories to fuel his action--the dwarf raises his katana and makes as if to charge into the hallway. At the last second, he pauses, gritting his teeth, and removes the ring that binds him to Ensu. Rage fills his eyes as he stares at the monster, awaiting its next move.
Krojun continues to chant, but seeing the diminutive healer fall, he murmurs a song of healing and casts cure moderate wounds upon him!
Next round Krojun will sing a song of healing for the cleric. healing.
Jessamy connects once with her blades but instead of drawing blood only dust comes from the wound. The ancient figure hisses at her and prepares another spell...
Pirknok barrels into the hall, sword raised, and hacks at the monster before it can get more of its magicking words out.
Pirknok's blow slices through the blurred form of his opponent missing by less than an inch.
...only to veer back on track and slice deeply into the ancient figure's side foiling whatever magic he was trying to work at the time.
Ensu groans and holding his holy symbol utters a familiar prayer. A wave of healing floods over everyone but the bad guy.
HP 92/93
AC 29, touch 23, flat-footed 29
Fort +6, Ref +13 (+3 vs. traps), Will +5
CMD 20
Touch of good: 1/5; Hunter's Howl: 1/3
Effects: Combat expertise (-3 to hit, +3 AC), courageously inspired (+2/+2); Total -1 to hit, +2 damage, +3 AC
Realizing she's not likely to be able to hurt this thing by just hacking at it, she feints with her blades, waiting for Pirknok to give her an opening.
"Stab it!" she says quietly to Pirknok as she steps back into the hallway behind them, "We need to fall back!"
You can use Bluff to pass hidden messages along to another character without others understanding your true meaning by using innuendo to cloak your actual message. The DC of this check is 15 for simple messages and 20 for complex messages. If you are successful, the target automatically understands you, assuming you are communicating in a language that it understands. If your check fails by 5 or more, you deliver the wrong message. Other creatures that receive the message can decipher it by succeeding at an opposed Sense Motive check against your Bluff result.
The ancient figure proves surprisingly quick but Jessamy is quicker still. On the far side of the narrow work space she opens the door to reveal an empty closet.
Siolad gasps for air as he's suddenly healed back to consciousness.
He then channels arcane energy in a blind panic, bringing up a globe of magic around him.
Suddenly finding himself trapped the ancient figure works another pair of spells. With one hand he conjures a handful of entrophic energy and lunges at Jessamy. With the other he fires a spray of kaleidoscopic wild magics over Pirknok.
Pirknok growls in anger, shrugging off the efil magicks the spellcaster tries to work and retaliating with magic-hating rage... and a rather sharp katana.
HP 92/93
AC 29, touch 23, flat-footed 29
Fort +6, Ref +13 (+3 vs. traps), Will +5
CMD 20
Touch of good: 1/5; Hunter's Howl: 1/3
Effects: Combat expertise (-3 to hit, +3 AC), courageously inspired (+2/+2); Total -1 to hit, +2 damage, +3 AC
Ducking under his outstretched hand, Jessamy laughs at him.
"Ha! Getting slow in your old age, dead man!"
She then proceeds to try to filet him with her blades.
Krojun continues to chant his inspiring inspiration of courage +2, and moves up behind Pirknok, casting CMW on him for points of healing!
The angry dwarf sneers at the magic-man's healing magicks!
Ensu stands up and another wave of healing magic radiates from him.
Move Action: Move behind Krojun
Standard Action: Cast Mass Cat's Grace
Siolad sidles up behind the thundercaller and weaves another enchantment into the air--one that improves the reflexes of multiple people.
Pirknok snarls as yet another magicker tries to magick him.
Pirknok and Jessamy attack wildly but both struggle to overcome the ancient figure's blurry deception.
Before the heroes can recover he lunges for each of them. With one hand he grips Jessamy's forearm briefly draining her vitality with necromantic magics. With the other he touches Pirknok sending a shock of corrupting foulness and insurmountable fear through the mighty shoanti.
Pirknok shrugs off the gnomish healing, surmounts the insurmountable fear, and attempts to shred the efil man's protecting magicks!
HP 92/93
AC 30, touch 24, flat-footed 30
Fort +6, Ref +13 (+3 vs. traps), Will +5
CMD 20
Touch of good: 1/5; Hunter's Howl: 1/3
Effects: Combat expertise (-3 to hit, +3 AC), courageously inspired (+2/+2), cat's grace (+2 Dex); Total +2 damage, +4 AC
Jessamy laughs -- "Too slow again, old man!" -- as she again easily avoids his tough, though her overconfidence shows in her own wild attacks in return. Finally, given an opening by Pirknok's blow, she lands one of her own.
Krojun continues to inspire courage and tries to swing against the old man if he can!
for damage!
for damage!
The ancient figure's illusion is shattered under Pirknok's sword making him a much easier target. The dwarf's second strike dispels another enchantment that leaves his opponent moving noticeably slower. Without his displacement spell to hide behind the heroes in melee land several telling blows. As its robe becomes more and more shredded the long desiccated flesh and pitted bones beneath become more and more visible.
The elf tries to break some of the protective incantations on the enemy mage!