Braelex fires a pair of hasted bolts striking the creature true, but if not for the acid, the two bolts just barely scratch the woman. The acid however, scars her badly and she screams back in pain.
Nalar stands back and observes, trusting in his erstwhile companions.
Vuloo hits her with a burst of radiance and she hisses and panics, now blinded.
; fail
After getting buffed by Andel, Relan moves up and smashes the woman strongly, her skin resisting the blade somewhat, but the warrior's strength pushes through causing significant harm.
The blinded creature takes a guarded flap of her wings back into the greenish mists of the fog ... and the party watches as her wounds begin to heal. She unleashes a torrential scream, wailing with rage and anguish.
The fogs continue to suck at Silasni's life force, the last vestiges of it disappearing with a whimper. The images flit about and seem to catch sight of you all.
Braelex barely resists the manananggal's terrifying scream. She holds her ground but is visibly shaken up.
She moves to Relan and taps him with a wand.
Vuloo bolts from the room.
Andel fights the urge to run and instead draws his bow while he moves to get line of sight on the manananggal to fire his shock bow.
Relan will flee, but I am thinking you cannot 5 ‘ step while blind, If that is right the half lady will provoke moving away.
As Relan flees screaming, Braelex changes tack and instead tosses her last three bombs at the flying undead. She again uses her boots to hurl them faster.
;
;
;
"Nalar! Can you help our friends regain their senses?"
; 1=N, 2=NW, 3=W, 4=SW, 5=S
Vuloo sprints southwest.
Nalar activates his wards again.
Braelex switches to explosives annihilating the undead woman with the first two and targeting the northern fog with the third one and raking fire through both of the gaseous oozes burning huge holes in their forms that gradually fill in but much thinner than before.
Nalar activates his wards aiding the others a bit but Vuloo and Relan still take off through the open door the warrior tracking behind the halfling and catching up to him. The rot grub swarm doesn't seem to notice them.
Andel fires a lightning arrow into the fog but neither the weapon nor the electricty seem to cause any effect as it passes through.
The fogs flow forward touching Braelex and Andel and sucking at their life force. Close up you are all able to see phantoms flitting around in agony within the fogs mists ... it is disconcerting.
They then flow over the party.
The mists lash out trying to envelop the party members.
; negative energy =
; negative energy
Relan keeps running.
Andel staggers out through the door.
Braelex curses as she swats at the necrosuck clouds. She withdraws, following the others outside.
Nalar withdraws with the rest of the group.
The party takes off at a sprint following their fleeing companions who rip through the underbrush blowing by the swarms and easily outdistancing the slow flying fogs. After a while the magical fear runs out and the party slows down in the forest, the Black Keep strangely visible over the tops of the trees as the oddly shaped world slopes up and away from the keep. Taking a moment to catch your breath you spot a nearby rocky outcropping with a cavernous opening about 100 feet away through the forest.
Andel points at the cave and whispers. "Something is watching us."
He starts cautiously moving to the cave opening.
Relan squints up looking at the cave. I do not see them. Motion for them to come out and speak to us. he recommends.
Braelex is huffing when she catches up to the others. She spots the pale eyes watching from the cave and holds up a hand. "Wait a minute, guys. Let's regroup before we do anything stupid. There's no way anything is this twisted place is going to be friendly."
She appraises her necrotic scars, wincing at the touch. "I need healing," she sighs, quickly quaffing a number of healing elixirs.
"Ugh. Sickly syrup... giving me a stomach ache."
"And I need to rest."
*
Watching for enemies Relan will ready his bow just in case.
Andel stops and motions to the eyes to come out. "I doubt it is friendly, but who knows. Also, that cave would be a secure place for us to rest."
Then let us approach with care. Relan begins walking toward the cave
As Andel beckons to the eyes, they shrink back getting smaller and less lit until they are barely visible.
Relan begins to walk towards the cave and as he gets closer he hears dull whispers.
The human makes it to the edge of the cavern, peering fruitlessly into the dark beyond.
Responding in undercommon as he puts up his bow Relan assures No I do not work for any dark rider and do not want to hurt you. I am called Relan and these are my friends. Can we come into your cave and talk?
"Mebbe? Where from?"
My Friends and I are from a human city. Relan begins, hoping someone more skilled at talking will jump in. But his words come out sweater than he expected.
Since neither Andel nor Vuloo speak Undercommon they simply watch Relan and attempt to appear non-threatening.
Braelex shrugs and waits, watching the trees nervously.
Nalar steps slightly behind Relan, nodding along with him. "We mean you no harm, we're seeking shelter."
Relan, normally the guy who gaffs his way into a fight, finds himself quite comfortable with this encounter and these timid unknown creatures in a cave. With a bit of support from Nalar, the eyes blink twice and move forward cautiously, before emerging into the pale twilight of the realm outside the cave.
The short, stunted humanoid that emerges is bald and has weirdly twisted limbs, its body seeming to fade and come apart at the edges drifting into a misty smoke.
This creature is a relatively obscure monstrous humanoid generally found underground called a khaei, known for their dull and incurious ways and mystical control over the properties of aging and time.
"Hyooman city near by? Never see dat? You want sleep place? No Dark Rider hunt you? Have shinies for us?"
He beckons for you to enter.
Our city is far from here. Relan responds. And we know of no dark rider. If you could let us rest here we do indeed have shinies for you and we will be your friend as well. Relan says as he retrieves his coin purse. How much do you ask for a night's rest and safety?
After resolving the price Relan will ask [b]Can you tell us of this dark rider?
The khaei looks blankly at Relan for several long moments before stating, "Not metal shinies. Rock shinies."
As you discuss the Dark Rider, the creature shies away a bit and this is when you notice the larger group of creatures in the back of the cave, another 15 or so.
"Him rule Forest. Have scary servants. Rider leave when moon go away. Always cold, always quiet. Come back when moon rise. Have heads on belt. No talking. Just taking heads."
Putting away his coin Relan looks to the others for any rocks? I have no rocks right now. Perhaps we can bring you some if my friends do not have any.
"No shinies, no sleep." The strange little creature says plainly with no hint of malice.
Andel motions for the others to back off. "I got their shinies."
He then casts glitterdust in the space in front of the creatures.
It is not.
Andel blasts the cave with blinding light causing the creature to scream and shy away along with the several others in the back to include tiny small ones clinging to the arms and legs of the normal sized ones.
The creature Relan was talking to whimpers out, "No hurt us! Take what you want!"
Relan sighs at Andel and makes sure that he does not touch a weapon. We do not wish to hurt you. Only to rest and avoid the Dark Rider. If we find shinies later we will bring you some. We will leave in the morning.