Vuloo is invisible. He's hovering at the same level as the top of the wall, at his token position.
Relan continues to move to X and prepares to run to Y when the group is all behind him. Ready?
Yes. Go. Please.
With the group at X Relan nods once and makes the run for the seeming cover of Y. His weapon is held ready to deflect any missiles.
Gathering himself for a moment, Relan takes a couple deep breaths and then bursts from hiding, charging the few feet across open space under the balcony's eastern view zone and then hits the flat stone surface inside the inner wall.
He hears a sharp cry of alarm and then a wailing, high-pitched scream rips off, getting closer and closer to him. It rips by and ends as a crossbow bolt clatters against the floor about 10 feet to the east of him.
Motion and noise can be heard all over the keep, most notably the chattering of the redcap on the balcony but also ...
Gemel explodes after Relan (who has drawn what Gemel is guessing is the initial snapshot), sprinting hard to get to cover again. He flattens himself against the wall besides Relan...
+7 base +2 enhancement -1 wis +1 Morale (Bless and Flagbearer but no stacking)
10 ranks +3 trained -1 Wis +6 Skill Focus
Both Andel and Vuloo move up to support Relan.
Braelex runs after the others, turning the corner and looking down the ruined corridor.
The rest of the party rushes through and again a few bow strings twang, but they are way late. However, the redcap gibberish reaches a more fevered intensity and you can hear them rushing around, doors and stools clattering.
The door to the west crashes open and a massive bulk fills the human-sized door. You see one and then two heads swing back and forth through the hole and then the bulk moves away slightly, javelins hefted in each of the what you now identify as an ettin's hands.
The area behind the ettin is some sort of destroyed refectory. An elaborate fresco depicting a banquet shared by the many deities of Golarion decorates the four walls of this dining hall. The refectory is in complete disarray, with smashed tables and chairs and all kinds of cutlery and crockery scattered here and there amid loads of dirt and rubbish. You spy some other large creatures moving in the bulk back behind him, but you can't get a visual bead on them due to the blocking beast and the shadowy insides. You hear another door crash open to the northwest which elicits screaming from the redcaps.
The creature(s) from the ruined tower float along, their bodies camouflaging with the wall. They stop and undulate disgustingly allowing you a good view of the creatures. Each appears to be a mass of floating intestines tangled around a fanged mouth—the tips of its coils also end in toothy maws.
- not acting in surprise round
; not acting in surprise round
+2 (Dex) +4 (Shard of lust)
10 ranks +3 trained +7 int + past life memories
10 ranks +3 trained -1 wis +6 Skill focus
They have standard qlippoth immunities to mind-affecting spells, cold and poison as well as resistance to fire and electricity. These particular ones are immune to acid, too. Finally their chaotic nature gives them physical damage resistance overcome only by those instilled with the essence of order and law[/ooc]
Gemel points at the eastern things and whispers to everyone using his message spell "Those camouflaged critters to the east are qlippoths - their minds are unaffected by mortal magic, they ignore acid, cold and poison and are resistant to fire and lightning. Their damage reduction is penetrated by lawful weapons. I can hold up the giants ... I think"
Gemel crouches, peeking around the corner of the wall , and casts a Murderous Command spell on the visible Ettin, extending it with his Lesser Extend Rod.
In the surprise round Relan re-alligns his weapon to become Axiomatic and steps towards the qlippoth he sees.
Vuloo double moves to join the others.
Andel moves into the hall and begins calling out the ettin's weaknesses to the group - +2 insight bonus to AC and on attack rolls and saving throws against extraordinary, supernatural, and spell.
Braelex takes cover in the rubble and fires at the thing in the doorway.
; plus
The first ettin at the door squeezes his massive bulk through the door and then lumbers up to Relan, a spiked flair in each hand, balls spinning as he comes forward.
An ettin behind him throws a javelin at the warrior as well that catches him on the armor, but bounces off ineffectually.
; miss
From the north, more creatures appear, a particularly large and dark ettin, one head wrapped in bandages and the other wearing a helmet appears around the corner. It carries a battleaxe in one hand and a large pick in the other.
Gemel pokes his head out and casts a spell at the ettin, which then immediately begins arguing with itself, before one of its heads turns a sly look behind it and it starts to turn away from Relan.
; fail
The qlippoth undulate disgustingly, dripping green ichor from their orifices and wafting disgusting stench.
Almost in sequence with its movement, billowing clouds of cloying greenish fog envelop the party (except Braelex) and the engaged ettin, centered on Relan. The fog is caustic and sears at your exposed skin.
The second qlippoth peels away and flies/floats forward exposing itself to Braelex's awareness.
The creature's horrific nature and awful stench turns the tiefling's stomach.
Andel is nauseated.
Vuloo will cast Blessing of Fervor on the group
Braelex is nauseated 6 rounds.
Braelex moves away from the things.
Vuloo blesses the party with fervor. The flail-wielding ettin steps to follow Relan pushing through the solid acid fog and expending more energy than expected pushing up almost all the way on the warrior before he swings his flail.
; HIT!
; HIT!
The northern ettin bellows orders to the ettins behind, "Gets 'round north. Da fog in da way!" He then rushes forward to engage Vuloo, lowering a shoulder to knock the halfling down.
; if successful, Vuloo is tripped.
The party can hear the other ettins shift to meet the demands of their leader.
Andel vomits and Braelex moves. Relan withdraws to the east to engage the qlippoth.
Vuloo blesses the party with fervor. The flail-wielding ettin steps to follow Relan pushing through the solid acid fog and expending more energy than expected pushing up almost all the way on the warrior before he swings his flail.
....The northern ettin bellows orders to the ettins behind, "Gets 'round north. Da fog in da way!" He then rushes forward to engage Vuloo, lowering a shoulder to knock the halfling down.
...
The party can hear the other ettins shift to meet the demands of their leader.
Andel vomits and Braelex moves. Relan withdraws to the east to engage the qlippoth.
The flail-wielding ettin turns and rushes back out of the cloud and into the dining room, squeezing in through the doorway and swinging at his fleeing brother smashing him . The other ettin halts in his tracks and swings back.
"Stop it. Kill little ones. No time for dis."
The leader doesn't see Vuloo and instead stays on the outside of the cloud, sniffing and hunting.
Gemel sees the enchanted Ettin fade into the fog as it moves away, and follows it cat-footing around the corner. As soon as he is free of the painful acidic fog, he begins to cast...
Not seeing a reason to subject himself yet to the horrific appearance of the qlippoth, Relan moves out of the fog to protect Braelex.
The qlippoth both move, one floats forward and the other undulates awfully and then shimmers unaturally, reappearing next to Relan and Braelex causing the two to retch at it's awfulness.
The other one spits a globule of acid out with the speed and trajectory of an arrow ... it flies directly at Braelex.
Knowing the threat of the creature, Relan averts his gaze, granting the enemy concealment from him.
Andel attemnpts to divert his gaze as he moves to Relan and casts heroism .
Vuloo moves and begins casting Summon Monster V