Oh no, not again
Andrei is stunned for a moment to be still standing before the orb. "Keep going everyone, these blessings are really working."
Small chips fly from the globe as the party continues the pound at the hardened crystal. Larger cracks begin to show. But rather than continuing her attack Pashitel retreats back into the center of the sphere, once again hidden by the swirling mists inside.
"Hold a moment. Look." Anwel puts up his sword and glances at the runes on the wall. Where before they were red and threatening, now they shone like the light of a full moon. The oppressive sulfur smell was weakening, too. "Is that a good sign?"
Warren brings an earth elemental into being to help out.
"Its doing something should we really be holding off?" Andrei asks and holds his sword up above his head read to swing again.
"What are you talking about?!" Phedre asks, wondering if Pashitel somehow managed to influence her friend.
"Now is not the time for doubts. Let's destroy this foul creature and continue on our way."
Andrei's ability to detect magic is still active and he is able to sense a large power build up of Evocation magic within the runes. Most likely some kind of fail-safe designed to try and destroy or significantly harm the demon should the integrity of the sphere be broken.
The bard can also sense a build up of Abjuration magic coming from within the sphere, although it is still somewhat weak.
The runes continue to glow brightly as the sphere weakens further under the blows from Warren's elemental. When Phedre delivers another sturdy hit, there a shrill cracking follows and the runes grow ever brighter.
Andrei starts swing hard again. "Quickly destroy it, the moment before it breaks property dive for cover and let the elemental do the last blow. I'll explain later" Andrei shouts.
"Is that what the runes do? That makes sense." Anwel slips his shadowy sword into the sash around his waist, and draws his bow. He steps away from Pashtiel's sphere, gives the others a moment to do the same, and fires an arrow at the deepest-looking crack he can see.
Phedre continues to strike the orb with determination. "Almost have it..."
Anwel and Vrag back away while Phedre, Andrei and Warren keep pounding away at the orb. Finally after a few more moments with the runes glowing as bright as a midday sun both Anwel sends his arrow streaking toward a large crack. This is followed by Phedre and Andrei and Warren's elemental. With a deafening shriek of shattering crystal the orb collapses. At the same instant the runes release their power. While much of it is focused directly in the area where the sphere was, the entire room is bathed in what can only be called the flames of the heavens.
Warren's elemental is quickly vaporized while everyone else near the orb dives to escape the blast.
Anwel crosses his arms over his face as the runes vent their wrath upon Pashtiel's prison. He feels the flames burning through the outer layers of his clothes, with particular intensity where he'd tucked his conjured sword. He goes to draw it again when the heat subsides, only to find it translucent and flickering. It would need some time to regain itself.
In the meantime, Anwel points a preparatory finger at the shattered crystal, waiting for the demon to emerge.
"I'm not feeling so good." Unable to heed the warning, Warren does not jump back in time. He begins to cast to summon another elemental. He is probably not up to fighting for a while.
Andrei times his dive to cover too late mutter a spell into his continued encouragements. The magic encouragement of his verbal diarrhea stop and his dive seems to lengthens, unfortunately not enough to save him from the blast.
Picking himself off the ground he start talk and the magic returns. "Quick, hit it with every thing you have or heal the wounded."
Hp:4/30
First level spells: 3/4 remaining
Inspire Courage active: +1 to hit and damage and will saves in some cases
Rounds remaining ?/11
Phedre, along with Anwel and Andrei manage to avoid the worst of the blast. Smoke boils off of a stunned Warren as the light fades away, but he is still standing. A look of surprise crosses Vrag's blacked and smoldering face, now devoid of much of the fur that once covered it. The bugbear then simply collapses to the floor.
Something rattles the shards of crystal near the center of the shattered sphere. Before anyone can get a close look the room is suddenly filled with a half dozen smoldering, arachnid bodies. Unlike typical giant spiders, these all have extremely long, thin legs, jointed in three places. The legs support a thin, oval shaped body and separate head. Multifaceted eyes watch the party closely, while a thin, tentacle lined mouth whispers quietly. "Free....free at last."
All of the creatures then bolt for the passage, currently blocked by Anwel, Andrei, and Phedre.
Warren holds his holy symbol, and as his elemental advances, he gestures to get a celestial eagle to join him.
"Not for long." Anwel holds his guard in front of the passage until the group of no-doubt-summoned spiders bears down upon him and his friends. When he is sure he will catch as many as he can, he looses his spell. A grayscale spectrum spews from his hand, seeming almost solid in the darkness left behind by Iomedae's fire. It finds the eyes of the spiders and checks their forward movement.
"Distractions." He looks to Andrei and Phedre. "They will regain themselves presently."
Andrei waits to a moment after Anwel's spell and screams. The scream blasts out from him seeming to have a physical effect on creatures closest to him.
Andrei then quickly prepares his shield and waits for the impact of spiders.
The spider like creatures all rush the doorway at once. Anwel and Andrei each cast their spells to catch as many of the creatures as possible. But as the magical spray and shards touch the creatures they each wink out of existence only to reappear again moments later in a different location. The same thing happens when Phedre lands a blow with her sword. The weapon simply passes through the creature which blinks away and then reappears a few feet away. Clearly only one creature is the real demon, but it is impossible to tell which one until Vrag steps up to one of the creatures attempting to use the ceiling to pass overhead and this time his blade hits something solid.
Pashitel releases a loud scream of pain which reverberates throughout the cavern as one of its legs falls to the floor still flopping after Vrag's lucky blow severed it at the joint. It falls to the floor and instantly all of the illusions disappear while the demon's concentration is completely shattered.
"Why did I expect anything different?" Anwel shakes his head. Pashtiel's illusions kept getting the better of him, and he was allowing it. No matter. Better take advantage while they're gone. Anwel points at the demon and looses a glowing green ray at its chest.
CR 1
XP 400
N Small outsider (earth, elemental, extraplanar)
Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +4
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (–1 Dex, +7 natural, +1 size)
hp 13 (2d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref –1, Will +3
Immune elemental traits
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft., earth glide
Melee slam +6 (1d6+4)
Special Attacks earth mastery
STATISTICS
Str 16, Dex 8, Con 13, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 13
Feats Improved Bull RushB, Power Attack
Skills Appraise +1, Climb +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +1, Knowledge (planes) +1, Perception +4, Stealth +7
Languages Terran
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Earth Glide (Ex)
A burrowing earth elemental can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing earth elemental flings the elemental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.
Earth Mastery (Ex)
An earth elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its foe are touching the ground. If an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the elemental takes a –4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. These modifiers apply to bull rush and overrun maneuvers, whether the elemental is initiating or resisting these kinds of attacks. (These modifiers are not included in the statistics block.)
N Small celestial/fiendish animal
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +1 size)
hp 5 [7] (1d8+1) [1d8+3]
Fort +3 [+5], Ref +4, Will +2
SR 5
Celestial - Resist Acid, Cold, and Electricity 5
Fiendish - Resist Cold and Fire 5
OFFENSE
Speed 10ft., fly 80 ft. (average)
Melee 2 talons +3 [+3] (1d4) [1d4+2], bite +3 [+3] (1d4) [1d4+2]
Special Attacks Smite evil/good
STATISTICS
Str 10 [14], Dex 15, Con 12 [16], Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 7
Base Atk +0; CMB -1 [+1]; CMD 11 [13]
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Fly +8, Perception +10; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Smite evil/good 1/day as a swift action (adds CHA bonus (+0) to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD (+1) against evil/good foes; smite persists until target is dead or the celestial/fiendish creature rests).
Augment Summoning: Items in brackets [] represent the spell being cast by a character with the Augment Summoning feat.
The elemental rushes to attack the demon and the celestial eagle flanks smites the evil demon in a crackling of mighty divine energy.
"You will not escape!" Phedre shouts as she attacks the real demon.
"Anwel stay in the door, Warren give him a hand blocking the escape while your creatures do the damage" Andrei yells as he closes with the demon from the opposite side from the elemental.
The demon's legs wither as Anwel's magic washes over its body. Clearly weakened by the spell, Pashitel's movements are slower and off balance as it has little strength remaining. However, this ends up actually helping the creature initially as its staggering movement throws the attacks of Warren's allies and Phedre completely off. All miss the mark.
Vrag manages to land another hit, but its not enough to bring the demon down. Finally, Andrei steps up and sends his blade slicing along the wounded creatures body.
"Noooo!" Screams the creature in a mind piercing tone as its legs collapse and the arachnid body slumps to the floor. A moment later the whole body flares a brilliant violet color and returns the demon to its home plane leaving nothing but a dark shadow it the stone floor.
Warren claps Vrag on the shoulders. "Well placed strikes. You have faced and defeated a creature of great evil. We will sing of this event for years to come."
A surprised grin crosses Andrei face as the creature dies only to washed away with concern "Keep alert, it may be another trick."
Moving to cover the door he recasts detect magic and looks for trickery.
"Good point." Phedre replies as she begins observing the room for any auras of evil.
"Even if it is not, we should remain alert in the days and years to come." Anwel nods approvingly at Andrei's and Phedre's divinations, and slumps back against the stone door frame. The battle, and Iomedae's trials, have drained most of his energy, and his magic is nearly spent too. Pashtiel's tricks have given him a few new ideas of his own, but he will need to rest before attempting any serious experiments. "I do not mean to diminish your accomplishment Vrag, Andrei, but no demon strong enough to require all this," he waves his hand at the runes and shattered glass, "to bind it would have been destroyed utterly by the force we brought to bear. It is likely banished, and may return.
"But if it does, it will seek us out, not this place of its confinement. Folk can resettle here safely. That is what matters." He pushes away from the wall and sways a little on his feet before steadying himself. "We should let them know."