As usual, Arizhel sticks to the middle, following the tacticians and warriors.
Tolus pokes around the giant serpent's mouth and tries to locate its venom glands. Failing that, he'll take hold of the fangs and try to milk or extract venom from those.
Fionn steps forward and touches Khat, casting a quick cure light wounds on her.
"Tolus, the snake is not likely to go anywhere, we need to move."
With a look of regret, Tolus jogs over to retrieve his shuriken, then rejoins the party.
Let's move.
Malak looks over at Fionn when he wakes up and says Well that was foolish of me. Thank you for saving my life. Annoyed at the two large fang holes in his clothing, Malak joins the rest of the group.
Arizhel thanks her celestial eagles, before dismissing them. "I am ready"
Tolus takes up the point position, staying slightly ahead so he can be a short-range scout. He ignores his shield, holding his rapier and the poisoned shuriken at the ready.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Malak... you need to be more careful of things with such a long reach. Or learn to cast more carefully. I know I'm relatively clueless on how to do that, but I know it can be done." Fionn smiles at Malak and slips into somewhere in the middle of the party, not being stealthy enough to scout... but she does keep her eyes open for signs of any threat from her limited vantage point.
|
Alright heading to B6.
The wheel of this roofless mill still turns with the flow of the river, but it has not been used for its intended purpose in decades. Inside the mill you see A menagerie of bestial features combine to form this vicious creature. From the body and forelegs of a powerful stag issue sharpened hooves, powerful black wings, and the taloned haunches of a gigantic bird of prey. Its head combines the features of deer and wolf, a set of sharp horns arching over bloodstained jaws. Most unnerving is its shadow, though, which spills forth in the shape of a human figure. Apparently you stumbled into its lair.
Fionn is aware only of the potential danger of the horrific creature and raises her crossbow, firing at the monster.
Malak, apparently not listening to his own advice, dashes forward and blasts the thing with a burst of flame, attempting to drop it quickly.
Seeing where he is, he turns and looks at Khat and Taldor and says somewhat sheepishly, eyes wide, ummm...a little help...
Noticing Fionn looking around, Arizhel does her best to help scout. I miss my Zerika already...
Noting the lack of armor, and the Sorcerer again risking life and limb to approach a beast, Arizhel casts "Mage Armor" on Malak Al, Qaum.
Malak smiles and says My thanks Arizhel.
Khatijah moves up next to the beast after Malak roasts it, drawing a dagger as she does so. She tries to snake Tempest around it's guard, but finds her efforts stymied.
Tolus, being first in line, tosses his poisoned shuriken before retreating a few steps to make way for his companions, but it flies wide of its target
Since Taldor pushed the creature back and it's only in melee with Taldor now, Fionn moves up and to the side, so from a distance of 10 feet, she can just catch the creature but not Taldor in her fiery blast.
Khatijah moves around to flank the demonic creature with Taldor.
"Does anyone know what kind of... demon this is?"
This time, her attack is much more effective as Tempest twists pass the creature's defenses and bites deeply into it.
Tolus draws another shuriken and tries again.
Arizhel summons an eagle opposite Khat, in hopes of providing her with a flanking opportunity.
Smite:
(+1 if Evil)
(+1 if Evil)
With so many allies now around the creature, Fionn decides she can't risk another burning hands without striking a friend. Instead she readies an action to cast produce flame - if her allies don't take the creature down with their attacks, she will cast her spell and throw a flame at the creature before it can attack again.
Malak takes a few steps back and begins casting again, a black opaque mist engulfing the creatures head.
Now that Tolus's companions are closely engaged, he cannot throw shuriken wothout risking them getting hit. He steels himself and charges with his rapier, ending up shoulder to shoulder with Taldor. For the first time in this battle, he makes meaningful (if slight) contact, piercing under the beast's forelimb.
Khatijah steps in with both dagger and sword, trying her best to shred the beast.
Arizhel leaves the eagle to its own devices, and holds her own action in case she can provide assistance.
Tolus breathes a sigh of relief. Then chuckles to himself. Are there no Gnolls in Kelmarane after all, only monsters and ghosts?
"How is it the gnolls haven't fallen prey to all these creatures... or are they allies?"
Tolus turns to his Gnoll allies, "Is it possible that this clan has allied itself with these beasts to protect it's outer borders?
"That can wait. We need to keep moving lest we be caught and have much more of a fight than we wish."
"But this can't wait." Then Fionn casts detect magic and scans the creature and its lair for any signs of magical dweomer.
Fionn will continue to concentrate on the items, first the ring, then the longsword, to determine the school of magic in each, and its relative strength.
"When we have a little more time, I think Malak and I should be able to identify these. Until we have time though. . "
Tolus nods and gathers his thrown shuriken before starting off to scout the other building on this side of the river.
Yep. Bad idea to leave Zerika behind. Note to self. . .
Arizhel moves to hide in the shadows.
Khatijah, being about as stealthy as Taldor, hangs back and wishes Arizhel luck.
"What is that thing? A cursed woman? A slave?"