The little feral halflings you've fought before, and, at this time at least, Monty seems to have their defensive moves figured out, as he leaps and bounds through the debris, to close with the nearest one, and uses Slitherbane to catch the hazh'a warriors ankles! With an angry curse, the halfling falls over in a small cascade of broken icons, earning a vicious kick from Monty to help slide him down the debris.
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But the warrior is not so easy to pin down as that, he rolls with the kick, flinging a handful of broken statuary at the vanaran to distract him as he quickly leaps back to his feet, avoiding Monty's followup blow, before stepping nimbly through the wreckage, and firing another arrow. Monty can't quite press his advantage in time, forced to abort to avoid the incoming projectile!
The other two halflings continue firing at Drusilla, pelting her with arrows as she desperately tries deflecting them with her shield. Again, one of them manages to get past her defenses, and a second shaft suddenly joins the first, thrust painfully into her body.
- Round 1 ---------
Everyone is up!
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Dale is about to start describing the past look of this room, complete with the ever depressing Cylopian tour guide when arrows, screams, swearing and monkey fur fly everywhere. "Alarm! Alarm!" calls out Dale very much after the fact as he rushes forward, drawing out a frosty bomb to toss at the red Halfer.
"Finally a target I can maybe hit!" He mutters as he lets the bomb go.
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Brady stands agape at the chaos that erupts around him, looking at the shards of broken pottery and statuary that litter the room in uncomfortable piles. Nothing to do but go over, I guess.
He plunges into the room, picking his way over and around the detritus on the floor, looking for an opportunity to get close enough to one of these halflings to do what he does best.
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Dale rushes into the room, making his way through the debris along the path, towards the two halflings on the left. Not wanting to waste the opportunity of them being near each other, he lobs one of his bombs the rest of the distance, pleased to see it strike the one he threw it at squarely on the chest, the chemicals exploding in a burst of icy frost. The second warrior manages to dodge the worst of the blast with an angry shout, and despite taking the blow square on, the first seems to shake off the cold's effects as they both turn towards the one that tossed it.
Luckily for Dale, both Dru and Brady quickly move in to intercede, putting themselves between the alchemist and the halflings. With a furious cry, both of them seem more than happy to throw themselves at other targets too, and do just that, immediately ganging up on Drusilla!
The level of ferocity is almost hard to comprehend, as they throw their bows aside and leap at her with their hardened nails acting like claws. She easily steps aside from the first swipe, but the second comes up from underneath, scratching a long gash along the underside of her arm. . The attack proves mostly a distraction though, as the second hazh'a comes in fast and furious from the side. It is all she can do to deflect the first attack with her shield, but he manages to jab the other right through the seam on her armor above her hip, the sharp claws digging in deep as he rips at the vital parts underneath , almost dragging her to the ground!
Tad follows his friends into the room, Purpurrup close behind, though the two little grippli can can only get into position, but not quite help as the haflings close in on the others. Faliana follows them, moving just past to assist Monty on the other side of the room, though she too can only get into position.
Monty, for his part, presses his attack on the remaining foe, trying his best to move through the debris, though not nearly as well as his opponent seems able to. Again, Slitherbane sweeps around, but this time, the halfling appears ready, as he leaps high over the swing, and sliding down the rubble to his right, using the momentum to close in on the approaching Faliana, ignoring the vanaran entirely! The half-elf is caught a little by surprise as the hazh'a sudden appears in the path amidst a cascade of broken icons. He is inside her reach before she can react, sinking first one, then a second claw into her flesh, tearing at the soft skin until blood is flowing freely.
- Round 2 ---------
- Round 3 ---------
Party is up!
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I'M RIGHT HERE YOU TINY BASTARD! DON'T IGNORE ME!
As he claws at Fali, Monty recklessly runs behind him, taking up a flanking position as he spins around and swings slitherbane, again trying to take out the halfling's feet.
HANDS OFF MY GIRL!
Snake Style - AC vs first attack in round =
Dale tries to stem the flow of blood from Dru's many wounds, but his spoon is not nearly up to the task in front of him. For her part, Drusilla tries to fend off the two hazh'a trying to eviscerate her, smashing her morning star hard across one of their shoulders accompanied by the sound of bones crushing under the force.
Brady beside her, lays into the second halfling with his fists. He manages to dodge the first blows, but the followup strikes the hazh'a warrior so hard across the chin, you're amazed his neck doesn't break from the force of it. With a frustrated cry, the warrior stumbles backwards through the debris, pulling out a small vial of some sort, and quickly drinking it down. Even as you watch, he smiles through blood-covered pointy teeth as some of his wounds heal before your eyes.
The second halfling seems far less worried about his own condition, and fully intent on destroying Drusilla, as he continues to circle around her with surprising ease, given the debris littering the floor. He claws her again, and again. The spear-maiden's strength fading with every passing second from blood loss such that she can not even get her shield or weapon around to fend him off.
Tad tries to help, using his wand, and conveniently long tongue, to send a small healing touch to the embattled fighter, but not nearly enough.
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On the other side of the room, Monty moves in to flank with the halfling assaulting Faliana, deftly deflecting an incoming blow as he does so, before once again knocking the little primitive warrior to the floor and stomping on him angrily. Faliana steps back, to give herself more room, and takes advantage of his prone position to jab him in the side. In response, the halfling again ducks under Monty's swing as he deftly clambers to his feet, avoiding retaliation... at least from the vanaran. Faliana is not so forgiving, as she impales him once more, sending him back to the floor and out of the fight. Beside her, Faliana feels the healing touch of Purpurrup closing up the worst of her wounds.
Their small victory is short-lived however, as yet another hazh'a warrior suddenly bursts from the debris beside Monty, while the later is distracted by the other. Even his well-honed instincts are not enough to protect him, as the halfling sinks both claws in, and starts to tear at the wounds with unbridled glee on his twisted face.
And off to the north, through the partially open door, you hear the sounds of shouting, and things breaking.
- Round 3 ---------
- Round 4 ---------
Party is up!
Dale and Tad, working in concert, manage to shore up the worst of Dru's many wounds and, with newfound strength, she smashes her weapon hard against the nearest halfling once again. With a angry hiss, he steps away from her, pulling out a small potion of his own, and quickly drinking it to heal some of his own wounds.
Healing wounds does not help his friend though, even as the bruises start to fade on the other warrior, Brady closes with him quickly, and smashes him hard, sending the small form slamming into the hard stone wall behind him, and tumbling to the debris piles at his feet.
Seeing a safer path now, Purpurrup quickly darts past Tad, and around to Brady's side of the fight, clambering over the broken idols and icons, to give Dru a little more healing.
Behind her, Monty retaliates against the newcommer with practiced efficiency, swinging Slitherbane around in a deceptive blow, that suddenly gets diverted at the last second, striking the hazh'a across the side of its knee, sending him stumbling to the floor. The vanaran follows that up with a solid kick to the side of the head that sends the halfling's prone form crashing into the broken icons nearby. Faliana quickly advances moving slightly off the path, careful not to lose her own footing, and thrusts her spear painfully into his side where he lay.
With an angry snarl, the warrior quickly recovers, rolling to his left, avoiding a followup thrust of Faliana's spear, but not the second swing from Monty. Neither stop him from getting to his feet again though, as he claws at fur-covered foe ineffectually.
The sounds of things being broken continues in the room beyond.
- Round 4 ---------
- Round 5 ---------
Party is up!
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Pleased with the turn of events, Dale gives Dru one more love tap with his spoon before picking his way through the rubble, resisting the urge to examine every last piece of broken pottery and stone. "I've got to see what's going on in there!" He broadcasts as he leans over to see through the double doors.
"MMM SOUP!" Giggle!
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Ugh, Slitherbane, why couldn't you be "Tiny annoying monster" bane?! Says monty as he swings in again.
Improved Trip
Snake Style - AC vs first attack in round =
Slitherbane stops in midair on the swing to snip back.
Monty facepalms as he groans.
Right now, the "Enemy of your people" is the one trying to claw my eyes out! Focus!
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Tad and Dale again work on patching the wounds being inflicted by the halflings' sharp nails. Dale uses his spoon once more, and Drusilla feels almost human again! Tad goes for a slightly more efficient spell, saying a quick prayer to his goddess, before his tongue lashes out to slap softly across Monty's back, sending a comforting warmth to drive off the worst of the pain!
Most of her pain gone, Drusilla chases down her irksome foe, smashing her morning star into his chest. He stumbles backward with a gurgling cry, before collapsing in a small cascade of broken relics to the floor.
That foe down, Brady hurries across the hall, to join Monty and Faliana on the final hazh'a warrior. He seems to be wise to Monty's tricks, deftly leaping over the sweeping flail. It is only due his extensive training that he manages to pull his head back as a clawed hand lashes out at his throat. Brady closing in to the side has little better luck, the primitive warrior on the alert for blows from all sides ducking under the blow at the last minute, before lashing at Monty a second time, sinking his other clawed hand deep into the vanaran's hide with a wild look in his eyes, sharp teeth bared . Only Faliana, jabbing her spear in after moving around to the far side, stops him from sinking his claws in even deeper, and the halfling is forced to duck away from her blow before he can tear too deeply into Monty's stomach.
The sounds of destruction continue in the far room.
"The Hazh'a break the wards!" Purpurrup exclaims worriedly, bounding across the room, trying to see if her fears are confirmed. "Those all break, the fiend goes free! This one's Master's work undone!"
- Round 5 ---------
- Round 6 ---------
The party is up!
With only one halfling still standing, the Pathfinders quickly descend on him, though he fights on with fanatical intensity, clearly not afraid to die!
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Dru, her own foe finally down, hurries along the path cleared through the debris, to bring her morning star down on the last hazh'a. He throws one hand up, to keep it from smashing his skull, but the sounds of bones breaking give evidence to the price he paid for that effort. Faliana's feet slip on that same debris, and her spear comes nowhere near, but Monty is able to kick out the halfling's legs once more. He can't quite connect with a followup strike, as the small foe rolls quickly to the side, trying to scrabble back to his feet, snarling. Unfortunately for him, he scrabbles right into the reach of Brady who stomps down on him with his heavy boots. The first blow knocks the warrior senseless, the second putting him down for good.
Dale slips and slides his way through the broken relics, trying to get to the door, finds moving through the debris harder than he expected. Tad moves in just behind him, hoping to send his divine flame at whatever might be inside, but can not see much through the narrow crack currently exposed, certainly not enough to know what to aim at.
They both realize that the room beyond has gone suddenly quiet as Dale pushes open the doors to see what lays beyond...
... And that is a large rectangular room, about thirty-five feet wide, and nearly twenty five feet across, terminating at a strange wall of stone and iron, seemingly newer than the rest of the ancient temple. That far wall is decorated in glowing runes and symbols. Most of those symbols near the bottom have been defaced... chiseled away and smeared with blood and other less savory substances, such that their glow has faded or is completely gone. Numerous totems, mostly wooden, though a few in stone, or metals, or clay, all of them relatively new, have been torn apart and piled across the middle of the room, as if to form a crude barricade. Other, still intact totems, can still be seen higher up, on small shelves and nooks in the walls well above the floor.
The entire back wall seems to be bulging inwards, as if something massive is pushing on it from the far side, and those runes that have not completely died occasionally spark or flare brightly as if their magic is being tested.
Dale, at first sees no sign of the hazh'a, his eyes drawn more to the strange runes and totems, then the more grounded dangers. But Faliana and the two grippli behind him are not so easily distracted, and they all yell a warning, as they spot a couple of the halflings trying to hide behind the debris barricade... though not quickly enough to get Dale's attention.
The room is suddenly filled with undulating war cries as the halflings quickly stand up from their hiding places behind the piles of debris, firing arrows at the distracted alchemist. One strikes his gaudy hat, knocking it completely off his head and impaling it to the newly opened door. A second arrow though, sinks into his shoulder painfully and a third fires at him from the far side of the room, where another warrior is revealed, though that one just misses, shattering on the wall to his left.
Up the far wall, near the back, Dale sees what he though was just another totem, suddenly surrounded by a dark green glow. He has just enough time to realize it is not the small golden statue he thought, but a tiny-sized creature with gold-colored scales and horns... a creature that is apparently summoning some sort of magical effect!
Suddenly, behind Dale, a translucent ghostly object appears. A long haft with a spiked skull attached to it by a long chain, all if it consumed in a dark green flame. The weapon swings as if wielded by an invisible hand, and slams into the alchemist's back, sending him stumbling forward, almost falling into the room beyond.
The little gold-scaled creature then scampers up the wall even further, stopping on a small ledge beside some other idols there.
Fortunately, this one is one of the least powerful of asura, more commonly known as a tripurasura.
Purpurrup gives a little chirrup of concern, her head bobbing up and down vigorously.
"The wards still hold!" She calls, worriedly. "So many gone..."
She says a quick prayer, sending the blessing of her tribe into the outsiders who've come to help.
- Round 6 ---------
The Party is up!
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"Well, they sure know we're here!" Brady quickly goes over the tactics and weaknesses he's seen from the hazh'a so far. Satisfied that he has some understanding of how best to fight them, he plunges forward, swinging past Dale and coming up in front of the first pair that he sees with a wicked grin shining on his face.
When you select this feat, choose a specific kind of creature, such as wolf, frost giant, goblin, or babau demon. You gain the ranger’s favored enemy class ability against this particular type of creature with a bonus of +2. This feat does not grant the favored enemy class feature for the purposes of prerequisites. If you later gain the favored enemy class feature, you can replace this feat with a feat for which you qualify and whose prerequisites include the favored enemy class feature.
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Monty waits as the explosion caused by Tad billows forth, giving a soft whistle.
Remind me never to get you hoppin mad my friend!
As if the bad joke has reminded him of some of his vigor, he rushes forward hopping onto the statues whirling slitherbane.
This reminds me of a old carny game of wack a bullet!
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Faliana gives a shake of her head as she finally realizes that she's well beyond the hearing range of the 'feast' and doesn't need to run on autopilot anymore. She rushes forward with her longspear in hand and gives a small frown at the mass of fighters in her way.
"Monty, DEAR, could ya move ya sumptous hairy ass off to the left a little? It's great to look at but I need to fight too!"
With the tempting monkey butt hopefully out of her face she tries to slide her spear in the small creature just beyond her partner.
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Dale stands there in full glory as the arrows and this weird weapon piece and stab into him "Spiritual weapon! That little yellow thing on the wall appears to be a type of outsider known as an asura. Evil fiends who've dedicated their existence to destroying the gods and everything they have created.
Fortunately, this one is one of the least powerful of asura, more commonly known as a tripurasura. Apparently it casts divine spells like spiritual weapon!"
Dale then quickly ducks around the corner and gives himself a tap with his spoon.
"MMM SOUP!" Giggle!
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Luckily, none of those things are in your repertoire.
But, like many outsiders, they are also mildly resistant to physical damage. Only those forged from cold iron, or that have been blessed with holy power, can fully harm them
Though they are reported to have some spell like abilities, as far as you know, spiritual weapon is not supposed to be one of them...
Sudden finding himself under fire, Dale tries to relay what he saw, and what he knows about what he saw, as he darts to the side, the ghostly flail continuing to swing at his head. He manages to use his spoon to heal the worst of the arrow wounds, but the spiritual weapon smashes him across the shoulder once more, undoing his efforts in an instant !
The way now clear, Tad steps into the room first, holding his symbol high, and intoning a prayer to Sarenrae. As he does so, there is a howl of rage that fills the entire room, causing your very bones to shake from its intensity and the runes across the far wall all flare up at once! The little grippli ignores it all, not stopping as his chants call up a small bead of fire that he sends streaking across the room. It strikes the far wall, about ten feet off the floor, and suddenly the entire room fills with a conflagration of intense flame!
Behind him, Purpurrup gives a startled cry of her own, shouting something, instinctively switching to her native tongue as she does.
The flames engulf all three halflings, and the tiny fiend, all of them, and the room lost from sight for a moment through the fire. Though the hazh'a are able to drop behind the piles of debris and roll to cover enough to avoid the full blast, the little gold creature takes it full in the face.
But, as your view starts to clear again, you quickly realize that it was not just the foes in the room... there were also the many totems, and the protective wards on the door. As the fires fade, you suddenly realize that most of the runes on the far wall have gone dark, only scorch marks remaining to mark where they once were. As well, the majority of the totems lining the walls, out of reach of the halflings, have been blown off their shelves and incinerated. Consumed in Tad's holy flames.
Purpurrup rushes up behind Tad, pulling at one of his arms, still yelling excitedly.
But she is too late, the damage is done.
By the time the others move in behind him, they will see the entire wall across from them bulging even further inwards, the few runes still active glowing almost white hot. It looks like it could explode open at any moment! An almost palpable feeling of hatred and rage seem to emanate from that direction.
Brady quickly interposes himself between Tad and the halflings, preparing to fight those particular vexsome foes. Monty hurries in behind him, taking up a place at his side, and slamming Slitherbane into one of the still-smoking halflings there... a particularly vicious blow that nearly caves in the hazh'a warrior's chest. Dru too follows them in. Taking up her place on the barricade beside Monty, she quickly drops the first of the halflings, finishing off what her comrades started. Faliana, coming in behind, is able to catch the corner of the other halfling, despite the barricade and her allies in front of her making it hard to target.
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Up on the ledge, the little gold creature starts calling out in the halfling's language, as it darts along the wall, like gravity itself has no effect on it. It runs directly across the now dark and scorched runes until it is directly across from all of you. You are dismayed to see the burns from Tad's spell start to fade as it moves, the damage slowly mending itself.
In response to its words, the halfling in front of Brady lays into him with both of its clawed hands, tearing at the half-orc's flesh, and nearly ripping his armor's chest plate off to do so. , it then snarls at him, and steps away from the barricade, back towards the asura.
As if waiting for that moment, the asura says a few arcane words, its hands waving in the air. Motes of greenish light start sparkle around him... those motes start to take on more varied hues as he continues to chant, then even more, until an entire cascade of color seems to wash forward, past the retreating halfling, and assaulting the senses of Dru, Monty, and Brady on the barricade! Drusilla almost immediately staggers backwards nearly slipping off the debris, her weapon falling from her hand as her senses are overloaded, the entire room gone and replaced by multicolored flashes. Monty seems similarly affected as Slitherbane falls from his grip into the pile of debris as the vanaran finds himself unable to even close his hand. Only Brady manages to turn his head, and shade his eyes in time to avoid the full brunt of the attack.
As soon as the colors flash out, the remaining halfling charges in, leaping on Dru while she can not defend herself, his claws tearing at her mercilessly, causing blood to flow freely as it rips at her thigh
- Round 7 ---------
The Party is up!
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Dale hits himself with the spoon again before heading back to the fray "Purpurrup wasn't a fan of that fireball, just so you all know. Destroyed lots of runes. Info that would have been helpful earlier I guess." He draws out an extract as he goes.
"MMM SOUP!" Giggle!
He switches to provide more useful info on the asura however "Holy weapons or cold iron are more effective against it. Avoid electricity and acid."