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"More Mites Dumont!" Fausts orders while he tries to cover his mouth with his arm. Unfortunately he isn't quick enough and the fumes immediately seize his stomach. With nothing left to do but back away, Faust does so.
Dumont looks over at the nearest mite and tries to rake its claws over it.
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The earth elemental glances briefly at Maria but not understanding a word she's saying, continues moving up the stairs. Not quite able to reach the enemies, it readies to smash any of them that approaches.
That voice in my head. It's here? Meanwhile, Takumi, not being able to see anything through the clouds, and what's more sees his team running out, moves out to the corridor as well. He turns himself to the fey. "Faust, my apologies. We should have taken care of this earlier." With his wand in hand, he sends a magical bolt at her.
Abyssia retaliates against the nukkefeen; her cold iron blades cutting deeply into the fey. Anilda screeches in pain and regret. Her eyes look sad a moment before a bolt of force smacks her in the chest and drops her to the damp floor.
Maria moves into position and fires an arrow into one of the misshapen demons. The beast's flesh hisses and steams as the cold iron arrow penetrates it.
In the noxious fog, Dumont tears the last of the mites in half. Lydia tries to escape from the fog, and the demon near her takes a swipe at her fleeing coattails. She begins to feel much better almost as soon as she gets free of the cloud.
The cloud dissipates, fully revealing the merchant and his demon servants. "Oh ho ho!" the villain laughs. "I see our heroes are not so pure of heart. Slaves! Destroy that skeleton."
The dretch swarm the skeleton.
Combat! Round 4. Bold may act.
Abyssia (-3 hp, -2 STR)
Shalendra (mage armor)
Faust (doom 7)(nausea 2)
Dumont (-5 hp)
Maria
Takumi (doom 7)
Lydia (1 NL, -4 hp) (shield 9)
Fomalhaut (nauseated 2)
Merchant
Dretch (red, blue [-4 hp], yellow)
Anilda (dying)
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Doubled over with a hand on his stomach, Faust gives the nukkefeen a sideways glance. "Like... like I said... uuurhh... only one... way to deal... uuuhhh... with madness..." Dumont, what a useful son of a b@$@$ you are proving to be in death.
Left to his own devices, Dumont claws at the dretches in defense.
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Maria steps up and focuses a shot at the beastie flanking Dumont. She fires and then turns towards the pervy dude, "pure of heart is really subjective. I mean, what metrics were you using to base that assumption. We could easily be a rival group of cultists just clearing out the place for our own uses. I mean seriously, just assuming we are the good guys is crazy. Granted, I guess we sorta are, since we are seeking to discover the truth of what is going on out here and expose it. But then again, there are those that are 'good' that have absolutely nothing to gain from the 'truth'. So, I guess we are sortove neutral but maybe lawful? It's a good debate to have, though I doubt we will have it with you since you seem pretty intent on killing us..."
for
One of the skeleton's claws digs hard enough into the demon's pustular skin to leave a lasting mark. Maria misses her mark, and the earth elemental's hard fist simply bounces off of the blubbery flesh.
Takumi summons a pool of grease to provide a disadvantage, and both of the clumsy demons fall down.
"Ah! Why did Yhidothrus send me such worthless servants!" the mustached merchant cries in a high pitched voice.
Combat! Round 4. Bold may act.
Abyssia (-3 hp, -2 STR)
Shalendra (mage armor)
Faust (doom 6)(nausea 1)
Dumont (-5 hp)
Maria
Takumi (doom 6)
Lydia (1 NL, -4 hp) (shield 9)
Fomalhaut (nauseated 2)
Merchant
Dretch (red, blue [-4 hp], yellow [-2 hp])
"Me? Pure of heart?" the merchant cackles. "Oh, I should hope not! Oh, and do stop trying your hexes on me, darlings. They will not work."
He turns his eyes upon the floundering dretch and glares. "You lot! Stop lollygagging!"
The two fallen dretch struggle to their feet, opening themselves to retaliation before trying to tear down the summoned guardians near them. The pair make a coordinated effort to gnaw on Faust's brother, sending cracks across his femurs. The one near the stairs releases his jaws early to tear at the elemental threatening it, pulling away some of the earth.
The putrid demon closest to the heroes takes a swipe at the shade as he passes but unable to penetrate the shadowy stuff. It bites at Lydia's thigh, but the invisible shield keeps its fangs away from her flesh. Unfortunately, it's filthy nails find a way past her armor and sink into her flesh in a pair of violent pinches.
The merchant makes a series of complex gestures and then a wave of dark energy boils toward those on the other side of the grease puddle.
Combat! Round 5. Bold may act.
Abyssia (-3 hp, -2 STR)
Shalendra (mage armor) (-6 hp: Will vs. DC 16 to reduce to -3)
Faust (doom 5)
Dumont (-11 hp)
Maria
Takumi (doom 5)
Earth Elemental (-4 hp)
Lydia (1 NL, -9 hp) (shield 8) (+6 hp, erase NL: Will vs. DC 16 to reduce to +3, erase NL)
Fomalhaut (nauseated 1) (-10 hp: Will vs. DC 16 to reduce to -5)
Merchant (evil eye [save] 1)
Dretch (red, blue [-4 hp], yellow [-2 hp])
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Maria steps over to get a straight shot at one of the dretch beasties. She pulls her named bow back and fires. Better get this ended soon Wasp, I don't know how much more Dumont can take!
She prattles on as promised. "It seems that you have hired some bad help. Maybe if you weren't such a jerk to them you would get better employees? I had a friend once who no matter how poorly she treated her servants, they still got at least a little bit of respect. That's what most beings are looking for in life. Well that and food usually."
for
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...unlike Lydia, who belts out a "HA!" that clearly reveals her teeth. Certain among them are abnormally large...and unlike some of the other dorky girls of a sort who seemed overrepresented toiling in the Dark Archive, it's not her incisors.
She and Fomalhaut boldly move in for Abbyssia's sake, but not before Lydia swings...
Shreds of Fomalhaut's form are sent back to the shadow plane under the villain's onslaught. Lydia, however, opens herself up to the dark magic and wounds on her body begin to heal.
"What!?" the merchant remarks in surprise. "Well, then your corpse will be useless when I'm done with you all."
Maria's arrow sails over the demon's head and clatters off of the wall. Abyssia cuts the demon before her with two quick thrusts. The corpulent flesh hisses and steams as the cold iron blades mark it.
Combat! Round 5. Bold may act.
Abyssia (-3 hp, -2 STR)
Shalendra (mage armor) (-6 hp: Will vs. DC 16 to reduce to -3)
Faust (doom 6) (nausea 1)
Dumont (-11 hp)
Maria
Takumi (doom 6)
Earth Elemental (-4 hp)
Lydia (-3 hp) (shield 9)
Fomalhaut (nauseated 1) (-5 hp)
Merchant (evil eye [save] 1)
Dretch (red [-7 hp], blue [-4 hp], yellow [-2 hp])
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The earth elemental slams its fist against the dretch as it is getting up.
The work of the grease done, Takumi decides to dismiss the spell, for it is likely going to hamper his teammates more than to aid. He then moves in closer, looking for an opening.
The earth elemental continues its relentless attack.
Dumont claws at the fat, little demon as it scrambles to its feet, but his bony fingers barely manage to penetrate its other-worldly hide. The earth elemental, however, clobbers the beast on the side of its head with a heavy fist. The scrappy, little demon is not ready to give up its hold on this plane yet, though.
Shalendra invokes her mysterious magic as she, herself, is drained by the villain's power. The merhcant's belly seems to bulge and writhe for a moment, then he lets out a loud belch.
"If that's the best you have, little lady," he comments and trails off.
Meanwhile, the earth elemental follows its opportune strike with another, deadly blow to the dretch's head. Abyssal ichor splatters across the floor, Dumont, and Fomalhaut.
The dretch on the far side moves into position behind the skeletal servant and tears into the elemental. It does not seem to accomplish very much in comparison to the overall bulk of the earthen warrior. The other dretch turns his attention to the witch. However, neither its fangs nor its claws can penetrate the arcane armor protecting Shalendra.
"Let's see if we can't clear out some of these wastes of space on my dinner plate," the greasy-haired merchant says before gesturing and releasing another wave of cold energy. He seems invigorated after the casting.
Combat! Round 6. Bold may act.
Abyssia (-3 hp, -2 STR)
Shalendra (-6 hp) (mage armor)
Faust (doom 5)
Dumont (-11 hp)
Maria
Takumi (doom 5)
Earth Elemental (-9 hp) (-20 hp; Will vs. DC 16 to reduce to -14 hp)
Lydia (-3 hp) (shield 8)
Fomalhaut (-5 hp) (-11 hp; Will vs. DC 16 to reduce to -8 hp)
Merchant (-0 hp [took 6, healed to max])
Dretch (red [-7 hp], yellow [-2 hp])
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The elemental crumbles significantly as its lifeforce is drained by ghost, but it continues to hold on. It steps up to flank the dretch with the undead and swings its rocky fist at the enemy.
The poised Takumi curses under his breath, that none of the magical spells he prepared is useful here, especially in such tight quarters. He sends bolt of magical energy at the same dretch.
Maria continues to lose arrows. Perhaps her bowstring is soggy from the swim across the cellar.
The earth elemental slams a heavy fist into another dretch, causing it to contort painfully. However, this one, too, has a little fight left. Takumi strikes it with a force missile in an attempt to knock the last of that fight out of it, but the dretch is stubborn.
Abyssia plunges her blades deeply into the corrupt flesh of the misshapen demon before her. The cold iron burns the wounds, but she misses anything vital--assuming demons have vital organs.
Combat! Round 6. Bold may act.
Abyssia (-3 hp, -2 STR)
Shalendra (-6 hp) (mage armor)
Faust (doom 5)
Dumont (-11 hp)
Maria
Takumi (doom 5)
Earth Elemental (-14 hp)
Lydia (-3 hp) (shield 8)
Fomalhaut (-5 hp) (-11 hp; Will vs. DC 16 to reduce to -8 hp)
Merchant (-0 hp [took 6, healed to max])
Dretch (red [-13 hp], yellow [-18 hp])
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Fomalhaut chuckles furtively, a sound like the rustling of Autumn leaves, as he springs up like a jack-in-the-box...
Shalendra loads a quarrel into her crossbow.
Faust, enraged by his temporary impotence, steps forward and cleaves the staggered dretch from stern to stem (if dretch had stems), and its putrid intestines pour forth onto the floor just before it vanishes back to the Abyss. Dumont does his best to hold the remaining 'it' still, unfortunately, the demon defends itself with a savage bite and the bones clatter to the floor and begin to turn to dust.
While the little demon is preoccupied with Dumont, Lydia is able to reinvigorate her shadow with life energy. Fomalhaut rises unhampered and drinks the potion that he had prepared.
The little demon appears to have overtaxed itself in its defense and vanishes into thin air.
"It is so hard to find good dretch these days!" the merchant laments. He tries to stab the earth elemental around the corner, but finds it too difficult to reach. "Bah!"
He then slams the door shut.
Combat! Round 7. Bold may act.
Abyssia (-3 hp, -2 STR)
Shalendra (-6 hp) (mage armor)
Faust (doom 4)
Maria
Takumi (doom 4)
Earth Elemental (-14 hp)
Lydia (-3 hp) (shield 8)
Fomalhaut
Merchant (-0 hp)
Maria opens the door as Lydia and her shadow head towards it. They are forced to stop short as the sagging-skinned merchant stands there, rapier at the ready, with an overly wide grin on his face.
"Boo!"
Combat! Round 7. Bold may act.
Abyssia (-3 hp, -2 STR)
Shalendra (-6 hp) (mage armor)
Faust (doom 4)
Maria
Takumi (doom 4)
Earth Elemental (-14 hp)
Lydia (-3 hp) (shield 8) (1 action left)
Fomalhaut (1 action left)
Merchant (-0 hp)
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The earth elemental, despite on the verge of falling apart, doggedly continues its assault, turning its attention to the sole remaining foe.
---
Takumi again starts chanting a series of mystical words, and gestures at the rapier on the hands of the creepy human(?). Suddenly, it becomes covered in grease.
The earth elemental slips into the ground and rises behind the merchant. The villain, not caught unaware, tries to stab at the stone brute, but his rapier bends against the resistance. The elemental swings at him, but his spine bends in an unnatural way, completely avoiding the blow.
Suddenly, the hilt of the rapier turns greasy and it falls from his grip, clattering on the floor.
"Oh! You will pay for that!"
Faust removes a chunk from the door jamb.
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Fomalhaut likewise relies on psychic combat, attempting to warp himself into the form of something suitable to strike fear even into this fiend's heart...