Torrosk moves towards the firey beast, ready to strike if the thing casts, or moves closer.
Ravin once again whispers a small prayer of thanks that the worst of the smoke rises above his head and then says, "Anyone know if this lot understands Taldan? Or Draconic? Anything?" as he slides his bow from his shoulder and readies an arrow. He then sighs and starts into a tirade of mockery anyway, alternating between Common and Draconic, hoping to demoralize the strange fiery creatures.
The creatures appear to understand common, even if they aren't speaking it to each other - they grow agitated at Ravin's taunts.
Once Torrosk moves, Jonhie is able to slip forward and unleashes a bolt of frost at the creature closest to the half-orc. The creature howls in pain as the frost hisses with the fire, angering the creature.
In response it launches towards Jonhie, avoiding an attack by Torrosk intended to keep it in place. A second creature swoops in from the north, also attacking Jonhie as if further enraged by the attack on his companion.
The creatures are both frustrated by the taunting and the use of frost against them, and neither manages to score a hit with their claws while they howl and spit fire. Their fiery auras burn brightly however, dangerous to those nearby.
Jonnie steps back from the hot flames and launches another bolt of ice at the same creature.
"Suck on this!"
Ravin continues his taunting song, singing of cold hearths and ice, of fires being blown out by even the gentlest of breezes while he lines up a careful shot and fires at the flaming crature.
for
Radavek steps next to Jonhilda. His scimitar whistles past her shoulder at one of the fiery creatures.
.... 18-20 x2
Radavek slices with his scimitar and Ravin launches an accurate arrow with his bow. Unfortuantely, the creature's skeletal form does not have flesh where the two strikes would have connected. Both strikes seem to fail to harm the creature.
Being so close to the creatures sears your flesh as their fiery aura makes contacat with you.
Jonnie stays put and casts defensively and manages to keep focus.
Jonnie stays put and casts defensively and manages to keep focus.
[dice=concentration lvl 0 spell]1d20+4+1+2
Jonnie moves past the creatures rather than burn next to them and advances to the landing (provoking twice) then fires at the closest creature with her frost bolt.
The two creatures lunge at Jonhie as he moves to get out of the fiery aura, but the creatures are distracted by the arrows and scimitars keeping them at bay and miss both strikes. Jonhie places himself in a good position and flings a bolt of frost at the wounded creature, however the cover of combat allows the creature to duck out of the way.
Torrosk moves slightly to where he can put his reach to good use and attacks the southernmost creature. "Back to the hells that spawned you!
Feeling slightly woozy from the smoke, and now the burns, Finn, in desperation, tries the only thing he can think of. He grabs his holy symbol, and without knowing exactly how or why, he calls on Lady Luck to protect he and his friends from these skeletal flame-beasts.
A blast of positive energy radiates forth from this symbol, damaging any undead within 30'.
Torrosk's blade misses the nimble creatures while Finn summons the power of his god against them. Both creatures howl in pain, though the southern creature seems less harmed by the holy energy.
The creatures turn against Finn hissing and claw at him, however the claws find no purchase. Their anger seems to feed the flames of their auras however, as they burn with greater heat. Finn passes out due to the burns, and seems in bad shape, and Radavek is severly burned but still standing.
Radavek stares at Finn and considers the apparently scimitar in his hand. It's all I've got.
Worried and frustrated, he swings again at the nearest creature.
... ...18-20 x2
Torrosk swings again at the southern creature. "Pharasma guide my hand, and let me send this undead filth back to the underworld"
Jonnie shoots her frost bolt, hampered by avoiding her new friends.
Upon watching the priest of Lady Luck fall, a bit of panic seems to set in with the group... Radavek, Torrosk and Jonnie all miss wildly as they try to attack the two creatures.
Finn groans then passes out from the heat and burns suffered by the flaming skeletons. Perhaps his eponymous luck is finally run out?
Ravin looks at the creatures with a sense of desperation, I think they burn my arrows to ash before they hit, And, worse, I can't get to Finn without risking immolation... If only I could harm them somehow, but throwing oil seems the opposite of helpful and I don't have any holy water.. . He sighs and continues his song to weaken the fiery creatures, then pauses, Well, we were asked to put out the flames... and hurls his waterskin at the flaming thing nearest the fallen cleric.
Ravin throws his waterskin at one of the creatures and it bursts in a hissing of steam. He isn't certain if it actually harmed the creature, but it definitely angered it as the creature charges towards him, claws swinging but not connecting.
The other claws futilely at Torrosk's armor, not damaging the half orc. The auras still burn brightly, however.
Torrosk attacks the creature as it charges Ravin
Torrosk drops one of the creatures as it rushes at Ravin with a powerful overhand chop, shattering the flaming skelleton with bones falling down into the smokey darkness. He then turns to confront the one remaining before him.
Jonnie tries another desperate frost bolt. The smoke kept her from being even close.
Ducking the flames and pushing up the stairs to give Torrosk more room, Radavek swings reflexively at the burning creature.
... ...18-20 x2
3 more damage brings his hp to 8 of 14.
Torrosk swings his sword at the other beast, looking to take it down. "Undead filth, back to the pit that spawned you!"
Radavek manages to slash the creature and chips some flaming bone off the creatures rib cage. Torrosk's swing goes wide, as does Jonnie's frost bolt. Ravin, out of water continues to taunt the remaining creature. Those confronting the creature directly all feel the burn of its aura.
The creature claws at Radavek for the slash across its ribs. The claws find a fold in the armor, drawing a bit of blood and burning Radavek in the process.
The creature's aura seems to flare brightly this round.
Jonnie continues to fire a bolt of frost, even suffering from heat exhaustion. It falls short and low.
Torrosk grits his teeth against the burning aura and swings for the creature again.
Lying still as death, Finn is seared by the heat of the creatures once again, and his wounds re-open.
Radavek shelters behind his shield as the creature flares up, but even heat floods around the edges and a rivet holding the leather strap to the reverse side sears the back of his hand. He waits his moment and thrusts with his broad blade over the edge.
...
The creature manages to avoid all the attacks against it and its fire burns brightly as it tries again to claw at Radavek. Radavek's armor again take the blow with no affect.
Torrosk ignores the searing heat as best he can, watching blisters form on exposed skin, he swings again, trying to fell the creature.
Jonnie has just her frost bolts to shoot. And the shot is wide.
Ravin curses again, Wish I could do something more than discourage that flaming thing... Remind me to buy some alchemicist's ice..., then fires another arrow, just in case.
for
The blistering heat overcomes Radavek's reserves. He wilts noticeably. Shame for his weakness fills him.
I AM RADVEK PETALI, SON OF MILO. I SHALL BE NO LESS A MAN THAN HE. YOU WILL NOT VANQUISH ME!" The young bravo squares his shoulders, drops his shield and swings his scimitar two-handed in an arc at the flaming foe.
...
As Finn perishes from the severe burns covering his body, both Torrosk and Radavek finally connect meaningful blows on the flaming skeletal creature, causing the skeletal remains to crack and crumble as the flame goes out.
The sudden silence within the smokey bell-tower makes you realize how the profane laughter and jibberish of these flaming skelletons previously echoed through acoustics of the tower. Without the creatures continued efforts it appears that the smoldering walls are cooling and the smoke begins to fade.
As soon is the skeleton crumbles, so does Radavek. His scimitar slips from his hands and skitters down the stairs to the landing. He drops to a knee and twists in a slow fall to land beside Finn on the stairs.
Seeing the crispy cleric, Jonnie looks at him to see if he is truly beyond hope.
Remembering the potions, she gets one to feed to Radavek.
Ravin stops his song and rushes to Finn to try to stabilize him... Only then twisting that he's too late.
"He's dead," he whispers incredulously.
Jonhilda feeds Radavek a portion of the potion.
There is thought to trying to give some of the potion to Finn, but it is apparent upon inspection that Finn is dead and the potion would have little hope to revive him.
Ravin suggests, "I don't know what those things were, exactly, but something may have called or summoned them. Maybe there's a clue as to who did it."
"Well with our healer dead, I am out of magic, and the immediate threat taken care of. You better have a good reason to risk more lives in our condition. Looking for clues isn't gonna cut it for me."
Jonnie begins to prepare the body for transport downstairs. Putting the two remaining healing potions in her pack, she gestures to the body.
Ravin looks at the elf, his eyes narrowing, his tone drier and colder than actic tundra, "Certainly figuring out who's doing this to avoid further deaths is a remarkably poor reason."
Radavek thanks Jonhilda for the potion, but stays seated on the stairs listening to the others.
Finally he chips in.
"We should at least look over the town for the mayor's group. They may need help."
"Well if the clues are guarded, we probably won't get them. If they aren't, they'll be there tomorrow!"
Seeing no help with Finn, she begins to drag him downstairs herself, calling for aid from below.