"Luck's got nothing to do with your being here, Maddie. Sarah saw fit to have you along, mender, immolator, insulator, and we're glad of it! Now, we'll just wait for you to bind the bridge better, so it can bear our burden."
Pent looks at Ami. "One at a time, like he said."
Kul pulls his short bow from his back and knocks an arrow. He glances around in search of targets as Mahdi slowly casts his spell.
"I'm definitely the heaviest. I'll go first once Mahdi gives the all clear."
Aldebert watches Mahdi work his magic on the bridge and smiles broadly.
We have many tools in our toolbox. We'll do well I think. These gnolls don't stand a chance.
"Well done Mahdi. We are certainly unstoppable."
When it's his turn to cross (soon after Kul given a choice) he does so carefully.
When it is his time to cross, Ami will dismount from Yeenoghu and quietly explain to the large cat what needs to happen and when.
"Your food," Ami says to Yeen, pointing to Mahdi, giving the cat the order to defend Mahdi while Ami crosses. "Your food," Ami repeats.
Ami will cross first (the whistle of Uh-oh in his mouth), taking 10 for 12 climb total. When Ami is across he will call for the cat to come across.
"C'mere boy." Ami will call the cat over.
Yeen's take 10 is 16 climb. While others climb across, Ami will hide, keeping his slingstaff loaded and ready.
Stealth
Oh, right, the climb check... (crosses fingers)
Yay! Aldebert crosses the bridges and climbs without incident. Well, assuming the bridge holds his weight...
Pent will defer to Mahdi, allowing him to cross first. He motions to bridge once more, encouraging Mahdi to inspect his work, once the initial buffalo soldiers have crossed.
Pent loads his crossbow, and stands his ground until the last of the group has made it safely across. Am I the rear, then? I ass myself that question all the time.
Mahdi smiles, pleased, at the compliments to his skill... perhaps slightly less so at the idea that Saranrae is to be credited for his presence here. Well, as far as goddesses go... Saranrae is no Nethys, but the sun goddess should be afforded proper respect.
And there's no need to alienate all the others, anyway.
"As you say," he murmurs to the others. Quarterstaff held in his hands for greater balance, Mahdi picks a careful way across.
***
The crossing of the first bridge occurs without a hitch, as even Yeenoghu realizes the importance of crossing the bridge slowly when all he really wants is to swiftly race across to Amiamble.
Mahdi successfully identifies the weak spots also in the second bridge, and after a similar mending and crossing, the group finds itself on a ledge directly beneath one of the hilltop's ruined buildings. The wall facing the ledge has partly fallen away, allowing easy access to its interior if desired. It's also possible to walk further up the ledge, where it seamlessly connects to the summit itself while passing behind a string of buildings standing closer to the battle market.
Just as rear-guard Pent makes it across the second bridge, you hear the sounds of cloven feet moving past the building above. The movement doesn't appear to be in any particular haste.
"Sst," Mahdi whispers to the others, holding up a hand and staring up. "Is... is that... it sounds like a goat?"
Pent subconsciously speeds his step up, to be closer to the others, as the sound rattles him a little.
"You think it's two feet or four? I can't tell me self." Pent looks upwards as well, then looks back to Kul and Aldi. He lays a palm out in front of himself, creating the road. Then he takes two fingers from the other hand, and walks them across the road. He then points upwards again.
"Cloven feet aren't gnoll feet." He shudders visibly, then waves for the group to get on. He points at the hole in the wall. He closes pointer finger to thumb, creating the hole. Then he takes two fingers from the other hand, and inserts them into the hole. That should be clear enough, even for the halfling.
You realize that unless the steps belong to a four-legged creature with two of its legs somehow muffled, whichever creature is making those sounds can't have more than two feet.
Kul looks confused by the whispering. He puts his short bow away and draws his falchion as he heads toward the hole in the wall, pausing before going through to see if his companions seem to think this is a good idea or a bad one.
"Yes, yes, yes... get inside, so we can get a better look at what's walking the streets up there..." Pent Nods hurriedly at Kul, who is taking the right action at the moment, and makes to follow him into the structure.
Ami waves at the party to get ready and jumps on Yeen's back.
He gives the signal for the 'whatfor', assuming the party knows that means.
I think a dancing goat approaches.
Ami checks his loaded sling and crouches in cover (if any).
Aldebert leans heavily on his guisarme, glad to be across the bridges safely.
Quite an engineer that Mahdi.
Seeing the others in defensive stances and following his brothers hand signal, Aldebert creeps up to the hole and takes the side opposite Kul and watches the others for a further sign.
Sa'amm scurries deeper into his robes. Mahdi accepts the sensation of a scorpion's many-legged and chitinous body burrowing around inside his clothes (ew) with barely a brow arch, his attention focused on the odd sounds. He mirrors Ami's position-- crouching back from the entrance in the decayed wall, watching with eyes narrowed and the words of a spell on his lips.
Making their way through the hole and into the ruined building, Kul and Aldebert quickly notice that the walls on the battle market's side are remarkably intact. On the other hand, the wall towards the old church is in much the same state as the one they entered through, with a large, gaping hole in its center.
Through this second hole, the two frontrunners see a creature that looks much like a goat, except it stands upright and wields a halberd in its hands. It has a goat's head, a goat's mangy gray hide, and its two feet are cloven. The creature walks past the building, apparently without noticing those within, then stops about 30 ft away at an intersection in the road.
***
This creature is a chaotic evil Outsider known as a Schir Demon. Also known as spite demons, these creatures are among the most violent and badly tempered creatures in the Abyss. They're not particularly intelligent, preferring to charge into combat whenever possible. They are nimble, and particularly adept at jumping.
All demon traits are revealed.
As above, plus: A schir frequently gnaws at its halberd's edge, infusing the weapon with disease from its filthy spittle. The disease is a gray pox, weakening those who are affected. The schir itself is immune to disease.
The schir's gore is particularly damaging when it charges.
As above, plus: Only good-aligned or cold iron weapons fully affect a schir.
A schir can see invisible creatures at all times, can speak and understand any language, and can grant itself additional protection against those of valor.
***
Assuming it is 30' away, Kul begins whispering non-stop prayers to Sarenrae and charges (using the partial charge action):
As Kul springs forward, Ami will smile and urge Yeen to move forward as well, trying to get off a clean shot from his staffsling before his window closes.
Time to give them the whatfor!
to hit;
magical blunt damage.
"--what-- wait-- what are we even attacking!" Mahdi hisses as he sees the others spring into action. He hisses curses in Ignan to himself, and edges to the wall the others have already run through, to try and catch a glimpse of the creature.
"Oh, hells," Mahdi groans as he catches sight of the horned creature. He's never seen one in the flesh... just in books.
"Demon!! Its blade is diseased! Hit it with cold iron!"
Seeing Kul leap out and attack the creature, Aldebert follows close on his heels.
Well, er, 10' back anyway.
Aldebert moves his full move (20' in armor) during the surprise round. If it's reasonable to do so, he'll take a slightly wide track hoping to get into flanking position next round (or at least closer to one).
Kul's charge drives his falchion into the goat-demon's back, eliciting a pained "Gruhhh" from its bearded mouth. Amiamble takes advantage of its surprise as well, but the slingshot doesn't appear to harm it much.
***
Surprise Round
Pent gladdens as everyone does as they should and enter the broken down building through the hole in the wall. He saddens as everyone launches towards the street. "What are you running at...?" He answers his own question as he lays eyes on Goathead.
He hears Kul's litany, and is somewhat heartened. He hears Mahdi's instructions, and hopes that the others can hear, really hear, what they're being told. Not even a thought about strategy!! Not even a consideration for what the others might consider doing!! Not even a kiss goodbye!!
Pent admires the others crazy enough to run at the monstrosity, but does not himself advance. He raises his scar arm, middle finger firmly insulting the demon, and he starts to envision a scimitar in his other hand, swinging back and forth, back and forth, across the creature's hide. He chortles when he sees a glimmering scimitar appear at the creature's side, and begin to hack at it, with the same motion as the gnome's new swordhand.
Pent looks over at Mahdi, in a look-what-I-did expression, tears of pride welling in his eyes.
The tears continue, but not from pride.
Pent's beautifully conjured scimitar is just about to strike the demon, but upon contacting its hide the weapon vanishes as quickly as it appeared.
***
Current Initiative order:
16 - Amiamble (with Yeenoghu)
15 - Aldebert
12 - Mahdi
10 - Kul
4 - Pent
3 - Schir
***
Still confounded by the unexpected turn of events, the demon is exceedingly slow in reacting, thus awarding the motley crew a chance at disposing of it before it can even raise the alarm.
***
"My magic can do almost nothing against this beast!" Mahdi snarls in frustration. "He resists the power of fire, and magic in general."
(As Pent has just discovered.)
Mahdi unslings his crossbow and loads it with a quarrel. He takes a step forward to have a better line of sight.
Round 1, Initiative 15, Location H7->I11
Weapon Equipped = Guisarme
Conditions = Endure Elements
Smite Evil = 1/1 (+2 attack, +3 damage, +2 AC)
Lay on Hands = 3/3 (1d6 healing +1d6 if not fatigued)
Aldebert follows the edge of the building before turning in to try and setup the flank (moving to I11)
He keeps his mouth shut and hopes the combat is over quickly before they attract too much attention.
Round 1, Init 16
Ami guides Yeen 5' in to K8, providing flank for his brother. If there was no scarf over his face, you would see a smirk as the battling halfling brother deliver the holy whatfor to the servants of gnolldom.
Yeen lashes with claws and bites.
to hit; (bite, flank)
damage.
to hit; (claw, flank)
damage.
to hit; (claw, flank)
damage.
Ami tries to create an opening for Kul's blade, seeing the effect of it last time it hit.
vs DC 10 to Aid Kul's attack (+4 if successful)
Round 1, Init 4lorn
AC = 13
HP = 27/27
Weapon Equipped = Light Crossbow
Condition(s) = Blessed by Sarah
Pent blots at his eyes, as he watches Sarah's Scimitar wink out against the vileness of the creature. I'm not strong enough!! I'm sorry, Sarah, really I am!! Please, I'll grow my strength, you'll see!! I'll make you proud!! He looks back and forth frantically, debating what to do, even as Mahdi asserts the impotence of magic against the beast.
Pent leans in towards Mahdi. "So, not directly at it, but indirectly about it. If I indirect Sarah's blessings directly at our fighters, they can directly assault the beast, directally!!"
"Tear him a new... directal!!" Pent hoarsely, hushedly yells at the others. His voice quickens, as he watches the others moving too quickly for his blessings to hit them, before they hit it.
Kul smiles at the help from Ami, begins circling to flank the fiend (5-foot step), and swings his falchion:
Kul's smile goes away when he realizes he probably missed.
Aldebert is able to strike the distracted demon, aided by his allies on the opposing flank, and his guisarme's blade bites into it. However, both Yeenoghu's frenzied lashing and Kul's powerful strike fail to hit the goat-faced demon.
The angry demon screams viciously as it turns towards Kul, sounding eerily like the baaa of a goat, seeking to answer the falchion's bite with slices of its halberd and a headbutt. It howls loudly to attract attention, and between strikes it yells out in Gnoll.
Halberd-strike. [larger]"Intruders!"[/larger] Headbutt. "Come quickly!"
The halberd hits, slicing along Kul's skin and dealing 10 damage. The headbutt strikes hard against the zealot's armor, inflicting no injury.
***
Round 2, Initiative 15, Location I11
Weapon Equipped = Guisarme
Conditions = Endure Elements, Bless (1 of 20)
Smite Evil = 1/1 (+2 attack, +3 damage, +2 AC)
Lay on Hands = 3/3 (1d6 healing +1d6 if not fatigued)
Aldebert holds his flank and, frightened by the loud shouting of the beast, tries to finish him quickly.
(flank, bless)
He takes pride in the hit, and smiles at his brother on the other side of the creature helping his every swing.
"As soon as we down this beast, we should fall back to the bridges and fight the gnolls there. We can keep it to one or two at a time that way - keep the fighting in our favor as long as we can. I'll go last over the bridge and cover our rear."
Round 3, Init 16candles
Yeenoghu continues his fruitless assault, unknowing that he is unlikely to damage the goatbeast.
to hit; (bite, flank, bless)
damage.
to hit; (bite, flank, bless)
damage.
to hit; (bite, flank, bless)
damage.
Ami tries again to create an opening for Kul.
vs. DC10 to aid Kul's attack (+4 to attack, Kul)
Ami listens to Adlebert, a confused look overtakes his face.
Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances.
HP = 18/28. AC 18 (T12 F16)
Weapon Equipped: MW Cold Iron Falchion
Conditions: Endure Elements and Bless
Kul winces in pain from the halberd attack and swings again at the demon:
Kul looks the fiend in the eye and says, "Sarenrae take you to the depths of hell!"
Mahdi tries to get a bead with the crossbow, squinting down the quarrel's line and firing at the horned brute.
"The beast is calling for reinforcements," he warns, although Aldebert's words indicates he already knows such things.
His bolt goes laughably wide, however, and Mahdi snarls and quickly stows the crossbow again.
Round 2, Init 4thebirds
AC = 13
HP = 27/27
Weapon Equipped = Light Crossbow
Condition(s) = Blessed
Pent studies Yeen in its attacks. So many swipes at the goat, but it doesn't look too fearsome, I'm afraid.
Pent studies Yaki in his attacks. Only one swipe from the goat, but it looks fearsome, I'm afraid.
He debates what course of action to take, but not for long. From a comfortable enough distance, Pent clenches his cheeks, bracing for the surge of muscle contraction that comes with his burst. He unclenches for a sudden thought. I should get closer, just a little. That way, I start seeing all the flock encompassed, hurt or unhurt. Aldebert's been lucky so far, but I have to see it for the possibility that he's just as injured as the others. Yeah. The cloud of war will not confuse me, Sarah. Only then does he reclench.
The clench holds tight.
Yeenoghu once again fails to draw blood, despite hitting twice this time. The two wielders of cold iron, however, combine to take the demon down with a pair of fearsome strikes from their respective weapons. The goat-like creature's body sags to the ground, while the halberd slips from its lifeless fingers.
Pent's next actions will involve dragging Goathead's body off the main road, and into the broken down building they just used to make their way into Kelmarane. That's if the party isn't immediately joined by gnoll patrols.
Ami gives a little fist pump as the dancing goat beast falls, happy for having helped. Knowing the need for some measure of stealthiness, Amiamble asks Yeen to help Pent drag the body away (Yeen will happy coup de grace the throat of the beast once it falls.)
If no more gnolls come running, Amiable to will return to scene of the fight and seek to erase the obvious signs of battle and the drag marks.
Survival
No gnoll patrols are immediately forthcoming. In fact, after some potentially tense moments-in-waiting, it becomes apparent that the demon's cry for assistance seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
Pent is fairly easily able to draw the demon's body away from the battleground after Yeenoghu rips its throat out, while Amiamble's skill at obscuring tracks leaves something to be desired.
***
The battle market looms on one side of the building you entered through, while the old church rises from the hilltop's edge on the other, slightly closer.
***
"That... went... much better than it could have," Mahdi breathes with a sigh as they manage to drop the demon.
"I was expecting gnolls, not creatures from the Abyss," he says with a shaking of his head, keeping an eye on the street for reinforcements until it becomes evident that they got lucky. "Kul-- you strike well and hard, but for love of all the gods, will you run into every fight so quickly? Does Saranrae demand such?"
As he speaks, Mahdi pokes at the goat-thing's body with his foot, and checks to see if the creature had anything of interest on its foul person.
After a lengthy period crouched behind the wall awaiting gnolls, Aldebert gets up and stretches his legs. Looking out over the old church he suggests, "We should enter through the back of the church if we can I think. I still want to check that out and go from there."
He looks up at the rest, "If that's agreeable with everyone of course."
Ami assists Mahdi with the looting, handing things of interest over to him for safekeeping.
When Aldebert suggests a plan, Ami springs on Yeenoghu and readies to do exactly that. He reloads his staffsling, Tempest.
Ami leans over to whisper in Yeenoghu's ear.
"I trust you enjoyed the taste of Sarenrae's justice meted out, Vardishal. We shall show Sarenrae our worth!"
Pent stands behind Mahdi as he scolds Kul. "Yeah. What he says. That demon could have bellowed bedfellows down upon all of us. You may thank Sarah for that, but I think we just got lucky. Sarah doesn't close ears, doesn't mute voices. So open your ears when you hear our voices telling you that we'd rather not be those little dangles on the tail of your kite, when the wind blows you so violently about." Pent looks up at Mahdi, seeking an approving nod.
"We haven't slaughtered all them gnolls, so what gives? Why haven't we seen a surge just now off the demon call?" Pent keep a lookout while the group lays out the next approach.
"Don't we need to touch base with the harpy? Let her know that we actually succeeded in securing her rights to occupation here in the village? We need to confirm that she's not already set up an ambush in our absence."
Kul wipes his blade clean, brushes his hair out of his face, and looks apologetically at the wizard, "Mahdi, you have options. I have a blade. When I can get the drop on a demon, I'm going to take it."
Kul slowly recites the prayer of warm blessings under his breath as he waits for gnolls to respond to the attack. His prayer ends as Aldebert makes his suggestion. Kul grunts his assent, checks his companions, and leads the way toward the church.
Ami nods at Kul approvingly, then gives the gnome a stern look.
Sarenrae wants her justice meted out by sword, by claw, and by magic. Maybe your lack of understanding in that is why your spell failed.
Amiable readies to follow his brother to the church.
Pent watches Kul with curiosity. When the fighter doesn't even acknowledge him, his brows lower. When the halfling shoots him a set of beady burning eyes, his eyebrows raise.
Sarah, grant me the patience with those two. They're lumpy cold dough at present, but I promise You, I'll knead them plenty enough so they rise in Your oven, to their full potential. It's gonna take time. They're only interested in slaughter. They see You in the blood of the fallen. They see You in the swing of their weapons. Patience, yes. Patience.
Pent looks at Mahdi, and shakes his head.
***
Mahdi detects a magical aura on the demon's halberd, but doesn't discover anything else that could be considered treasure among its remains.
***
Yeenoghu twists its head around to regard its rider, purring softly. In your mind, Vardishal's voice responds. "Swift and decisive, that justice. Indeed, I found pleasure in this."
***
Rounding the church, the group enters a graveyard of sorts overlooking the cliffside. Halfway across the yard, about 75 ft away, stands a 10-foot-tall column, upon which there's a splendid statue of Sarenrae with both arms upraised to the heavens. In front of this statue are five graves marked with life-sized statues of holy warriors. Behind the statue, large double doors mark the entrance to the church itself.
A man garbed in the fine formal robes of a Sarenraen priest kneels in front of the statue, apparently praying to his goddess.
***
".. Blessed Dawnflower, hear my prayer! Lend me strength to be as the sun, searing the unrepentant with holy flames while guiding the innocent from darkness .. As the dawn brings new light, let my burning hands bring justice to evil! .."
After sniffing the air, Yeenoghu becomes tense, meows distressedly, and its tail grows to nearly twice its normal size as it assumes a hunting position. The cat seems to focus on the priest.
Ami immediately echoes Yeenoghu's growl and hiss, trusting his catpanion more than his own eyes...or that of his comrades.
"Brother! Comrades! That one is not right! Beware!"
Ami begins to twirl his slingslaff, Tempest, menacingly, but holds off on a Kul-style charge. Ami waits for the party to see the danger and gird themselves.
"He speaks of the Sun, but he is wrong!"