With the last of the cultists getting away Iolana gives a weary sigh and says, "We probably shouldn't daudle any as he's likely going to bring back reinforcements, or at least alerting them to out presence. Best not to give them too much time to prepare."
Agreed, but taking a couple of minutes here to get ourselves sorted would not be time wasted.
Taking the scythe and strapping it across his back, Jens nods. "Aye, we should keep going before they can muster a defense." Assuming he's to lead, he heads up the ladder after the fleeing cultist.
Heinrick will ensure the non combatants and the others make it up the ladder, before going up himself.
Tats follows Jens up the ladder, drawing her rapier as she reaches the top and taking a look around to see if she can spot the cultist.
As the group clambers up the rope ladder, and reaches the top, they see two rather bewildered Mongrelmen, looking past what are now familiar barricades to a door that swings wildly as if someone just rushed through them. Beyond the door, you can just make out what appears to be a room with odd walls jutting from the sides of the room and the middle.
Tats rushes forward, positioning herself with a barricade between her and the mongrelmen to allow the others to enter the room as well. "Let'sssss go. Enemiesssss ahead!"
Hearing the call of enemies ahead, Heinrick moves up behind Tatyana, and readies his spear for if any come close.
With the tight confines of this room, Iolana draws her bow and prepares to fire at the mongrel men if she gets a chance. "Come and get us mutts!"
Hammer and shield in hand, Jens moves to the position most comfortable for him - the front of the group, an immovable bulwark for his allies.
Iolana, you can fire at them in the surprise round
Iolana's shot hits the unsuspecting Mongrel, who yelps in surprise. Only then do the Mongrels realize that someone was chasing the cultist and turn around to face the group.
Init: MM2, Heinrick, Iolanna, Jens, MM1, Tats
*********Status, surprise Round*********
MM1 0 damage
MM2 6 damage
Henrick 13/13
Iolana 18/18
Jens 22/24
Tats 16/19
************round 1***************
The Mongrel that was shot spins(MM2) startled to see an armored man in his face, but manages to get an arm up and slams Jens in the chest with a surprisingly solid blow.
Heinrick moves behind Jens and attempts to skewer the mongrel in front of Jens.
Only to have Jens shield nock his spear out of the way of the mongrelmans chest.
Keeping his shield up to defend against the mongrelman to his left, Jens brings the warhammer around on the one before him.
Iolana moves in closer to the enemies and knocks another arrow before firing it at the closest mongrel man.
************round 1***************
Heinrick thrusts forward, but skips his spear off of Jens's shield as the cavalier spins the guard to his left. Jens' hammer whistles forward and slams into the Mongrel's thigh with a meaty thwack, and a slight cracking sound.
The Mongrel stumbles back a bit, and Iolana spots the opening and fires, arrow slicing through the air with a hiss between Jens and Heinrick, piercing through the Mongrels throat. The body starts to slump, but is held up by the arrow, which is embedded in the wall.
The last Mongrel squares on Jens and slams his oddly clubbed hand towards the veteran. The blow sounds off of the shield that Jens had wisely moved towards his flank guard.
**********status end round 1**********
MM1 0 damage
MM2 dead
Henrick 13/13
Iolana 18/18
Jens 22/24
Tats 16/19
Heinrick drops his spear (again), and draws his sword and swings it in an attempt to distract if from Jens.
Tats flings herself into the battle, ducking around Jens in an attempt to avoid the mongrelman before stabbing at it from behind.
"Good shot!" Jens calls to Iolana, not looking in her direction but remaining focused on the last remaining foe, keeping one watchful eye on Tats, now in the fray herself. As Heinrick swings at the mongrelman to distract it, he brings the hammer in from the side, aiming for the unfortunate soul's ribs.
*************round 2**********
Init:Heinrick, Iolanna, Jens, MM1, Tats
The group decends on the last Mongrel, and Heinrick makes a thrust which draws the Mongrel's attention. Jens takes advantage of it and slams the creatures ribs with his warhammer, eliciting a whoosh of air from the mongrel's lungs. Tats deftly moves herself into a position to strike, while not allowing the Mongrel to strike at her, but her rapier skips along the thing's scaly hide.
The Mongrel attempts to slam his odd fists into Jens again, but the only find his armor this time, with a reverberating splang coming from Jens' chest piece.
***********status**************
Mongrel 1 8 damage
Mongrel 2 dead
Henrick 13/13
Iolana 18/18
Jens 22/24
Tats 16/19
Iolana nods in acknowledgement of the recognition and then nocks another arrow and fires at the surviving mongrel man.
While his armour holds true, Jens grunts from the impact. He hadn't braced himself properly for the blow, which would leave a nasty bruise. Determined to end this quickly, he spins the warhammer in his hand before aiming for the unfortunate soul's neck, but the risky blow fails to connect.
Seeing Jens is able to hit the Mongrel fairly easy, he stabs at the mongrel in an attempt to distract it preventing it from swinging well at Jens.
Tats looks down the blade of her rapier, dropping into a perfect lunge, and puts the tip right into the mongrelman's chest, very close to its sternum.
With a better view of her target Iolana once again nocks and draws an arrow. She let's it loose but as it flies it sticks into the barricade.
*************round 3*************
Jens and Heinrick maneuver around the Mongrel, but to no avail as Jens' blow goes wide of the mark. Iolana fires into the swirling melee, but her arrow snaps ineffectively off the barricade. Tatyana watches the Mongrel as its attention is draw away from the Tiefling Magus, and thrusts at the precisely correct moment, striking snake quick, her blade punches into the creature's chest and she draws it back, a full foot of the blade coated crimson. The creature winces at the pain, and draws back its club to strike, but its limbs go rubbery. A confused look crosses its face as it drops the club and puts its hand over the spreading stain on it shirt and looks at it, before collapsing to the ground.
*********Victory!************
Heinrick quickly rescabbards his blade, and then picks up his spear.
He then quickly casts detect magic for a quick look at the mongrels before getting ready to move on.
Tats wrinkles her nose at the smell of violent, sudden death filling the air. "Not the mossssst appetizing of sssmellsssss. Sssshall we continue to pursssue our 'friend', or doessss one of you have a better idea?" She wipes her rapier off on the mongrelman's clothing, looking pointedly at the door the cultist had fled through just seconds before.
I would say follow, but carefully, as he is long gone now
With that, Heinrick strolls off after Jens after his quick look around.
Iolana, the fight over, stows her bow once again and gets her whip in hand. "I think we need to catch up to the runner, if he gets away we may have more to deal with than we can handle."
"Agreed, Iolana. We sssshould move quickly. It may not be too late yet." Tats hustles through the door, rapier in clawed hand, pausing for a moment to take stock of the new room.
"Onward," Jens agrees, taking just a moment to look over the mongrelman before heading after the quarry.
You move forward into what appears to be a small labyrinth. Moving around the walls starts to reveal the path you need to take.
As you clear one area, Jens can feel something off and spots two hideous creatures. The bloated frames shudder as it starts to move. Despite its shape and bulk, it moves surprisingly quickly.
**************Surprise round************
Jens, Dretch, Dretch
**********Round 1***********
Tats, Heinrick, Iolana, Jens, Dretch 1, Dretch 2
"Cold iron, you say?" Jens growls, dropping the warhammer with a resounding clang and drawing his old longsword as he moves forward. Finding a suitable junction in the maze of walls, he waits for the foes to come to him, experimentally, striking at one from around his corner.
Iolana quickly stows her whip away and begins to sing a battle anthem to inspire her companions to greatness.
**********Surprise round (resolution)**************
Jens hears the hastily shouted warning and drops his hammer, pulling out his longsword just as the two demons descend on him. With a quick slash, he cleaves into the corpulent flesh of the one approaching from the north, and opens a wound, the corners of the ragged tear blacken and sizzle as the cold iron bites, eliciting a shriek of outrage from the thing.
*************Round 1************
Tats, Heinrick, Iolana, Jens, Dretch 1, Dretch 2
Iolana starts a rousing battle anthem which sets moves the party to better feats of heroism.
Heinrick moves up slightly drawing his morning star, and swinging it at the one to the north in an attempt to distract it.
Only to hit the wall with no affect.
Without much to do, Tats steps forward through the tunnel to fill in behind Heinrick. She prepares a minor spell, firing a bolt of frost past Heinrick and Jens, but it's (probably) well off-target.
Heinrick's attempt to distract the big ugly creature doesn't seem to get its attention at all, focused as it is on Jens. Tatyana raises a hand and a brilliant blue ray blasts forth from her hand, striking the area near the thing's head. Rime covers the stones where it strikes.
***************Round 1 *************
After recoiling from Jens' attack the creature attempts to savage the cavalier, only to have his claws and teeth screech off the large man's armor and shield. The second Dretch makes its attack, but misses, being wary of the cold iron sword.
**************Round 1 status*********
Dretch 1 (north): 8 damage
Dretch 2 (south): 0 damage
Heinrick: 13/13
Iolana: 18/18
Jens: 22/24
Tatyana: 16/19
******************Round 2*****************
INit: Party, Dretches
Continuing her song of inspiration Iolana moves into place for a better shot and then lets fly and arrow into on of the dretches.
Heinrick continues to attempt to distract the Dretch to the north of Jens.
"Alright, beasts, go back to whatever slime-filled cesspool you call home!" Jens growls. Fixing his eyes on the wounded one, he cuts in toward the dretch's side.
Absolutely unable to get past the crowded hallway, Tats simply fires another freezing ray toward the dretch, but misses even more terribly than the last time.
**************Round 2***************
The flurry of attacks from the group miss as ice rays freeze stone walls, arrows go whizzing by, and sword and spear thrusts miss their target. The two demons laugh a disturbing laugh sounding like regurgitated stone, and both of them lay into Jens, who stands firm against the assault, only one claw slipping past his defense tracing a thin line of blood from the man's arm.
***********Round 2 status***********
Dretch 1 (north): 8 damage
Dretch 2 (south): 0 damage
Heinrick: 13/13
Iolana: 18/18
Jens: 18/24
Tatyana: 16/19
************Round 3 Start*********
Init: Party, Demons
Can we lure them back out of this maze, and get more of us on them
Heinrick continues to try to distract the one to the north with a swing of his cold iron morning star
Only to have his morning star hit the wall, and not get close to the Dretch
Hearing Heinrick's idea, and unable to mount an effective offense from her current position anyways, Tats heads out of the maze.