Wymond's powerful attack is slow and the skeleton sidesteps it. Over near the secret passageway, the ancient priest attempts to rise but fails, slipping and cursing.
Perfire adds his own strained, manic chuckle to Wymond's. He practically dances forward along the table, putting all his might into his swing on the skeleton.
The halfling sorcerer is no more successful than the mighty paladin at bashing the animated skeleton, which deftly deflects his miniature club. However, the skeleton's scimitar is beaten out of line and its riposte deflects harmlessly off the paladin's bardiche.
Meanwhile, Yirrik continues to flee the scene of battle.
STATUS
The Master (6 damage)
Perfire (14 damage)
Skeleton
Wymond (18 damage, 1 STR damage)
Yirrik (3 damage, 2 STR damage, Frightened for 2 more rounds)
Lilika (2 damage, Shaken for 3 more rounds)
Having no better attack options, Lilika takes aim and fires another blast of acid at the dead man fumbling around on the floor.
"I said GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Wymond cries as he attacks again.
;
As Wymond continues to duel the skeleton soldier, Lilika blasts the shadowy Master with more acid as it struggles in the magical grease.
Snarling, the master crawls out of the grease spell.
STATUS
The Master (11 damage)
Perfire (14 damage)
Skeleton
Wymond (18 damage, 1 STR damage)
Yirrik (3 damage, 2 STR damage, Frightened for 1 more round)
Lilika (2 damage, Shaken for 2 more rounds)
Perfire continues to swing his club at the offending skeleton.
Small but doughty, Perfire crushes two of the skeleton's ribs with his club. The skeleton slashes down at Wymond, but the paladin blocks the scimitar with ease.
Meanwhile, Yirrik continues to flee up into Grulk's domain...
STATUS
The Master (11 damage)
Perfire (14 damage)
Skeleton (2 damage)
Wymond (18 damage, 1 STR damage)
Yirrik (3 damage, 2 STR damage, Frightened for 1 more round)
Lilika (2 damage, Shaken for 2 more rounds)
Lilika moves over a few steps, careful not to draw the attention of the dead man, then she stabs at him with her short sword.
"BLAST YOU!" Wymond bellows at the skeleton as he makes another swing at it.
;
Wymond's manages to focus his righteous fury into a sweeping upward cut that cleaves through his foe's spinal column and sends the skull skittering across the floor as the rest of the skeleton collapses into a pile of bones. Only the Master remains.
"And now you die," intones the ancient priest, raising his broad bastard sword and slicing down at Lilika's head. His blade nearly breaks her arm.
STATUS
The Master (11 damage)
Perfire (14 damage)
Wymond (18 damage, 1 STR damage)
Yirrik (3 damage, 2 STR damage)
Lilika (15 damage, Shaken for 1 more round)
"Ahh!" Lilika exclaims, grunting in pain.
She takes a few steps around the corner into the secret hall, careful to avoid provoking the skeleton further.
Then she thrusts her arms out at the undead man, shooting the last of her acid at his face.
"NO YOU BLOODY !" Wymond yells as he moves up and swings his bardiche at the leader skeleton, now all alone.
;
Shaken and in pain, Lilika flings acid at the Master, but it evades the spell and the acid scours the ancient stones instead. Spinning, the ancient priest blocks Wymond's wild attack with casual ease.
Perfire, Yirrik, go!
You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all melee damage rolls. This bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls.
Shaking his head, Yirrik mutters, "Where am I...stairs...the others!" and begins to sprint back to where his friends were...are they still alive?
Perfire again focuses his will and the grease coating the floor returns to dust.
The bone priest snarls, its voice like the pall of death in an ancient tomb. "Oho! a Man with courage. Far better than whatever that...subhuman girl... is. You think a barbarian like you can fare any better against the illimitable might of Azlant, boy? You who consort with half-breeds and mongrels? Come then, and die first!"
He lunges forward, stabbing at Wymond's eyes, then reversing to the left and bringing the huge sword around his head in a glittering arc aimed at the paladin's head, but at the last moment Wymond rolls left also, and deflects the ancient blade.
STATUS
The Master (11 damage)
Perfire (14 damage)
Wymond (18 damage, 1 STR damage)
Yirrik (3 damage, 2 STR damage)
Lilika (15 damage)
"Azlant's been dead an' gone forever, bone-brain! Any schoolboy knows that! An' it's time fer you to join 'em proper! This is fer stabbin' an' scarin' my friends!"
He takes another swing at the talking skeleton.
;
Perfire edges his way up the table, hoping to cut off the robed remains' retreat. 'You're out of lackies and you've upset my friend there.' The halfling swings his club at the skeletons head.
Heavily wounded and with no other effective attack options remaining, Lilika begins to chant in a strange language, deep and bellowing, reminiscent of grinding stone, and churning earth.
Yirrik runs back down the stairs
Almost contemptuously, the Master slices backhanded at the presumptuous halfling, opening Perfire's bowels and sending the sorcerer slumping to the floor! "Insect," it says.
STATUS
The Master (11 damage)
Perfire (24 damage)(DYING)
Wymond (18 damage, 1 STR damage)
Yirrik (3 damage, 2 STR damage)
Lilika (15 damage)
A dog appears in the space between Lilika and the skeleton, biting at the bones in his leg.
Seeing Perfire fall unconscious, Lilika mutters something to herself in a strange language. Suddenly Perfire stops bleeding, and his breathing regulates.
"NO!" Wymond shouts when the skeleton nearly kills Perfire.
"SOD YOU AND SOD YER KLARKOSH BOSS!"
;
His breath coming fast, Yirrik sprints his way back to his friends...hoping there was still friends to get back to!
A large dog appears in a shimmer of light and attacks The Master, snapping at its armored leg. The ancient bronze greaves ward off the canine's attack for the moment. Meanwhile, Wymond's wild swings could behead an ox, but the ancient priest deftly blocks, parries and sidesteps the paladin's huge blade
Lilika invokes the healing power of the natural world and Perfire's descent towards death is slowed. Meanwhile, Yirrik hustles back to the combat, breathing hard.
Still moving forward, the ancient priest batters aside Wymond's shield and rams two feet of steel into his chest. Sputtering blood, the paladin drops his sword and chokes, then falls dying to the floor. "You were a barbarian," it says. "But in death you will serve one greater than yourself, a true Azlanti."
STATUS
The Master (11 damage)
Perfire (24 damage)(Stable)
Wymond (29 damage, 1 STR damage)(DYING)
Yirrik (3 damage, 2 STR damage)
Lilika (15 damage)
The dog moves forward and attacks the skeleton, snapping at it's bones ferociously.
Lilika sheathes her sword, Then she mutters something under her breath and touches three stones. With the stones in hand she scowls at the skeleton.
Yirrik skids around the corner and stares, mouth agape, at what has transpired in his absence....Wy down...Perfire down...Lilika, still up! Good! A dog?
Now that he has a good look at their necromancer adversary, Yirrik sees that he's just as skeletal as its minions, so his blades won't be of much help.
Seeing that the dog has the necromancer distracted, Yirrik runs forward and grabs the undead wizard...
.. if successful, he'll call out to Lilika, "Help me! Tie this bastard up while I hold him! Or just bash his head in!"
Dropping his weapon and diving under the undead monster's blade, Yirrik tackles The Master, seizing the skeletal figure around the waist and holding on!
STATUS
The Master (11 damage)(grappled)
Perfire (24 damage)(Stable)
Wymond (29 damage, 1 STR damage)(DYING)
Yirrik (3 damage, 2 STR damage)(grappled)
Lilika (15 damage)
Triath lets out an angered squeal as the monster cuts Wymond down, and runs towards it, trotters clattering on the floor, eager to avenge the young paladin with his tusk-filled mouth.