Anyone, give me orders for Isabel.
Isabel sends dark images into the mind of the tentacle monster and follows it up with a single magic missile.
Tung rushes the vile octopus-headed monster and lunges, slashing with his elven blade, but the wiry creature simply regards him with unblinking eyes, as though he were a bug impaled on display. At a gesture from the horrid thing, Tung’s and Silas’s swords inexplicably turn aside at the last second, cleaving only air.
Tilver, Skarvek and Dain freeze in their tracks, unable to think or act amid a hail of mental static.
Isabel steps out from her hiding place and launches a terrifying image into the mind of the octopus monster. It reels slightly, but seems little discomfited. The word <Amateur> slithers through all your minds.
The red giant steps in close to Tilver and swings its huge falchion at both Tilver and Dain. Both can see its wounds closing up as it strides forward. ”Lay down your weapons, fools. I’ll make this quick.” The attack is devastating, cutting into their midsections and leaving a trail of gore on the stones below them!
Then the octopus creature stabs a tentacle into the side of Tung’s head, and then wraps all its tentacles around the rogue's head. It tries to stab with a second tentacle, but fails. Tung can see its little spiky mouth right before his eyes!
INITIATIVE
Ogre Mage - 47 damage
Illithid - 26 damage, Frightened 1
Tung - 47/78 hp, Grabbed, Wounded 1, temp. immunity to psychic blast
Skarvek - 54/76 hp
Isabel - 24/64 hp
Dain - 22/85 hp
Tilver - 23/85 hp
Silas - 37/109 hp - (Rage: -1 AC)(temp hp already used up), Hasted
Silas sends a barrage of blows at the creature
Tilver's brain reconnects with his body and he gets to experience the whole pain of nearly being cut in two all at once. Through that pain, he can't concentrate to see a way of counterattacking. Instead all he can do in stumble forward into the Ogre Mage, pushing him down. Hoping it give him some room to fight, he claws at his healer's kit to find a salve for his wounds.
Tung twists under the tentacular grasp, trying to squirm free.
Tung squeeze out from the tentacles, takes and step to the side and stabs at an opening in the Illithid's defense.
Tung squirms and thrashes to avoid the the creatures maw.
Silas lands a single very heavy blow against the slender monster, injuring it. Its eyes go wide with fear.
Tilver strikes the giant’s knee and knocks it down, but gets tangled up in the collapse and fails to heal himself.
Tung wriggles away from the monstrous grasp of the octopus-headed creature and slips into flanking position. Once again, his blade simply slips past the creature as though guided past by unseen psychic forces.
INITIATIVE
Ogre Mage - 47 damage, Prone
Illithid - 46 damage, Frightened 2
Tung - 47/78 hp, Grabbed, Wounded 1, temp. immunity to psychic blast
Skarvek - 54/76 hp
Isabel - 24/64 hp
Dain - 22/85 hp
Tilver - 23/85 hp
Silas - 37/109 hp - (Rage: -1 AC)(temp hp already used up), Hasted
Skarvek strides with speed towards the red beast. He strikes out repeatedly at the beast. His voice carrying out through the room as he sings.
Dain calls to the spirits, rallying them to assist. After a few of them bathe him with healing energy, he directs the rest toward Silas.
Isabel glares at the mage and casts her focus spell Steal the Shadow. Then she casts the Shield spell on herself.
Heightened (+1) The damage when the spell is cast and when it is sustained increases by 1d4.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success The target is enfeebled 1 for 1 round.
Failure The target takes 3d4 negative damage and is enfeebled 1 for the spell’s duration as you tear its shadow away, collecting it in your hand. On subsequent rounds, when you Sustain the Spell, you can throttle the shadow to deal 3d4 negative damage to the target (basic Fortitude save). Until the spell ends, the target doesn’t cast a shadow.
Critical Failure As failure, but the target is enfeebled 2.
Skarvek charges forward, slashing at the downed giant and leaving a thin line of blood across its skin. Dain directs his many spirits to pour the energy of the city into Silas, knitting together damaged tissues and torn skin. Meanwhile, using arcane arts learned in the Inverted Pyramid, Isabel reaches into the shadow plane and rips its shadow away from the octopus-headed horror! Its mental gasp of surprise crackles in your minds!
STATUS
Ogre Mage - 58 damage, Prone
Illithid - 54 damage, Frightened 2,Enfeebled 1, No Shadow
Tung - 47/78 hp, Grabbed, Wounded 1, temp. immunity to psychic blast
Skarvek - 54/76 hp
Isabel - 24/64 hp
Dain - 27/85 hp
Tilver - 23/85 hp
Silas - 75/109 hp - (Rage: -1 AC)(temp hp already used up), Hasted
The wizened tentacle-monster sweeps sideways and blasts both Tung and Silas with its Psychic Blast again. The blast is weakened, no longer carrying the same powerful punch it did before.
The red giant rises and, roaring in its strange tongue, slashes out with its falchion, gutting Tilver, who drops to the ground in a splash of blood, and slicing Skarvek across the face.
STATUS
Tilver - 0/85 hp, Dying 1, Prone
Ogre Mage - 58 damage
Illithid - 54 damage, Frightened 1, Enfeebled 1, No Shadow
Tung - 47/78 hp, Grabbed, Wounded 1, temp. immunity to psychic blast
Skarvek - 26/76 hp
Isabel - 24/64 hp, Shield
Dain - 27/85 hp
Silas - 75/109 hp - (Rage: -1 AC)(temp hp already used up), Hasted
Silas grits his teeth...
But is still stunned by the blast.
Tung sees Tilver go down and gives a shout as he dodges around the octopus creature.
He uses his blade to search for weaknesses in the giant's armor.
Isabel concentrates and chokes the shadow in her hands. Then she flicks a hand and sends a piece of debris flying at the Ogre Mage.
Tung slides under the giant’s whirling blade and slices him across both legs, leaving bloody cuts!
Isabel throttles the octopus-headed creture’s shadow, but it proves difficult to harm this way. Then she flings debris at it with her mind, but his mind proves stronger and he flings it away with a gesture before it hits him.
STATUS
Tilver - 0/85 hp, Dying 1, Prone
Ogre Mage - 83 damage
Illithid - 54 damage, Frightened 1, Enfeebled 1, No Shadow
Tung - 47/78 hp, Grabbed, Wounded 1, temp. immunity to psychic blast
Skarvek - 26/76 hp
Isabel - 24/64 hp, Shield
Dain - 27/85 hp
Silas - 75/109 hp - (Rage: -1 AC)(temp hp already used up), Hasted
With Silas healed, Dain directs the spirits to help Tilver, then calls them back to himself.
Skarvek continued to sing as he swung his blade at the beast.
Skarvek continues to attack the red giant, but cannot get through its guard. Meanwhile, at Dain’s directions, Ptolus’s spirits heal both him and Tilver, binding up their wounds.
As its wounds continue to heal on their own, the red giant laughs for the sheer joy of slaughter and attacks Tung and Skarvek. The two old friends barely manage to stave off his mighty attacks!
Meanwhile, the octopus-headed monster breaks into a surprisingly quick run, dashing past Dain and Isabel and towards freedom!
STATUS
Tilver - 36/85 hp, Wounded 1, Prone
Ogre Mage - 76 damage
Illithid - 54 damage, Enfeebled 1, No Shadow
Tung - 47/78 hp, Grabbed, Wounded 1, temp. immunity to psychic blast
Skarvek - 26/76 hp - Inspiring Courage
Isabel - 24/64 hp, Shield
Dain - 33/85 hp
Silas - 75/109 hp - (Rage: -1 AC)(temp hp already used up), Hasted
Tilver's eyes snap open. From his position on the ground, he spots the weak area on the inside of the ogre's leg armor. Deciding to take advantage of the vulnerability now, Tilver grabs draws his shortsword and stabs up at the ogre mage's inner thigh. "Target the groin!"
Silas charges after the squid head with a flurry of blows.
Tung savagely stabs into the ogre with his rapier.
"You're outmatched giant!"
Tilver stabs the giant in the groin, causing it to howl in anger. Although it blocks each of Tung’s thrusts, the intensity of the Knight of the Pale frightens the monstrous magus. Meanwhile, like his plains ancestors before him, Silas bounds after the fleeing prey, slashing the octopus-headed psion from behind, badly injuring it!
Panting heavily with the effort, Dain directs the city spirits to heal Skarvek and they do marvelous work on his wounds.
STATUS
Tilver - 36/85 hp, Wounded 1, Prone
Ogre Mage - 98 damage
Illithid - 82 damage, Enfeebled 1, No Shadow
Tung - 47/78 hp, Grabbed, Wounded 1, temp. immunity to psychic blast
Skarvek - 26/76 hp - Inspiring Courage
Isabel - 24/64 hp, Shield
Dain - 33/85 hp
Silas - 75/109 hp - (Rage: -1 AC)(temp hp already used up), Hasted
Isabel casts a spell and touches Silas, boosting his power. Then she takes the illithid's shadow in both hands and twists it.
"...and though the bloody banner over yonder ship flies.
Come yee boys oh brave of heart.
We will live on forever a verse for every man that dies.
Come yee boys oh brave of heart."
Skarvek's blade sang through the air in time with his words, playing sharp accompaniment as he bare down upon his foe.
As Isabel grants magical strength and vigor to Silas, so she drains it from the illithid's shadow! Meanwhile, Skarvek dances in an out, slashing and lunging, his first lunge skewering the giant's leg!
Bleeding but still confident, the red giant smiles as his wounds continue to heal. He lays about him with his great sword. Skarvek dives out of the way of the enormous falchion, but it merely picks up speed, striking Tung such a tremendous blow across the head it nearly kills him! Blood runs down the knight's face and across his breastplate.
The octopus-headed villain blasts Silas with psionic energy and runs!
STATUS
Tilver - 36/85 hp, Wounded 1, Prone
Ogre Mage - 115 damage
Illithid - 85 damage, Enfeebled 1, No Shadow
Tung - 3/78 hp, Wounded 1, temp. immunity to psychic blast
Skarvek - 64/76 hp - Inspiring Courage
Isabel - 24/64 hp, Shield
Dain - 33/85 hp
Silas - 75/109 hp - (Rage: -1 AC)(temp hp already used up), Hasted, Heroism (+1 to attack rolls/saves/skill checks.)
Silas is stunned once more.
The blood from his head wounds slowly seeps along the twisting whorl pierced by a sword on Tung's armor.
He dodges back a few paces and sheaths his blade before drawing the shortbow from his back.
"Tilver, setup a shot!" He exclaims as he wipes the blood from his brow and takes aim.
Tilver looks at the Ogre mage incredulously as his stab at the groin doesn't completely bring the creature down. He grits his teeth and rolls to his feet, stabbing up at the weak area again.
As Tung backs up, the giant flicks out his blade to kill the young aasimar, but Tung dodges the blow and retreats. As this happens, Tilver stabs the giant again and this time the huge creature crashes to the ground, its eyes rolling back in its head. But its wounds continue to heal.
A flood of healing enters Tilver's tired body as Ptolus's spirits do Dain's bidding.
STATUS
Tilver - 61/85 hp, Wounded 1
Ogre Mage - 0 hp, Prone, Unconscious
Illithid - 85 damage, Enfeebled 1, No Shadow
Tung - 3/78 hp, Wounded 1, temp. immunity to psychic blast
Skarvek - 64/76 hp - Inspiring Courage
Isabel - 24/64 hp, Shield
Dain - 33/85 hp
Silas - 75/109 hp - (Rage: -1 AC)(temp hp already used up), Hasted, Heroism (+1 to attack rolls/saves/skill checks.)
Isabel moves forward and tries to slow or stop the creature from escaping into the city.
The strange octopus-headed creature freezes in place, paralyzed!
With his amazing speed, Skarvek strides over to the paralyzed Illithid while continuing to Inspire his allies and sends a flurry of blows at the paralyzed creature.
Skarvek skewers the illithid, leaving it bleeding and unable to move. However, the illithid doesn't need to move to harm you. He emits another powerful mental blast!
The red giant rises weakly to his feat. ”They left you all alone with me. Stupid.” Leaving his falchion on the floor, he punches Tilver in the head so hard that blood flies and Tilver's vision swims. "Kill you later, kid," he says and moves to the far doors.
STATUS
Tilver - 21/85 hp, Wounded 1
Ogre Mage - 7 hp
Illithid - 98 damage, Enfeebled 1, No Shadow, Paralyzed (1 rd)
Tung - 3/78 hp, Wounded 1, temp. immunity to psychic blast
Skarvek - 64/76 hp - Inspiring Courage
Isabel - 24/64 hp, Shield
Dain - 33/85 hp
Silas - 75/109 hp - (Rage: -1 AC)(temp hp already used up), Hasted, Heroism (+1 to attack rolls/saves/skill checks.)
Silas is stunned once more at the horrors he sees in his mind.
Skarvek moves so that he cannot be blasted along with the others and then hacks at the Illithid.
The punch nearly sends Tilver off his feet, but he manages to regain his vision enough to see the Ogre mage trying to flee. With a broken nose and probably missing teeth, he spits blood and speaks in a rough voice. "I don't think so, fat boy. Tung, stop him!" The ex-gladiator, pulls an alchemical bomb from his bag and hurls it at the fleeing creature.
Skarvek rolls past the illithid and drives his slender blade straight through its black heart, so that a foot of gory steel emerges from its narrow breast. The creature looses a blast of psychic energy as it dies, like a hideous scream in your minds.
Tilver, you believe that fire can kill an ogre mage (which you now recall is known as an "onidoshi." You hurl a flask of alchemist's fire that strikes the oni in the chest and sets it alight. It screams and bats at the flames with its huge hands, but the flames spread rapidly and soon the giant is a towering pillar of flame. Moments later, it collapses and is still.
COMBAT OVER!
-----------------------------------------------------------
An iron pillar rises from floor to ceiling in this round chamber, which looks about 60 feet in diameter.A metal track set into the stone floor runs all around the circumference of the room.A flat iron plate, like a pie-shaped wedge equal to about a quarter of the room’s area, covers the northwest portion of the floor; the plate is attached to the pillar in the center and to the track. A set of iron stairs 5 feet wide runs up to a 5-foot-square hole in the ceiling.
The ceiling appears to have a track similar to the one on the floor. It is also fitted with an iron plate attached to the pillar. This plate covers about three quarters of the ceiling’s surface—everything but a pie-shaped wedge directly over the floor plate.
The iron is rusted and pitted in places, showing its age.
Silas begins searching the illithid before moving on to search the others.
"That hurt... we will need to patch up a bit before we move on." Silas says.
Silas finds only two things of interest on the illithid's body. The first is a ring on its left hand. The second is a bone Quann ring under the skin of its right hand.
The onidoshi carries a magical falchion.