Mu'aqquibat The Protector starts singing in Celestial a hymn for Sarenrae, her angelical voice filling the room.
She also takes a 5' step south.
If she flies she will get it, height isn't enough in this case. Even with that your miss.
Laurel moves into the room and studies the creature for a second to see what it is.
You get one question.
Immune to fire and poison, resistant to cold and acid.
Sazzat hits the critter three times.
It seems to be reeling some.
Having studied the creature he then makes a few arcane gestures and throws a ray of electricity at the thing.
"Let's see if this works!"
Sorry, Handmaiden Devil, evil outsider.
Commonly known as squid lady.
She takes the ray, and remains standing. Teetering perhaps, but standing.
Darryl curses himself for not taking the threat seriously and the nods a quick thanks to Raphael for the healing.
"I gave you those first ones for free. Unfortunately for you, you get no more."
AC-44
hp-86/95
status-none
You land only one of the hits, but it is sufficient to drop the squid lady.
She crumples down into a tentacled mass at your feet.
"I wonder what made the rogue go crazy and attack us?" Tamm asks the others as he catches his breath.
"She seemed enthusiastic about going free, but as soon as we opened that door she tried to fight us."
"Some sort of compulsion or geas perhaps?"
He looks around for anything of note in the room.
"That poor woman was too far of in pain and fear. Devils can break you soul as easily as your body. About this abomination, that is the dedtiny of all that choose the path of evil..."
His difficulty speaking makes more evident after the combat.
Raphael looks around the room, looking for magical auras.
Mu'aqquibat The Protector helps Sazzat look around.
The scorched pile of rogue has a short sword, leather armor and a belt which are all magical.
Going through the place you find a bunch of scrolls with odd notes written in infernal. There's a lot of vials of vile stuff which was likely used with all the experimental equipment. Finally you find a spell book which reminds you of the one described by the madman in the library.
"It sounded like she decided that the devil was a better way out for her than us. I guess it was as she's out of here now." Laurel lets out a small harumph. He then turns and says to Raphael "I think a few of us could use some healing, know I'm a bit hurt but can use my wands if you'd prefer."
He then starts looking to see if the spellbook is in this room.
You somehow manage to find the spell book which I already said you found in my last post.
Laurel takes a look at the scrolls and reads the notes.
Raphael asks for everyone to get close, and prays for Sarenrae's blessing.
"Please heal those who defend good!"
He tries to identify the items late Illia carried.
"Might she find peace at the boneyard."
Raphael takes the book.
"I hope this is Terentius' book."
"I hope he doesn't go crazy and use it to fry us because the "devil told him to" if you give it back to him." Tamm answers Ralph.
"Somebody scoop up the rogue's gear and lets continue our search for a way out."
The rogue's gear is all pretty crappy stuff. I wouldn't get too concerned about it.
"I just hope this is his book, and he regains his freedom, and sanity, when he gets it."
Raphael goes to the library, followed by Mu'aqquibat The Protector, and shows the book to Terentius.
"Could this be your book?"
"I hope that guy doesn't go all crazy and start blasting things when he has his book .... I also hope he doesn't get out of here before us and claim the prize....." Tamm thinks to himself as he watches Raphael go down the hall.
Then he turns to the double doors at the end of the hall.
"I guess we head this way next. Odds on whether there are devils or trapped contestants behind them? We seem to be running about 50-50." he says to the rest of the group.
He looks over the doors carefully to see if they are locked or trapped.
As Raphael takes the book from him, Laurel says "Let's not be so fast next time to get rid of spellbooks. I'd have like to have taken a look at that first to know what he is capable of."
The remaining double doors in the hallway do not appear to be trapped.
It would take you a goodly amount of time to peruse the spellbook if you want to know the list of spells in it. You can try to convince Raphael to wait if you like.
Tamm will wait until the others are ready before he does anything with the doors.
"Maybe this time I could go ethereal and take a look around on the other side of the door. Walking into another ambush like with the squid-lady could be painful."
"I can only scout that way once per day, so we would just have to decide if these big double doors at the end of the hall are the right target."
"All of this place is an ambush, but with courage we won't need to fear, as we have proven able to prevail. But you are right, I think we are about to meet the one that make all of us prisoner. I can also try to identify what is on the other side of the door."
Raphael uses his Gloves of Reconnaissance to see what is on the other side of the door.
Knowledge planes and religion to identify them respectively.
Second one is a rib-cager thingy. You are quite certain of that.
"So what do you see?" Tamm asks the oracle as he feels up the woodwork.
I am unsure if you folks decided to give it back or not. Raphael was willing to listen to Laurel on not handing it over. I can wait on that.
Lucian waits patiently while Raphael does spellcaster things. "Think we should return the book? We might get a reward out of it."
Raphael smiles at Lucian and Laurel.
"If the book is Terentius', then we will have the reward of having freed the poor man from this prison. And that would be the best reward we could ask for it."
He goes to Terentius and offers him the book.
"I hope this is yours?"
Raphael looks at the others.
"There are two powerful creatures in there, one is Hamatula or barbed devil. The other looks like a big hovering corpse with a chest that is a prison of jagged ribs, within which is trapped a small tormented ghostly form."
The man accepts the book with a look of amazing joy.
"You found it! Where did you find it? I can't thank you enough. I'm free!"
with that he steps out of the library gingerly as if it is going to block him, but he is able to proceed.
"Now we just need to find the back exit. Let's get going. "
"How big is the room and how far away from the door are the two creatures? Are there any barriers between the door and the creatures?" Tamm asks Raphael after he surveys the room with his gloves.
"Also, the spiked demon is known for impaling his victims after grappling them, be careful with that."
The room is quite large and there are no obstacles in the room other than stairs at the back which lead up to a balcony with a door. The critters are roughly in the center of the room.
Laurel tilts his head and looks at the door. "I can make one of you larger if you like. I think I might also like to have multiple images like that last devil did. I don't know if I want to use more spells than that to prepare. I don't know how far we have to go yet."
"I was more interested in knowing how far it is from the door to the two fiends. I can occupy the demon as soon as we open the door if he's close enough for me to reach through my dimension door. I should be able to hurt him before he knows what's happening. If he's too tough, then I can jump clear." Tamm says to Ralph and the group.
To Laurel he says "I rely more on speed than strength, so your enlarge spell would be wasted on me. I can use a couple of moments to add to my defenses using my wands before we attack them."
Raphael thinks for a second.
"The fight ahead will be hard, but with Sarenrae's help we will prevail. I hope she allow me to Banish some of the enemies, and I will also ask her for her Blessing for all of us, and Sanctify our weapons again. I will also empower Mu'aqquibat The Protector, making her immune at their magiks and making her stronger."
"I don't mind opening the door."
Tamm will use his wands to cast Shield and Mirror Image on himself when the others are ready to go.
Laurel casts mirror image and nods to Sazzat.
Sazzat Tamm lightly examines the door to see if it is locked.
Door is not locked.
So, for Raphael:
- Casts on Mu'aqquibat The Protector:
- Then for everybody:
Raphael has his Magic Circle against Evil active (unless more than 130 minutes since the morning had passed, in which case he will cast it again).
As soon as the door is opened Raphael gestures with holy purpose trying to Banish as much evil creatures as he is able out of this evil demiplane.
Before opening the door Mu'aqquibat The Protector starts flying 5' off the ground (to get her Death from Above attack bonus) and makes a small prayer to Sarenrae.
"Let us witness the next dawn vanquish darkness. Let us be the next dawn, and vanquish darkness."