"Seems crazy. Do you want company Ed?" Bazzle waves a hand from his hidden location.
”Of course! Let’s go!
The Kobolds jump back in fright, and one of them screams "Motheregg!". The Lizardfolk are alert, but unaffected.
All of them whirl around and try to seek out the source of that shout, but they cannot find it. Bazzle, who is hiding a fair ways away, is also unseen.
The Halfling shouts out in the Infernal tongue. "It followed us unseen. Inquisitors, seek out the big feet!" Then in the common tongue he replies "You might be magic, eggsucker, but goldfever not help you! Give us your shinies, or be sunmeat!"
The Lizardfolk say to each other in Infernal "I seeks Chaoss, you seeks Goodss." Then their eyes shine bright. In Infernal, they both say "It'ss here, somewheres. Need more time."
Ederion understands that the Lizardfolk are using Detect Chaos and Detect Good, one for each. If they can lock onto his presence for a short time, they will be able to find his rough location.
"They are on to us Bazzle" - the elf moves closer to the halfling - "And that small light or whatever it is keeps approaching the others" - he whispers - "I just feel like skewering them now, but the others may need us..." - Ederion ponders.
"Do you have any of those explosive of yours? We could at least cause some chaos here before we double back?"
Aster looks over her shoulder into the dark hoping to see her friends back from their scouting mission. "Camping here does us nothing other than make them walk a little more before trying to gut us in our sleep."
Feeling the unholy water still soaked into her clothes, like sewage water, oil, or just an unpleasant drunk's mistake when aiming, she suggests "If we go on, some of this will be washed out into the sea, which I would appreciate."
"Thanks, Rexandi. Hope you aren't keeping score of how much I owe you.", Tasha mutters, throwing the javelin angrily on the ground. "I'd much rather like to return that to them.", she starts saying as she grabs her breastplate, "pointy-end first. An Asmodean halfling? What in the...", she pauses, "Hells?"
This was never like this before. Used to go days without anyone even suspicious coming on the roads. I guess misery does like company.
Rexandi helps Tasha to get her armor on and says, "Well I'll call in the favor when we get back to town. C'mon, let's get out of here before this gets worse."
..........
At the beachhead she says, "It got worse. We have to swim across the channel in the middle of the night?"
"Night and day don't matter much, for us two at least." Aster says with a tired smile to the tiefling "But yes, it is worse."
As Aster, Rexandi, and Tasha make their decisions at the beachhead, the beam of light from where they packed up camp fades. Tasha is in her armour thanks to Rexandi's help, as is Aster. Ondisso and Areene are with them, just following their lead. Areene says "If these buggers want to pick a fight, they're in for a rough time. You're the slayers of the Aboleth. What could a bunch of Kobolds do against you?" But Ondisso replies "But Tasha is still hurt from all that Aboleth poison, and she's been tired all day. I don't know if this is a great idea."
"They are on to us Bazzle" - the elf moves closer to the halfling - "And that small light or whatever it is keeps approaching the others" - he whispers - "I just feel like skewering them now, but the others may need us..." - Ederion ponders.
"Do you have any of those explosive of yours? We could at least cause some chaos here before we double back?"
Bazale whispers, "Sadly no. I need to re-stock supplies. The soldiers at the last check point took all my stock."
"Let's just go." He picks up a rock about the size of his fist, breaths heavily on it a few times to warm it up and motions to throw it off to the side waiting for the nod from Ed.
”Nod” - the invisible Ederion whispers, a smile evident on his voice.
Once Bazzle throws and runs to rejoin the others, Ederion follows suit.
Bazzle moves away quietly.
Bazzle throws a rock to create a distraction, then sneaks out of darkvision range. As the two start to regroup with their allies on the beachhead, they see a flicker of flame. Ederion's invisibility falters at that moment. Ederion can see the farthest, and makes out the form of a furry quadruped, with horns like a devil. One of the horns bears a lantern, flickering a small flame.
The group on the other side of the beast see milky white eyes. The light reflects off the saliva upon its hanging tongue and razor sharp teeth. It bleats like a goat, but its deep voice and ethereal echoes linger eerily. It moves closer to Aster's group, and suddenly the lantern flares a ghastly green. Areene doesn't even notice due to her blindness, but Rexandi and Ondisso both scream at the top of their lungs and become panicked.
"What is THAT?" Aster the rat person says in wonder. She's seen a lot so far in her life, but a devil goat?!?? With a green lantern???
Rexi starts screaming in terror, eyes wide as the evil magic claws into them. "Well, running is out of the question..." sighing she moves toward the thing, shield up, and whispering a prayer.
"Well, running is out of the question..."
Aster takes a closer look at the matted and scraggly fur, eyes milky white with full cataracts. The flame... She realizes that it is not some Devil, but rather an Undead. A Lantern Goat, comprised of the souls of those who died wandering in the wilds. Those who die near its lantern are doomed to fuel its undeath.
Lantern Goats are surprisingly nimble for undead. They do not possess channel resistance, and they are relatively weak against magic that controls or hampers them. Removing the lantern is not possible, as it is actually firmly attached.
"We leave for 5 minutes and they run afoul of a devil goat. Worst beach trip ever."
"That lantern flashes like its real important." The gnome aims the crack at the lantern.
"Stay sharp everyone!" - Ederion warns - "The halfling and his friends are waiting to come and attack us after, if this monstrosity does not finish us off" - he adds, quaffing a protective extract.
"It's nimble, not tough so concentrating on hitting it over extra damaging blows. Rexi, any spells that control or hamper it is effective on it. The lantern is part of it, can't be removed."
Aster pulses out a great blessing upon the majority of her allies, but even with her advance she's not able to reach Ederion or Bazzle. The undead DeathGoat ignores the magic. Rexandi frantically dives into the water and begins swimming, though she's only just barely able to keep her head above water. Bazzle fires a jolt of electricity, but he notices that the bolt only extends a maximum of roughly 50 feet. He will need to get much, much closer to make use of it. Ederion quaffs another extract and slowly begins his approach.
Rexandi keeps swimming, fear giving her strength.
Ederion presses forward to get as close to the creature as he can. Run is 3xspeed = 90' ?[/ooc]
Seeing the Deathgoat in the field towards her, Tasha moves to stand at Aster's side. "All things considered. I'm feeling a lot better about this than I did down under.", she jests, before raising her shield towards the goat. "Let's go!", she shouts at the creature, slamming her shield with her dagger's hilt.
Tasha approaches alongside Aster, then gets ready to deliver powerful blows with her incredible strength. Ondisso turns tail and leaps into the ocean after Rexandi, while Areene hunkers down somewhat helplessly. Ederion races into the aura of flickering green flame, and thanks to his elven heritage, overcomes the magical effect.
The Deathgoat faces Aster and Tasha, stomping its hooves against the sand and kicking up dust. It lowers its head to show its sharp horns, then charges forwards at full steam. As it nears the two of them, it suddenly turns ethereal and dashes right through them. It solidifies on the other side, and gores Areene in the stomach. With a gasp of pain, Areene grimaces and grabs hold of a horn with her one arm.
"[big]LEAVE HER ALONE!![/big]" Aster screams from her snout as she charges the goat.
"Bastard... Why?" - Ederion mutters with gritted teeth, then charges at the goat.
Bazzle runs closer and lets loose with the crack again hoping to destroy the goat's creepy lantern.
Aster turns around and charges, lightly smacking the undead in the rear. Ederion comes in from further back, and with the flanking aid from Areene, inflicts a deep stab wound in Deathgoat's flank. Bazzle is still way too far away to make an attack with the lightning spear, so he sprints full stop.
Rexandi continues to swim away, with Ondisso close behind.
A deep rage wells within Areene, as her monstrous features grow even more apparent. She yells out something either wholly primal or unintelligible, then claws at Deathgoat with her only hand. Unfortunately, she misjudges where the undead is, and thus misses.
Rexandi splutters and disappears beneath the waves.
Trampling slowly behind the goat, Tasha moves to Aster's side, bringing the shield down on the goat.
Tasha's fatigue weighs heavily on her, and keeps her from bashing her shield against the undead goat with any significant impact.
Deathgoat veers around and kicks Areene with both hooves, injuring her even further. Only her rage is keeping her standing now. The lantern on the goat glows sickly green, and wisps of it coalesce into a faint tentacle-looking thing that reaches towards Areene.
Rexandi takes on the form of a devilish mermaid and vanishes out to sea.
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"No more..." - the elf snarls at the goat creature - "Step back Areene!" - he shouts, somersaulting around the undead creature to interpose himself between it and the woman, and then piercing ahead.
Aster shifts to be the opposite of Ed, trying to smash the dead goat into it is dead.
Bazzle still runs closer. Hoping to close the distance to where he could open fire.
As Rexandi turns into a mermaid and swims at double her original speed, Ondisso cries out "That ain't fair!"
Areene hears Ederion through her fight or flight, and withdraws while he takes her place. He stabs the goat for another devastating strike, but it continues to fight. Aster flanks and bashes its behind, but still it fights on. Bazzle continues running forward.
Seeing the elf sprint to her side and leap in front of Areene, Tasha sighs with relief, before continuing her momentum to crash into the beast like a battering ram. "Here, goat! Come on!"
[ooc]Afterwards, I'd like to do a 5ft. step to stand by Areene's side, or close my distance to her, if possible.