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Deldhindon scribes arcane runes into the air, forming a complex weave in front of him. Once complete, he thrusts his hand into the web of symbols, sending them rippling away from him. As they do, they runes unravel into the form of a celestial eagle that moves to intercept the creature.
Deldhindon scribes arcane runes into the air, forming a complex weave in front of him. Once complete, he thrusts his hand into the web of symbols, sending them rippling away from him. As they do, they runes unravel into the form of a celestial eagle that moves to intercept the creature.
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Deldhindon recognizes a Nightgaunt, though it is the first he's ever seen one in the flesh.
An otherplanar creature from the Dimension of Dreams, Nightgaunts haunt the deepest and darkest chasms of dreams. They lurk in the shadows that loom at the edges of sane slumber, but are ready at any moment to snatch a blithe dreamer away, carrying it off into realms of endless nightmare and tickling it terribly all the way. Nightgaunts feed on emotions, preferring despair, horror, and nervous laughter. They enjoy carrying their prey high over the mountains, tickling their prey to create a mix of emotions, and finally dropping their victims in remote areas where other monsters can stalk and kill them.
The arcanist knows that Nightgaunts are particularly adept at grabbing their prey (+4 to CMB to grapple, can fly and full speed while grappling), are immune to many forms of attack (cold, gaze attacks, inhaled poison, scent-based attacks), and that they will tickle their prey (against a grappled foe, can swift action to make foe nauseated unless they succeed a save).
Within moments of recalling all of this, Deldhindon summons an eagle into existence. The celestial creature appears next to the Nightgaunt, ready to do battle.
Round 1:
Deldhindon: Summon (Eagle Go)
Nightgaunt: TBD
Johari: TBD
Arryn: TBD
Zadok: TBD
Wellstone: TBD
The eagle attacks the nightgaunt with avian fury.
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The eagle grazes the nightgaunt with its beak, momentarily drawing the creature's attention. It decides to respond in kind.
The bird, evicerated, disappears in puff of feathers.
It turns its attention to the summoner, stepping towards him to rake Deldhindon.
It's claws sink in, and the nightgaunt makes a grab at Deldhindon.
It does so with ease.
Round 1:
Deldhindon: Summon (Eagle strike!)
Nightgaunt: Slay Eagle and Grab
Johari: Go
Arryn: Go
Zadok: Go
Wellstone: Go
Round 2:
Deldhindon: Go
Nightgaunt: TBD
Johari: TBD
Arryn: TBD
Zadok: TBD
Wellstone: TBD
My word! Wellstone exclaims, seemingly more interested than horrified at his companion's collapse.
He takes a step back , takes careful aim , and fires his pistol !
He then drops the pistol and draws his sword cane !
Johari takes a step, keeping pace with the creature and hoping--assuming he survives its ire he's confident to draw--that one of his companions can provide, and benefit from, a flank.
He takes a wide left-to-right arc swing with his sword, and his dagger follows in the same path.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Arryn reaches up and grabs Delhindron with both arms, attempting to wrestle the man from the creature. He whispers a mantra in the old tongue, the words of The Green. Delhindron is healed for .
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Wellstone and Johari are unable to make a mark on the nightgaunt, though the healing energy from Arryn stems the blood flow enough to save the arcanist.
Round 1:
Deldhindon: Summon (Eagle strike!)
Nightgaunt: Slay Eagle and Grab
Johari: Miss
Arryn: Heal
Zadok: Go
Wellstone: Miss
Round 2:
Deldhindon: Go
Nightgaunt: TBD
Johari: TBD
Arryn: TBD
Zadok: TBD
Wellstone: TBD
Upon seeing his foe fall, Zadok quickly invests his power and magic into himself and his implements.
Swift: Resonate longsword to +1
Standard: Cast Shield
5' Step in.
Gah!
Deldhindon sits upright. Seeing the creature looming over him, he quickly turns over and scrambles away.
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Deldhindon does his best to avoid any additional retribution from the nightgaunt. It pays off, as the creature is obviously more focused on Johari and Zadok.
It first lashes out at Johari.
Seeing that it will need to try harder, the creature shifts position and attacks again.
Its claws sink into flesh painfully for the slayer as it tries to grab him.
It's tail then slithers around the easily grabbed Johari, tickling his spine with surprising efficiency!
Round 2:
Deldhindon: Total Defense
Nightgaunt: Claw and Tickle!
Johari: Go
Arryn: Go
Zadok: Go
Wellstone: Go
Round 3:
Deldhindon: Go
Nightgaunt: TBD
Johari: TBD
Arryn: TBD
Zadok: TBD
Wellstone: TBD
"I'll spill the sauce of your heart upon the tiles, ye foul beast!"
Zadok twirls his blade once to build momentum, and then pulls down hard with a snap:
THREAT
for
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Zadok steps in and makes a hard cut with his sword. The nightgaunt, distracted by its prey, howls in pain as the weapon opens a large gash on its exposed side. The sound is a high-pitched shriek that seems to bounce off the nearby walls.
Still, it persists...
Round 2:
Deldhindon: Total Defense
Nightgaunt: Claw and Tickle!
Johari: Go
Arryn: Go
Zadok: CRIT
Wellstone: Go
Round 3:
Deldhindon: Go
Nightgaunt: TBD
Johari: TBD
Arryn: TBD
Zadok: TBD
Wellstone: TBD
Wellstone moves over, sword cane in hand, and takes a stab at the nightgaunt.
Johari flexes his back & shoulders, allowing him to withstand the tickling tail enough to act normally.
Seeing the brutal wound Del caused (and the minor prick administered by The Doctor), the slayer decides that his best bet in staying alive is to kill this futhermucker.
-->THREAT!!
Arryn again channels healing energies into Delhindron.
Feeling almost as good as when he woke up this morning, Deldhindon gives a quick nod of thanks to Arryn. He then scrawls a several quick runes, each resembling a swirl of light, into the air, grasps them into one fist, and carefully blows them at the nightgaunt. They stream out towards the creature, flashing little bursts in front of its face.
Deldindon continues to cower. Full Defense
For more than 1 possible reason...
Zadok focuses on the way the grip of the weapon feels in his hand.
When the opening comes, the occultist doesn't strike.
The sword strikes all by itself: for
The slayer grunts and swings instinctively at the creature once he's free, then lets his fury abate before hacking at the corpse. He takes a calming breath, wincing at the new injuries. Then he sheathes his sword, but keeps out his dagger. A vial appears in his hand and he uses the dagger to poke at some of the larger wounds, then captures some of the foul yellow blood in the vial. A strong foe. Might be useful.
Once the vial is stoppered & stowed, he draws his sword again. Nice hit, Zadok. Thanks.
He pauses a moment. What the hell was this thing doing here??
"What are any of these things doing here? What deman hath formed this abominable building? This ....soul shuddering vacuum of light?"
The occultist takes a moment to look around "Shall we continue to sweep?"
Zadok stares intently at the door before him...
Johari tried to shoulder the door open
Indeed, Johari levels into the door:
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The ever sturdy Johari puts shoulder to door, taking the door off its hinges and pushing aside a long desk, several chairs, a sideboard, and numerous once-stately landscape paintings. He reveals a somber conference room. A toppled wall opposite the barrier undermines the room’s defenses, a point driven home by the masked bodies littering the ground.
Zadok views the bodies with the same dispassion as he does the furniture. "I'd like to know exactly what happened." He looks about the room
Perhaps someone got tired of a meeting that went on too long, Wellstone quips with a wry smile. He moves over to the nearest masked body to take a closer look.
Johari snorts, quick but loud, at Quant's sally
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Zadok sees six bodies in this room, battered by a variety of blunt implements. All of the corpses have had their faces wrapped in sheets,
shirts, or grain bags that are cinched tight around their necks.
When Wellstone takes a closer look he sees that the corpses consist of Briarstone staff and patients alike. One of the corpses, a former
orderly, wears a suit of padded armor and holds a sap. He also finds two thunderstones and a golden ring.
Zadok zeroes in on the ring. [ooc]Appraise T10=19[/dice]
Zadok looks over the entire scene, and lets each item and body soak into his mind. "I am eager to learn about what happened here. Check pockets. Once ready, let us move on." He gives a final scan of magical detection first.
Zadok pockets the ring for the group to sell later, and then moves to what he assumes is a closet....
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A - "White tile, spiderwebbed with cracks, lines the walls of this cathedral-like hall. A prominent, oval desk faces staunch double doors, while hard benches and portraits of somber doctors line the walls. Regal stairs ascend toward a second floor, but rubble has crushed the upper flights, blocking passage. Lofty windows, gridded by bars, reveal yellow mist seething just beyond."
B - "This somber conference room contains a long desk, several chairs, a sideboard, and numerous once-stately landscape paintings. A toppled wall opposite the barrier undermines the room’s defenses, a point driven home by the masked bodies littering the ground."
C - "As though it had been plucked from the halls of some warm, country estate, this room is filled with inviting furnishings, a hearth ready for a fire, artwork populated by picnicking families, and a mansion-shaped cage with colorful taxidermic birds inside. Large windows might have once looked out over colorful flowerbeds, but now show only yellow mist. A battered corpse is impaled on the antlers of a stuffed elk head hung above the hearth."
This is the room where you finished off that Pallid Wriggler Swarm with your makeshift trap.
D - "Pale paint peels like scabs from the walls of this spacious chamber. A bent desk guards a broad hall stretching away to the north, while curtained frames shroud the room’s eastern quarter. The place smells intensely of rubbing alcohol."
This is the room where you encountered two Boilborns
It seems we have several ways to venture now, Quant says, taking a moment to sketch a map on the wall. The room with those disgusting bubbles here had a hallway that went north. We should investigate.
We could also sally forth outside, though I am loath to do so until we have secured the edifice.
And then there's this pair of ominous portals here, he concludes, tapping the spot on the map with the double doors next to them. What say you all?
"It's as good a choice as any."
Ominous Doors are only ominous until they are opened. Let us proceed!, Arryn says with an eerie enthusiasm.