The party climbs the 10' high ledge and search the drow. You find 2 +1 spiked chains and 2 pairs of Gloves of Dexterity +2 on them.
As you are about to move forward, out of nowhere appear 5 identical images of a 10' tall muscular demonic looking creature that looks like a cross between a man and a vulture. A cloud of spores and a trail of feathers surrounds the creature. It looks at the party with menacing eyes! In a screechy voice, "Intruders...must die! I will feast on your bones tonight!"
Perb moves forward and casts Bull's Strength on Davu, for an extra plus one to hit and damage against the terrible demon.
The demon and his 5 images move up to square east of Jaydavu. It then opens its mouth and emits a shrill shriek that rings in the party's ears!
Fortitude save
Davu lets loose with a round of attacks, trying to pinpoint the real creature.
Power Attacks:
Attack One
Damage
Attack Two
Damage
Attack Three
Damage
Attack Four
Damage
Senna winces against the primal scream and shakes off its effects then she blinks - twice. "Uh... that's a demon." She sifts through her memory for any useful knowledge on the creature standing before them. Fairly certain they'll need every edge for this fight, she pulls on the smoke-stained gloves and quickly intones a spell that fills her allies with frenetic energy...
"Vrock! That's what it's called." She quickly conveys what she knows of the demon.
1st Spells (8): xx
2nd Spells (7): x
3rd Spells (7): xxxxxx
4th Spells (5): xx
Dancing Light (3):
Dragon Breath (1): x
Vest Spell (1):
Rod of Max (3): x
Claws (8):
Spell Effects:
Mage Armor - 9 hours
See Invisible - 90 mins
Inspire Courage - +2 ATT/DAM/Charm/Fear
Haste - Rnd 1 of 9
"Good defense, demon. Now no defense left. Jaydavu must smash evil drow friend now!"
"Ye sure got some shriekin' in ya, damned bird!" - Tark shouts back - "I can make noise also!! How's about some o' this?!" - he roars back at the demonic creature, stepping to the side, tapping into his a focused rage born out of years of combat, and attacking repeatedly with his dwarven hammer.
Tark's hammer slams into the demon twice and despite the creature's damage resistance, the dwarf's blows hurt!
"Ye're still standin?!" - Tark grumbles - "Guess we'll have to solve that, ain't it?"
Round 2: Demon!
Vrock growls in anger at Tark, cursing at him in Abyssal, and then moves 5' south, adjacent to both the monk and the dwarf. First, it releases a cloud of spores that burrow into your skin.
Jay and Tark take damage from spores
Next, the demon spreads its wings, and full attacks the dwarf with claws, bite, and talons!
Davu keeps pounding away, hoping he is able to strike the demon this time.
Attack One
Damage
Attack Two
Damage
Attack Three
Damage
Attack Four
Damage
Two of the monk's blows strike the demon, penetrating its DR, and causing it 16 more damage. The other 2 blows glance harmlessly off.
Senna intones an arcane phrase and sends a ball of flame arcing over her allies to smote the demon on the skull, hoping her dragon-fueled magic can overcome the demon's innate resistance to fire. As an after-thought, she pulls out a rod, planning her next move.
1st Spells (8): xx
2nd Spells (7): xx
3rd Spells (7): xxxxxx
4th Spells (5): xx
Dancing Light (3):
Dragon Breath (1): x
Vest Spell (1):
Rod of Max (3): x
Claws (8):
Spell Effects:
Mage Armor - 9 hours
See Invisible - 90 mins
Inspire Courage - +2 ATT/DAM/Charm/Fear
Haste - Rnd 2 of 9
Tark coughs a tad as the spores are released, just to realize that wasn't the worse of it when they burst through his skin. Still recovering from the however minor wound, the demonic creature's barrage of attacks hits him squarely, slashing, cutting, and drawing blood.
He is a defiant one however...
"Is that all ye got, ye PARROT wannabe?! Dust?!" - he taunts - "Come on then, keep it comin! I can take it! Can ye?!"
Stepping to the side, he unleashes another series of violent attacks on the creature, while shouting at Jay - "Move yer feet boy! Flank him, will ya?!"
In between strikes, the tough dwarf still manages a wink and a nod at Perblentious in thanks for his healing.
Tark's first hammer blow breaks some of the demon's ribs, which it grunts and bears, and his second blow breaks its neck and knocks out its teeth, as the Vrock falls dead to the floor with a thud!
As you see the demon fall, you suddenly hear a voice from behind you. "Impressive! Arial told me your band of warriors had potential, but what a blow...it's Tark something or other, right?"
When you look toward the direction of the voice, you see a tall, athletically-built half-elf ... standing just over six feet with a long-limbed but well-muscled frame. His skin is tanned to a darker tone than those of full-blooded elves, and his eyes and hair is similarly dark. A mithral breastplate strapped on over elvish leathers and cloth, though the colors of his garb seem to have been specifically modified to blend into the rocks and shadows. His gear seems to be adapted to the life of an adventurer, as well. Twin bandoliers cross his chest along with the harness of a slim-profiled quiver on his back. A buckler on his left forearm is mirrored by a spring-loaded wrist sheath on his right, and in his hand is a well-made longbow of obvious elvish design.
The pack on his back is fairly large, though he wears it easily. And lashed across the back of it are spare quivers of arrows of varying sorts.
He looks at you with the stony demeanor common to elves, his dark eyes searching you and your surroundings.
"Are you a drows? Did you hurt Arial? How is kitty, if you know Arial? What did Arial says about Davu?" As he asks his questions, the oread stares intently at the dark elf, watching for an untruth in his response.
Sense Motive
Senna tsks at Tark's blows and the Vrock's remains, "I saw a chicken get caught in the spokes of a run-away carriage once... it looked healthier than this creature."
She spins at the voice behind them and eyes the newcomer, gauging whether this is another damnable Drow trick. She says cautiously to her allies. "He knows your and Arial's names... It would be a pretty trick if a Drow came by that information." To the stranger she says, "And you are?"
The dark eyes stop on Jaydavu, "Do I look like a drow?" He practically spits the word, but then his mouth quirks up in a small smile. ”And from what I hear, you were the one who nearly snuffed out Arial and her cat.” Then his eyes flit to Perblentious, ”And the drunken priest and the …” the smile increases marginally as he looks at the human tomboy, ”… ’little firestarter’? No, Arial was fine when I passed her.” He shrugs, "Well, as fine as she ever is."
He quickly fishes a note from his pocket. On a quick inspection, it looks like the one you all received to summon you on this little mission, ”Name’s Braegan." His reservd expression returns as he continues his wary watch of the surrounding area. "I hear you're hunting drow?”
"Same papers you have, Davu has. And you seem to know about us. You not like like the drows we met so far, so you okay by me. Been nice if Braegan helped with demon fighting though," Jaydavu admonishes.
Braegan shrugs again, "You seemed to have it all in-hand." He nods in a way that vaguely encompasses the vast darkness surrounding the party, "Plus, someone had to keep an eye out for more threats with all the noise you created."
Senna sounds just a shade insulted, "Firestarter? Davu must have rattled her brain with that last hit. I'm a tattooist. Do you need one, by the way? I offer reasonable rates."
Braegan hops off his small rocky perch, lands softly, and joins the party over the vrock corpse. He seems completely comfortable in close company with the crew. "Tattoo? Maybe later. Drinks? ... also maybe later." He nudges the demon's shoulder with a soft-toed boot. "So Arial didn't really have much to tell me, and I really only found you by your tracks. What's the game plan, and how can I help?"
Senna smiles at the pleasantly-less-than-aloof half-elf, "Honestly, we're a little thin on strategy. We believe there may be a gateway to a drow city somewhere in this cavern - and that's the wellspring from where the attacks on your folk originate. The plan is to find it and thump any drow that get in our way." She adds as an afterthought, "But I'd be willing to delay the thumping if any of these drow were interested in getting tattooed. So far, no luck."
Braegan gives the young woman a sideways glance, his brows furrowing as he reconsiders her. "We're tattooing drow, now, huh? Hope you brought something other than black ink."
Laughter bursts out of Senna, a strange sound in a cavern that has never been kissed by mirth. "That might explain why none of them have been keen to go under my needle." She punches the half-elf lightly on the arm. "You'll do."
There is nothing of value on the dead Vrock. Braegan and Tark sense a slope leading up. Braegan also sees tracks that could only belong to the Vrock leading east deeper into the cavern.
Tark's grin is clearly evident as the bones in the Vrock's ribcage crack - he has been in too many battles, he knows the beast is lined up for a nasty swing from his hammer... The crunch is satisfying, and even more so the fact that the creature goes down - "There!"
With almost no time to enjoy the victory, he hears the elven voice, turning around - "Not 'Tark something or other' - name's Boulderbreaker" - he retorts, lifting his hammer from the crushed Vrock head, and feeling its weight as he observes the newcomer.
Remaining silent through the exchange, he bursts into laughter at Senna's mention of tattooing drow - "Well, the girl's been doin some tattoin that's fer sure - them drow just seem to die from it is all"
Approaching Braegan, he frowns and says - "T'seems we got a fine thing goin here - huntin drow with a strong and capable crew is more than these old dwarven bones could ask for - they've been doin really well, and I'm likin it" - he gives a side glance to his companions - "If ye think ye can fit into that, then ye're most welcome to join up, as long as ye don't get off and bail like Arial did" - he grumbles.
"Now that we are all warm and fuzzy with each other, guess we can be movin along? Where to then?" - he questions, looking around
His attention turns to the vrock again - "I've come face to face with some demons in my time - Can't say I ever saw one like this - all birdlike and stuff... Not much of a treasure hoarder though" - he adds with some disgust.
Does Perb have holy water or is he going to cast bless or do I need to keep track of spore damage?
At Tark’s name correction, Braegan pauses in his search of the surrounding cave floor to quirk an eyebrown. Though with a quick look at the hammer, then at the decimated vrock, he nods before returning to his search. ”If you all mean to take the fight to the drow, then I’ll fit in just fine.”
After sweeping the area, Braegan stops and looks in the direction from which the vrock came. ”I don’t like wasting time when there’s an open gate those filth are crawling through.” He looks over at Perblentious, ” … but I’ve been in enough tight scrapes to know to listen when a unit’s healer says he’s tiring. The call is yours.”
Braegan searches for a resting spot that provides some visual cover as well as a good view of the area the group just fought the drow and vrock. ”Want to see if they try to slip by us as we rest.”
"Could demon's nest be guarded place to rest? Davu not want to spend any time with demons, so maybe drows feel same way. Might be safest spot for one night (or afternoon).
"Maybe. Or maybe there's more vrocks there."