Douena disappears into the hut.
The interior of the hut is quite simple with four small beds made of grass and reeds. A small wardrobe stands near them. There are some wooden shelves containing jars and other containers, and there is also a single table with four chairs. Behind that, against a wall, are several barrels and a couple crates. The hut smells a great deal of fish.
Next Up: Shokambe, Mahjik, Pezock, Lorenz, Tar'kanas, Zakiyya, Alton, Sasha, Untari, Alala/Masozi, Jask, Urza, Douena.
Blood pumping and mind blurring between 'civilized' and 'feral', Makoa steps forward to claw and bite at Zakiyya.
Makoa leaps on Zakiyya with a vengeance. Despite the toughness of her skin, his teeth tear into her almost like paper. One claw misses, but the other manages to tear a small strip out of her arm. Zakiyya is still standing strongly at the end of it, but for the first time, she looks hurt and perhaps a little shaken.
Seeing Alala backing away, Shokambe heads after her .
Next Up: Pezock, Lorenz, Tar'kanas, Zakiyya, Alton, Sasha, Ishirou, Untari, Alala/Masozi, Jask, Urza, Douena, Makoa.
Mahjik can't quite turn his eyes away from the fight around Zakiyya - when he tries to hit Alala his aim is way off.
As Mahjik fails to get Alala, Pezock yells, "Let me at her!"
-- fail
"Die, devil!" he cries and pushes past Alton to get right in the doorway, pushing the canvas flap back a bit as he gets into position. Zakiyya swipes at him with a claw.
-- hit
"I'm a demon, not a devil, you stupid bird," Zakiyya sneers as her claw catches Pezock across the arm.
Pezock barely seems to notice the wound as he raises his sabre and says, "I'm a tengu, not a bird, you stupid devil!"
-- hit
His sabre cuts into her side, drawing thick blood with it. Zakiyya starts to look panicked.
Lorenz moves steps back and forth, straining his neck to get a good view. He moves forward a bit , but still unable to get a good shot, he sighs and fires anyway.
-- miss due to cover
Unfortunately, Makoa's presence prevents him from getting a good shot and the arrow lands at the half-orc's feet.
Next Up: Zakiyya, Alton, Sasha, Ishirou, Untari, Alala/Masozi, Jask, Urza, Douena, Makoa, Shokambe, Mahjik, Pezock, Lorenz.
Tar'kanas notches an arrow, draws back on the string as he takes careful aim... and then fires!
Missing again, Tar'kanas possesses a demeanor as if nothing at all is wrong as he prepares to fire again.
Zakiyya glances about nervously, realizing she's surrounded now. She then takes a deep breath and tries to cast a spell.
-- fail
She is obviously still too nervous about the situation, however, and the spell fizzles out with no effect.
-- success
Alton snaps and bats at her again, causing her further consternation as she tries to shield herself, giving Sasha an opportunity she needs.
-- hit
She manages to stab the demon in the stomach, but the blade doesn't penetrate and causes no further harm. Sasha frowns and swears.
-- success
Ishirou twists Masozi's arm around and pulls her in closer. Gaining hold of her other arm, he pins her in place.
Next Up: Alala/Masozi, Jask, Urza, Douena, Makoa, Shokambe, Mahjik, Pezock, Lorenz, Tar'kanas, Zakiyya, Alton, Sasha, Ishirou.
Untari attempts to bury her teeth and claws into the demon.
Untari bites into Zakiyya's leg. Although she is unable to actually pierce the skin, she is able to get a grip on the leg and successfully unbalances the demon. Zakiyya falls over. Zakiyya still manages to avoid the cheetah's claws.
Alala steps back while continuing to dance and casts a spell at Mahjik.
-- pass
Mahjik feels something try to cloud his mind again, but he shakes it off easily. Alala is looking worried.
-- success
Masozi wiggles about in Ishirou's grip and just manages to slip free. She steps away from him .
"Please, we do not wish to harm you," Jask says in Polyglot to Masozi, "only free you from this creature's hold on your mind." Jask moves forward and tries to grab Masozi's hand.
-- success
Masozi cries out as she is caught yet again.
Next Up: Douena, Makoa, Shokambe, Mahjik, Pezock, Lorenz, Tar'kanas, Zakiyya, Alton, Sasha, Ishirou, Untari, Alala/Masozi, Jask.
Urza decides to attack the devil woman directly with his magic and projects several bolts of mystic energy at her.
SR
Magic Missile
Urza's bolts penetrate Zakiyya's magical defences and slam into her side and wings, doing full damage.
Next Up: Makoa, Shokambe, Mahjik, Pezock, Lorenz, Tar'kanas, Zakiyya, Alton, Sasha, Ishirou, Untari, Alala/Masozi, Jask, Urza.
Wondering what's going on as various unseen events ripple the fabric in front of her, Douena curiously pulls the curtain aside. "Hi, Pezock," she beams. "Are you better now?" She stabs with Desna's starknife at the devil-woman sprawled on the ground in front of her.
Douena's starknife slides easily into Zakiyya. Her skin sizzles as it does so.
Next Up: Shokambe, Mahjik, Pezock, Lorenz, Tar'kanas, Zakiyya, Alton, Sasha, Ishirou, Untari, Alala/Masozi, Jask, Urza, Douena.
Makoa's brutal assault continues as he tears and slashes at the strange woman with feral fury.
While Zakiyya's supernaturally tough skin protects her from much of Makoa's damage, it can't protect her from all of it. In particular, one claw rips across her back as she tries to roll aside, tearing one wing and leaving a gaping gash along her spine. Remarkably, she remain conscious, but seemingly not by much.
-- success
Shokambe steps forward and grabs hold of Alala's arm, pulling her into a grapple.
Next Up: Pezock, Lorenz, Tar'kanas, Zakiyya, Alton, Sasha, Untari, Alala/Masozi, Jask, Urza, Douena, Makoa, Shokambe.
"Not much longer," Mahjik smiles at Alala as he closes the gap to her, "please accept my apology in advance." He strikes at her, cautious not to cause serious harm, but forceful enough to knock her out as fast as possible.
In just a couple blinks of an eye, Alala is out cold.
-- hit, critical threat
-- confirmed
"Now we end it, devil," Pezock says. He raises his sabre and brings it down on top of the prone demon, slicing across the side of her face and into her neck. The attack leaves her unmoving on the ground apart from a hint of breathing. She's not quite dead, but she's unconscious.
Pezock growls, repositions his sabre again and brings it down , ending what breath is left in Zakiyya's body.
Masozi stops struggling with Jask and gasps. "Dear gods, what have we done?!" she cries out in Polyglot.
"It's all right," Douena assures her in Polyglot. "It wasn't your fault. She made you." She scrambles over the dead devil-woman Pezock is methodically hacking to pieces. "Mahjik, are they all right? You didn't hurt them, did you?"
When Alala and Osumare come to, they are initially confused as to what happened, but within a few moments, they start to remember and realize. They hug each other and start to sob lightly.
Masozi comes over to where everyone collected together for healing. "She came to us with such promises," she says. "She told us she could show us secret rituals to bring us closer to our totem spirits. We believed her. She promised us a gift which she gave us with a kiss. And it was true. Our connection with the spirit world grew stronger. Our dances and our spells were better and stronger. But it came with such a price too. It was only after she had us completely enthralled that she revealed what she was to us."
Masozi has to take a moment to compose herself before continuing. "She said she was a servant of Angazhan, demon lord of the Mwangi. She said that even the monkeys bow down before him, as we would too. She made us offer sacrifices to her, and we did it. We killed innocents to feed her hunger. And the worst part was that the sacrifices weren't what she was really after. Her hunger was to see us corrupted. She fed on the fact that we were doing the sacrifices, not the sacrifices themselves. We tried to resist but we couldn't. Now... Now we must atone, but I don't know how."
"It's all right," Douena assures her in Polyglot. "It wasn't your fault. She made you." She scrambles over the dead devil-woman Pezock is methodically hacking to pieces. "Mahjik, are they all right? You didn't hurt them, did you?"
Mahjik grimaces a little, "Not reaaally, I mostly just hit the nerves - causing them to lose their senses. But... with that one," he points to Alala, "I think I heard a bone a crack. Just a little. I'm sorry."
"hmmm, not to sound too keen, but, with her out of the way - can you still do it? I mean, the offer you originally had for us? Dream world and all that?" Mahjik asks Masozi.
Masozi wipes a tear from her eye and nods. "Yes, we can. And we don't need to drug you to do it. Though we do need you to sleep."
When Alala and Osumare come to, they are initially confused as to what happened, but within a few moments, they start to remember and realize. They hug each other and start to sob lightly.
Masozi comes over to where everyone collected together for healing. "She came to us with such promises," she says. "She told us she could show us secret rituals to bring us closer to our totem spirits. We believed her. She promised us a gift which she gave us with a kiss. And it was true. Our connection with the spirit world grew stronger. Our dances and our spells were better and stronger. But it came with such a price too. It was only after she had us completely enthralled that she revealed what she was to us."
Masozi has to take a moment to compose herself before continuing. "She said she was a servant of Angazhan, demon lord of the Mwangi. She said that even the monkeys bow down before him, as we would too. She made us offer sacrifices to her, and we did it. We killed innocents to feed her hunger. And the worst part was that the sacrifices weren't what she was really after. Her hunger was to see us corrupted. She fed on the fact that we were doing the sacrifices, not the sacrifices themselves. We tried to resist but we couldn't. Now... Now we must atone, but I don't know how."
Tar'kanas stows his bow and moves to listen to the women. When she finishes, "From where do you hail?"
"I am inclined not to trust them still."
"Wise man would harbor the grease for times of wanting," Mahjik explains to Urza. "Though, again, I trust you guys to keep me safe. But, don't you know the saying, when in Absalom..."
Tar'kanas stows his bow and moves to listen to the women. When she finishes, "From where do you hail?"
"Our home village is southwest of here," Masozi explains, "but our role as spirit dancers means that we must live alone in the wilderness. It allows us better connection to the spirits. Our people come to us when they wish help contacting their totem spirits. They stopped coming to us when..." She stops, almost breaking down. She recomposes herself but can't continue immediately.
"I am inclined not to trust them still."
Masozi nods. "I don't blame you."
Tar'kanas stows his bow and moves to listen to the women. When she finishes, "From where do you hail?""Our home village is southwest of here," Masozi explains, "but our role as spirit dancers means that we must live alone in the wilderness. It allows us better connection to the spirits."
"I understand," Douena says sympathetically. "Desna doesn't like it when I go underground. The roof interferes with our connection. What do we do with the devil-thing?" she wonders. "I don't mind asking Desna to keep it away from our plane, but it doesn't seem healthy to bury it. It might poison the flowers and taint the water."
Urza will Take 20 (26 total) searching the succubus.
Apart from her clothes, Zakiyya has nothing on her. However, as Urza is searching, Masozi speaks up again, "She carried little on her, but kept her belongings in the hut. You may them if you wish. Most of them came from..." She pauses and then continues more softly and sadly. "Most came from those we sacrificed to her. We don't want them. Do we?" She looks to the other two who shake their heads rapidly.
Alala wipes her eyes and stands up. "I'll get them." She goes inside the hut and comes out shortly after carrying a crate. "We know there is magic amongst them," she says, "but we don't know what they do. We don't think Zakiyya knew either. She just had us put them in here when we... when we go them. We weren't allowed to touch them other wise."
She places the crate on the ground and opens it.
CRATE CONTENTS:
Non-Magical:
14 pp, 172 gp, 30 sp
masterwork handaxe
Magical:
potion 1 -- -- fail
potion 2 -- -- resist energy (electricity)
potion 3 -- -- fail
potion 4 -- -- fail
scroll 1 -- -- fail
scroll 2 -- -- fail
scroll 3 -- -- obscuring mist (divine)
wand 1 -- -- fail
wand 2 -- -- hold person (30 charges)
ring -- -- fail
brooch -- -- shielding (90 points remaining)
Makoa offers to try and guess at the potions using his 'refined' sense of taste, taking tiny sips.
Potion 1
Potion 3
Potion 4
DC is 15 + caster level of the potion
Can't I just use Read Magic to figure out the (arcane) scrolls?
"Were you going to sacrifice us?" Douena asks, shocked, as if the possibility had just occurred to her. "Is that what the drugs were for?"
Makoa offers to try and guess at the potions using his 'refined' sense of taste, taking tiny sips.
** spoiler omitted **
Potion 1: cure moderate wounds
Potion 3: flyPotion 4: bear's endurance
Can't I just use Read Magic to figure out the (arcane) scrolls?
Scroll 1: enervation (arcane)
Scroll 2: nondetection (arcane)
That leaves only the ring and one wand left unidentified.
"Were you going to sacrifice us?" Douena asks, shocked, as if the possibility had just occurred to her. "Is that what the drugs were for?"
Masozi nods slowly, while Alala covers her face with her hands in shame.
"I tried to tell her that there were too many of you," Osumare says. "But she wouldn't listen, and we couldn't resist her control."
Tar'kanas, realizing the women are having a difficult time with the issue before them, "Go to your town, tell them what has transpired. Tell them the demon no longer possesses you. Speak your defense in a proper manner, ask for mercy, but do not beg. That will be your path to atonement. Whether they decide to forgive you or not is irrelevant. You will have done all you can. Although, I would gather it is important for you all to be forgiven. Regardless, once that has been settled, return here and continue your way of life, if that is what you choose. The reality is... what's done is done. This is my suggestion for you all. Do with it what you will. And for future purposes, I would better prepare myself for any such similar occurrences." Tar'kanas looks to them all, completely impassive. "Now, how long is this dream event going to take? Time is against us."
"We might as well stay the night here," Douena accedes. "If you don't mind," she checks with the Mwangi women politely. "I need to talk to Desna when the stars come out. Do you have a shovel? We've buried a body before without one, but it's more work. It was much easier when we were on the island and could float them off to sea ... or just throw them in, depending on how much we liked them before they were dead. Jask, did we tell you?" she asks eagerly. "We buried you by the river, except for your tooth. It was muddy."
Tar'kanas looks to Douena before looking around the area. "Very well," he agrees as his mind moves to planning on how to survive the night.
"Now, how long is this dream event going to take? Time is against us."
Osumare nods meekly at Tar'kanas's words. "It will take a couple of hours."
"We might as well stay the night here," Douena accedes. "If you don't mind," she checks with the Mwangi women politely. "I need to talk to Desna when the stars come out. Do you have a shovel? We've buried a body before without one, but it's more work. It was much easier when we were on the island and could float them off to sea ... or just throw them in, depending on how much we liked them before they were dead. Jask, did we tell you?" she asks eagerly. "We buried you by the river, except for your tooth. It was muddy."
Osumare nods. "Yes, we have a shovel. I'll go get it."
Jask seems momentarily surprised at the sudden change in topic, but then replies to Douena, "You told me you buried me, but didn't give me details about where. I'm sure my original body is safe, even in the mud."
Osumare returns from the hut with a shovel and hands it to whoever wants to start digging.
"I want to join Mahjik and meet my totem spirit. I already see the wolf spirits around me, one more known to me won't be any problem."
"I don't think Desna would like it if I let anyone else tamper with my dreams," Douena answers firmly. "Thank you."
Mahjik grins to Douena, "Wise man would step out of the darkness to hide in the light. Have you considered that, perhaps, before the demon corrupted their actions, these girls were doing the work of Desna? And that Desna has guided your footsteps here to rescue them?"
Tar'kanas says nothing in light of the conversation at hand, having no real desire to take part in the event.
"We will watch over you while you go your quest."
"You know, it's kind of weird agreeing with Douena more than once," Lorenz says, "but yeah, I agree with her. I think I'll pass. Sorry."
"I'm intrigued," Sasha says, "but if Douena doesn't think it's a good idea, I'll listen to her."
Pezock scoffs openly at the idea. "Bah! Spirit animals? Mumbo jumbo!"
The other NPCs also decline, but more politely than Pezock. Alala, Masozi, and Osumare nod understandingly.
"You should make yourselves comfortable in whatever way you normally do to prepare to sleep," Masozi tells Mahjik and Makoa. "Once you are asleep, we will begin the ceremony."