A raised sentry box stands beside each of the house’s gates, to the north and the east, but both boxes appear empty. The doors you find yourself in front of are a pair of large wooden double-doors of sturdy oak, weathered but still strong enough to hold out the elements. Several blows from Rhon's axe would probably hack it apart, but would also surely alert anyone inside...if there was anyone inside.It is now mid-afternoon. You estimate about three hours before nightfall.
A path leads from the dock to the silhouette of the mansion in the mist, and by following it you eventually come to what must once have been a beautiful seaside villa with a colorful tile roof, surrounded by pleasant gardens. But as with everything else on the island, however, it seems that a cold shadow has slowly crept over the place, leaving it a dull, gloomy husk of its former splendor. A plastered brick wall surrounds the house, with two gates, one to the north and one to the east. The path you followed leads you to the North gate, whilst the path at the East gate leads in the general direction of the mud huts.
A raised sentry box stands beside each of the house’s gates, to the north and the east, but both boxes appear empty. The doors you find yourself in front of are a pair of large wooden double-doors of sturdy oak, weathered but still strong enough to hold out the elements. Several blows from Rhon's axe would probably hack it apart, but would also surely alert anyone inside...if there was anyone inside.
You arrive at the island without event. It is a couple of hours before daybreak, but you are able to navigate through the darkness and fog to the mansion. It is still dark, but you make your way through the fog following the Northern path towards the mansion. Stopping about 50ft away from the entrance, you send Rand ahead to scout the mansion. Alone.
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I don't have much. I can give you a Feather Step if you think it'll help. If you don't think you'll be long, a Haste could be sufficient too. And yelp if you need help. I could get my smooth rhythms to jive as well, which work as long as we can hear each other.
Matamah casts Feather Step on Rand, at the very least.
As soon as Rand steps closer to the gate, he hears a loud bellow.
"I see them! Coming by the North gate! GET THEM!!!"
Whether or not you understand the words, however, you note that the voice sounds rather similar to the bugbears you fought the day before. It would appear that you were not the only ones who had spent the night preparing.
Initiative order:
Alden
???
Rand
Matamah
Itamar
????
42
Earl
The night is dark and only a few slivers of moonlight shine through the fog that shrouds this place. However, from behind the walls of the villa, an even greater darkness comes forth, and from within that darkness you hear feminine laughter. It speeds towards your group at a terrifying speed, and stops just above you.
Your darkvision pierces the darkness floating above you... and you quickly wish it did not. You see three women floating in the air above you within the darkness. They appear only half-dressed, but that is because where the lower-half of their bodies should be, you instead see hanging entrails and viscera. Two of the 'women' within appear to focus on where you are gathered...
Initiative order:
Alden
Women?
Rand
Matamah
Itamar
????
42
Earl
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....Uhhhhhh
1. The order of their saves in order from highest to lowest. (e.g. Fort - Will - Ref)
2. Elemental resistances and immunities
3. Do they have combat reflexes or any other ability that will let them make attacks of opportunity on me even though I beat their initiative. Will I be able to fly away from them this turn without provoking?
4. Special attacks
5. Special defenses
Itamar casts Chain of Perdition at the one closest to me.
...If necessary
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[dice=Will]1d20+19
[dice=Religion]1d20+5....Uhhhhhh
1. The order of their saves in order from highest to lowest. (e.g. Fort - Will - Ref)
2. Elemental resistances and immunities
3. Do they have combat reflexes or any other ability that will let them make attacks of opportunity on me even though I beat their initiative. Will I be able to fly away from them this turn without provoking?
4. Special attacks
5. Special defensesItamar casts Chain of Perdition at the one closest to me.
[dice=SR]1d20+16...If necessary
[dice=Touch]1d20+8
[dice=Dirty Trick: Blind]1d20+13+8
The party resolutely holds their ground against the fear-inducing magic. Rand activates his wayfinder, which illumintes his surroundings a little, but does not allow him to pierece the globe of darkness above him. Matamah's spell does alot better, pushing back the darkness and revealing the horrors that now float above you... and you quickly wish it did not.
You see three women floating in the air above you. They appear only half-dressed, but that is because where the lower-half of their bodies should be, you instead see hanging entrails and trailing viscera. Pairs of batlike wings adorn their backs, and long, leech-like tongues loll from their mouths. Worse still, you see in the light that one of the 'women' has the face of the 'servant girl' who ushered you into the death trap on the shadow plane just last evening!
Itamar sends a magic chain up into the the air that whips at one of the women's faces. She recoils as the chain whips some of her own hair into her face, momentarily blinding her.
But the horrors are far from over. From the raised guard post a burly figure hurtles through the air at Rand. You recognise this face too. It is slightly more blue than the day before, but Rand knows a face he has smashed in before, and this was almost certainly one of the ones he smashed and sent into the water the day before. Seven more figures emerge from behind the wall, not quite quick enough to enter into the light yet, but even without seeing their faces you can already guess who the other 7 figures are.
Rand knocks the spear shaft aside at last moment and the tip whizzes past his face. The bugbear's fetid breath mists in the chill air, smelling faintly of salt water and lake scum. It is clearly not undead... so why isn't it dead!?
Initiative order:
Alden
Women?
Rand
Matamah
Itamar
bugbears?
42
Earl
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Not liking the many women in the air, 42 moves away from the women and aims a spell at the bugbears. Slow to make it a little bit harder for them.
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"Naala and I can aid you against these beasts, but you must stay close!"
Alden then barks out orders to all his allies, telling them the safest routes to move around the battlefield.
He then focuses his orders on how best to attack the creatures' weak spots. He tells Rand, 42, and Earl to focus on a single bugbear at a time, and tells Matamah, Itamar, and Rhon to do their best to ground one of the vampires and take her out.
Finally, he enters a defensive stance with his lance poking right around Rand's arm, and Naala does the same.
Almost all the bugbears seem to slow immensely as 42's spell takes hold. Bugbears 3 and 6 looks in surprise as their fellows suddenly turn sluggish. Rhon blesses the party and Earl surges forth to hammer the bugbear in combat with Rand, and deals a telling blow. Alden gives some orders to his allies, but his opponents have other ideas...
The 'women' flying overhead screch in anger as their spells of darkness and fear are repelled. Still floating in the air, they attempt once more to scatter the party, but this time, they make a far more concerted effort...
Initiative order:
Alden
Women?
Rand
Matamah
Itamar
bugbears? (-20,-,-,-,-,-,-,-)
42
Earl
Rhon
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Since #4 went to all of the trouble to come up to him, Rand thought it would be rude not to send him back to the underworld of his choice. He entered the stance of the crouching panther. Bolstered by his allies, Rand attacked the first bugbear until he dropped, then did a flying kick into one of the other bugbears. before finishing up.