Gobi moves towards kyleth and takes a hard swing at her, gritting his teeth and letting out a small apologetic smile as his hammer hits the floor beside her.
Bolstering Strike vs. AC (1d20+11=12)
Weapons and attacks shower around Kyleth to no avail and she shifts once more towards the door. With one hand, she opens it and turns to smile viciously at the companions.
"Worthy foes after all. Accept the gifts of doom."
Her eyes flame and she traces a symbol in the air with her dagger. As the movement ends, hideous pain wracks all those who have been cursed by her. Whiteclaw takes the full brunt of the attack and even as the first agony passes away, feels the might of Kyleth's venom striking once more.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow."
The Witch Queen gathers her robes around her and flees towards a hitherto unseen door in the room behind her.
Cursebite damage to Arianwyn, TRK, Kia and Reason (2d8 3=9).
Extra curse damage to Whiteclaw (1d6=6).
TRK staggers as the latest attack saps much of his remaining strength. Gritting his teeth, he stands straight his ablaze with determination. "Whatever happens this ends here."
For My teammates
Gobi atones for his recent miss with a resounding clout of his craghammer on the fleeing Witch Queen.
"Tis sharper than a serpent's tooth and thou an ungrateful child," she hisses at the dwarf.
As Kyleth dances away once more, Whiteclaw lashes out with her flail. hoping to put a smackdown on the foe.
As Kyleth dances away once more, Whiteclaw lashes out with her flail. hoping to put a smackdown on the foe.
Horribly wounded, Whiteclaw's usual sure aim deserts her.
Brushing aside her agonising wounds, Whiteclaw's trusty flail snaps at the fleeing witch, leaving a trail of blood behind it. Kyleth manages to flee the immediate wrath of the companions and reaches the door, now clearly hard pressed.
Vel, not realizing Kyleth is near an escape route hurries through the southwest room and opens the last door. Seeing Kyleth at the next door, Vel realizes it is too late for her to stop the witch directly and takes position for her next opportunity.
For once, Kyleth is too concerned with making her escape to indulge in any conversation. Vel's slight, outraged figure erupting through the door seems to un-nerve her.
"Stop her!" Arianwyn yells like a man possessed.
A flash of cunning crosses TRK's face and he runs full speed in the direction he came from.
As Kyleth tries to flee, Whiteclaw pursues, the gnoll trying to bring her foe down - literally.
The companions scatter as The Rogue Knight sprints across the room in one direction and Whiteclaw hurls herself headlong towards Kyleth. For all her ferocity, the gnoll's long arms cannot find purchase on the Witch Queen and she clasps only empty air.
"When I go to hell, I mean to carry a bribe: for look you, good gifts evermore make way for the worst persons. Your souls will burn and you will be my gifts to the godling. Twill please him much."
Arrogance and cold flame dance in equal measure across Kyleth's face.
"Oh no you don't!"
Kia runs to I12 and issues Whiteclaw with the inevitable request to bash Kyleth.
Kia sprints from behind the bookcase to egg Whiteclaw on to further efforts. With a mighty swipe of her flail, the gnoll draws a satisfying cry of pain from Kyleth. It is the first time you have heard her exclaim. Her eyes blaze with fury as much at her own weakness as the solidity of the blow and she reaches behind her for a lever on the door she's attempting to get through.
"Fools. It will all burn," she manages to gasp out.
Reason attempts to snuff out Kyleth's fire.
As Reason stalks towards her clutching the bag with the skull, Kyleth reaches longingly towards the artifact. Even as she seeks more power, Ioun's servant unleashes the perfect response to her hellish dreams.
Kyleth gasps once as Reason's bolt of divine light hits her. Her beautiful face grows calm and she looks at the companions before making one last, enigmatic statement.
"If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then unto me."
The golden light of Ioun mingles with the chill flames and changes in an instant to something more potent and destructive. The last you see of the Witch Queen is a rising inferno of flame. With a final proud gesture, she flicks the lever behind her and laughs wildly as the fire spreads from her body to flash around the room at floor height. The bookcases are engulfed almost at once and smoke starts to fill the room.
As if to warn you that your task is not yet complete, Whiteclaw, Kia and Reason all feel the fearsome tug of the skull as it starts to panic.
"I have arrived too late... to smite her, I mean."
Arianwyn, with barely a glance, leaves the rooms.
"Nooo!!"
Reason looks around for any books and scrolls that he can save (especially the ones he saw before of particular personal interest).
A ten volume first edition of Pirot Samagal's Speculations on the fall of Bael Turath immediately catches the cleric's eye. Mursod's Thoughts on Empire, Grunblum's Fallacies and the all but unobtainable Volden Jasseck masterwork Studies in the Rise to Power are other treasures. On the lower shelves are other, no doubt equally valuable works which the tiefling does not recognise.
Under Reason's appalled gaze, the wanton destruction of a vault of irreplaceable knowledge continues.
Not being much of a reader, Whiteclaw doesn't see any need to risk dying grabbing books and so gets out as fast as she can.
Kia looks on in disbelief as Reason looks as if he is going to run into the blaze for a bunch of books!
"Reason! If you're going to throw yourself into the flames, you'ld better give me my pack back first! There are valuable things in there (and the skull)"
Reason drops the pack, then grabs as many volumes as he can of the 10 volume set, before the flames force him back.
Endurance checks (1d20+2=12, 1d20+2=22, 1d20+2=22, 1d20+2=5)
Reason's heritage allows him to brave the flames for longer than anyone else in the party and he grabs three of the coveted volumes from the bookcase. In his terror at losing the books, he reaches for one more, but the flames rise higher and even he can't force his hands through.
Clutching his prize, he flees through the door.
"We must fall back or press onward. Which way?"
"I suspect if we fall back, we may have to leave the complex to escape the flames.."
Gobi plops down outside the door with his short legs outstretched in front of him. He leans against the wall and tends to his wounds.
Arianwyn claps a hand on Reason's shoulder, "You devotion to learning is admirable..." he gasps before emitting a hoarse laugh.
Gobi looks to reason excitedly from the floor, "You got some books? anything good?" his expression suddenly switches from witch killer to kid in a candy store.
TRK
Your head is aching appallingly from where Kyleth carved the symbol of Gruumsh on you. This is more than just battle-weariness, it feels to you as if something is trying to escape.