Unsure of whether the madman can be reasoned with Dusk runs toward him, glaive barring his way.
Move Action: Move to Close range as specified in ability.
Standard Action: Use Slow ability from Time sphere, DC umm...I don't actually know. I'm 2nd level and have +3 ability modifier. So what is that?
Tekk glances at Melissa, then watches Dusk Bloom move toward the man. Almost immediately, Tekk follows to stand beside her while drawing his curve blade. He takes up a defensive stance and says "I am Tekkis of House Fairwind, honor to your house. We have just arrived ourselves, and there has been no magic cast here, surely you would have heard if there was, no? I beg you, lower your weapon and let us discuss matters as the civilized people we are."
Estria spun her rod around, and lightning crackled about its edges as she did so. "Not that magic is everything." she said quietly. "Science has studied the way things behave with and without magic acting on it, and has made some curious discoveries... like so." Clouds began to spiral above her, though she didn't unleash anything quite yet.
Gregan clenches his teeth a little, but shakes off Dusk Bloom's magic. "You will not stop me!"
Then, the Asmodean knight begins to glow with a kind of dark radiance, a hellish light. It is a bright glow around him , but beams of light also seem to wrap tightly around his form so that he himself seems larger .
Then, Gregan moves forward straight toward Dusk Bloom and Tekk! When he gets close , though he does not swing his sword, Dusk Bloom and Tekk feel searing pain as the hellish light burns them!
"Bloody hell..." Nerak winces, as his prediction comes true entirely too quickly. Looking with a frown to the present ladies, he mutters "Keep yerselves back now...". Then he turns to look at Gregan. He calls out "There are things what are happening here ye know nothin' about, fool knight. Lay down yer weapon, an' we don't need ta take yer life!" As he says this, his body shifts around in a slightly new way. He grows to a Large size, as before, but through seams in his armor he sprouts an entirely new set of arms! The arms have wicked claws on display at the ends of them. He then moves around to try to surround the hell knight.
"Graaaaoeww!!!" yells Dusk as the hellfire burns. She stabs out with her glaive reflexively as the Asmodean invades "her" "personal space". Her strike is forceful, but perhaps a little hurried...
(+2 str, +1 BAB, +1 Weapon Focus)
(+3 THF)
Rich has been silent, waiting to see if the rest put Gregan under reason. Not trusting the Knight much, though, he was expecting the outcome, so he starts making his kata moves, tattoos on his skin moving and shining, and projects his ki towards his enemy.
Tekk glares at Gregan and takes a step to his side while bringing his curve blade around aiming at the man's chest.
There was a crackle from above - then a burst of lightning rained down from above to strike Gregan's form. Estria was done waiting... and she spun her staff again before calling down another bolt.
"I think that's quite enough. Kindly avoid forcing us to put you down." Estria said firmly... although that was probably easier given her distance from the melee.
Unfettered by the reach of Gregan Rammbock charges.
Burnt and more than a little irritated, Dusk gets mean - the warpwarrior steps back, and jabs cruelly, trying to pin the Asmodean in the leg with her glaive. She grins with more than a little malice as her weapon finds flesh...
(+2 str, +1 BAB, +1 Weapon Focus, -2 impale)
(+3 THF)
...This impalement may be broken when you lose control of the weapon used for the attack (such as by being disarmed), or by the impaled creature making a combat maneuver check as a standard action with a DC equal to your CMD. ...
As Gregan advances toward Dusk Bloom and Tekk, Dusk tries to strike him with her glaive, but the knight deflects it with his wooden shield. When Dusk cries out in pain from the burning light, Estria responds by calling down a strike of lightning upon Gregan! Gregan winces again as Rick lets loose a barrage of ki blasts, striking twice! Estria's lightning lances down again! Meanwhile, Nerak grows a couple new clawed arms as he increases in size, then moves into position to menace Gregan. Rammbock charges and Dusk Bloom steps back to strike out again, but both of their weapons are turned aside by armor and shield, and Rammbock is repaid with a slash from Hag's End! Tekk moves to the side to flank with Nerak and swings his curve blade, dealing a mighty blow to Gregan's torso , and the Asmodean knight falls to the ground. The hellish light which had surrounded him winks out, and he lets out a shuddering breath.
Melissa hurries over and gets down on her knees beside him. "Oh, Gregan, you fool..." she whispers as blood begins to pool beneath the man's body. She looks up at the rest of you, her eyes showing a saddened acceptance. "He is dead."
Rick quickly channels his Ki again, but this time trying to restore Gregan's health.
He hopes to have arrived on time, though it doesn't seem like he has, sadly.
Tekk stands back, giving Rick plenty of room to work. He lowers his sword, though he does not sheathe it.
"Priests of the king of fiends often meet bad ends, especially when stubborn enough to keep fighting." Estria said, not sounding terribly upset about it. But then, Taldor wasn't on very good terms with Cheliax to begin with. "May Pharasma grant him exactly what he deserves."
Rammbock looks down at his wounds and spits on the asmodean knight.
"I hope you flail for eterny in hell, you looser!"
Dusk watches with little empathy as Rick attempts to save their aggressor. Then looks up after but a moment.
"Now what?" she asks brightly. "Do we take his things to a church of Asmo....dood?"
"I don't think any of us have any desire to go within 10 leagues of an Asmodean temple," Ameiko responds to Dusk Bloom.
Melissa wipes Rammbock's spit from Gregan's corpse, then stands. "I won't pretend that his character made him deserving of any kind of ceremony, but there's no need to disrespect the dead. Will you help me bury him, please?" she asks of all of you.
When that is done, you return to your conversation about the raiding creatures.
"Honestly, I have no idea where a bunch of gremlins and flytraps might possibly gather," says Melissa. "Those aren't creatures known to work together, though, so there must be someone behind it. I haven't heard of any newcomers, and there certainly aren't any residents of the area with those kinds of creatures at their beck and call. But I keep to myself, and it's not very often that I receive visits from the druids and rangers out in the hinterlands. I'll try to reach out to those I know, but it will take time."
Rick gladly helps with the burial, saddened that he hasn't been able to rescue the man. Even being a dork doesn't make him deserve this doom.
Apart from that, he finds himself with no new ideas aboit the situation, and agrees that Melissa should be given some time to gather some information.
Unsure what this Asmodeus appears to have done to incite such hatred Dusk hovers nearby, refraining from any actual interment activity. When the group decides to leave Dusk still feels perturbed by something.
"Melissa - the symbol of the Tickwood Hag - what is its derivation? I...somehow know it from somewhere - it is wholly familiar to me bu t I don't know it - if you take my meaning."
Rammbock takes out a shovel and gives the asmodean a deep grave, before lifting his kilt and pissing on the grave.
"Always wanted to do that."
Rick doesn't show a good face at all the signs of disrespect. "Come on, let's keep our manners. He wasn't a nice guy, but we should have done something about it before" he begs. Wanting to just leave and attend other, more important matters, he adds "It's to late to do anything now, sadly, and part of the blame might be on us. Let us address the things of the living instead."
Tekk helps as he can to bury the man. He looks at Rick, "What exactly could you have done about him? He seemed to be some kind of crazed zealot for all I could see. I'm not doubting your intent, but I am curious what do you think you could changed?"
Rick doesn't want to start an argument, but still he replies with calm. "We don't know, but we didn't really tried nor even had the time to. On the other hand, what can be changed by spitting at a corpse and peeing on his grave? Nothing good, in my opinion. So" he shrugs, "once it's over, why don't just let him join his god and that's it?" He wonders what could have been of Gregan if he hadn't been blinded and fooled, but that thing Rick will probably never know.
"I guess Rammbock eased his bladder." offers Dusk diplomatically.
Having an...elastic view of mortality and the requisite uses of former living entities left her ill-equipped to carefully navigate the nuances of burial rites or their proper ministration. A part of her wanted to raise Gregan from the dead but she got a quite distinct impression that might be frowned on.
Estria had looked away when she realized what was going on. The nice girl inside her disagreed. The Taldan thought that, well, he was Chelish.
The way things ended with Gregan may leave a foul taste in the mouth for a few of you, but despite that, you count it a relief that the man is no longer a danger to Melissa or to anyone else.
Ameiko returns to Sandpoint with you. When you arrive at the Rusty Dragon, an old man springs up from where he has been sitting and rushes over to Estria. It is Brodert Quink, Sandpoint's local scholar and the man with whom Estria has been studying.
"Oh, Estria, I am worried..." Quink says while wringing his hands. "You'll recall how my niece, Lucendi, left with that group of explorers to search for Thassilonian ruins near the Ravenroost hills a few days ago. I'm worried, Estria. What if there were more of those creatures than just the ones that attacked us here in Sandpoint? Lucendi could be in grave danger! I spoke to the sheriff, but he can't spare any of the town guard, he says they must all stay in town to defend it in the event of an additional attack. Please--I know that you and your companions acquitted yourselves well in the battle--will you search for Lucendi and bring her home safe?"
Quink looks at all of your companions and adds, "I would, of course, be willing to offer a reward of gold to you and your companions."
Dusk studies the man's comsternation, then looks to Estria.
"I for one am willing to assist."
Rammbock smiles and nods at the word gold.
"How much?"
"I will give 100 gold pieces to each of you if you only bring Lucendi back!"
Rick doesn't really want to mess up with what seems to be a personal thing, but he stands there in case his help is needed. The payment is not of importance to him, though of course would help dealing with some bills.
Tekk glances around. It seemed the old man was including him in the offer, so - as any right-minded person would do - Tekk nodded and said a few words of thanks.
He moves up beside Dusk Bloom, and in hushed tones, he asks, "So do random people just offer you money like this all the time? This is incredible!"
Dusk smiles, and replies in a similarly hushed tone.
"Tekk, I think Estria knows this man, so the randomness is moot. However, since we were victorious at the Festival - repelling a concerted attack on the town, we do seem to be féted heroes".
"You'd be surprised what happens when you're well off." Estria answered mildly. "That, and when you've got a reputation, people are much more interested in working with you." She cleared her throat. "We'll look, of course." she said, feeling an obligation to the man she was staying with. "For the benefit of my companions, however, can you describe her physical features and any behaviors you think may influence where she's likely to go if she feels like she's in danger? And what you know of the explorers she was with?" Better to hear it from a family member than a guest. If the group got separated, it was important that any member be likely to recognize the girl.
Rammbock smiles, spits in his hand and extends it for a shake.
"We do have a deal!"
Nerak nods with the others, eager for more work. "Be glad to help, sir. We'll do what we can."
Rick says nothing, though he seems to be included in the lot so he sets his mind silently on helping. It appears that he'll have to postpone that chat with Ameiko once more.
Estria looked at Rammbock's hand for a moment. "Thaaat... won't be necessary. I think we do have a deal, though." she said. "And the sooner we find her - one way or another - the better." Worst-case, they might need a priest, but still.
"So when do we head out?"