All of them shine with evil auras, but you think it is due to their ill intentions rather than them being evil outsiders or followers of an evil god.
All the auras disappear when they are reeled off by Kikinnin's words.
The mob looks up at Kythel as he flies in the sky but not impressed. They hear more attentively to Marigold, but it is when Kikinnin voice booms over the noise of the street that Maple drops the stone she has in the hand to the ground and suddenly disappears pushing people around "I do not plan to die here in the fires of the Hell you managed to summon into the city!"
Some others look at each other and follows suit, the mob quickly dispersing except for the crippled woman in the front who keeps looking at you challenging until all others have left and she discovers herself alone. She looks up high at the sky, then says "The day all your sins will be exposed will come soon. Better you die off in the fires you have brought to the city" and she finally leaves.
As you look up at the sky where she was staring you see the circling clouds suddenly spark with lightning and open into a hot red miasma. Balls of ooze start to pour out of the miasma raining over the city.
"W-well, that d-doesn't sound like a threat at all..." Marigold sighs as Maple and the rest of the miscreants finally back down and scatter thanks to Kikinnin's righteous display. "Then a-g-gain, I d-did tell them to c-come find us l-later if they were st-still feeling s-salty."
As she directs her gaze skyward her eyes widen as ooze and miasma begin to rain from the sky and down upon the city. "Oh g-g-geeze, that d-doesn't look g-good...we'd b-better hurry and f-finish evacuating the c-city!"
______________
Kythel sighs and considers what just transpired, In a prior life I would have simply sought to slay them all. Of course, I could not have done so as easily as I can now. Power wielded responsibly I suppose.
His thoughts then are focused on what Marigold said as the fires fall from the sky, "Yes, it seems that what I envisioned this doom to look like is very much not what is actually taking place. Once the city is secured, we will need to find a way to identify the source of this chaos and neutralize it".
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JJ, tagging along finds a small child separated from its mother and huddling in a blind alleyway.
"Come along little one." he coaxes, falling behind the rest of the Watchers as they rush ahead to deal with looters.
"You are Margaret Miissey's little daughter aren't you?" he adds.
"Lets see if she is still hope. I bet she is going spare with worry for you." Diverting around the corner he offers a quick "I'll be with you in a moment" wave to the rest of the watchers, as he quickly searches out the youngsters mother to return her.
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Kikinnin doesn't give the woman's curse much mind, as he turns to inspect his fellow dwarves. The black beard approaches Mirna. "Me Mor. You're a sight for sore eyes. I'm a little surprised, and worried, that you're here, instead of Malachite. Have we lost it? Do the fires of the caldera rise?" Kikinnin listens intently to what the small crew of dwarves, as well as the gnome, have to say.
...
"Oh g-g-geeze, that d-doesn't look g-good...we'd b-better hurry and f-finish evacuating the c-city!"
Kikinnin looks about the streets of Northwest Cauldron. "Feels like we need one last push here, then we can make our way towards the last section of the city. Keep your eyes peeled, especially for angry folks regrouping..."
"Yes, can you help?!" answers back the daughter to JJ and then follows him very altered by what is going on around.
Mirna approaches Kikinnin and greets him relieved "I am proud of you my boy, you are standing on top of all this trying to help people and still worrying about the Malachite. The rumbles and fissures made us decide to evacuate the place for safety. Let's praise the gods the Malachite stands still once things calm down"
As you push forward in the area trying to make people into a safe spot out of the city.
Without warning, a body tumbles from the sky, landing with a wet thump in the middle of the street, splattering a large area around it with a copious spray of thick black sludge. The creature is humanoid in shape,about seven feet tall and possessing overly long arms and legs and a deformed, oblong head. Its skin secretes more of the tar-like ooze even as its body shudders twice and then lies still.
This unfortunate creature seems to be only the precursor of a full-fledged storm of falling bodies as another dozen or so similar creatures tumble out of the sky. They simply appear bellow the tempest clouds at varying elevations, crashing down through roofs, glancing off of statues and walls, or simply thudding down into the street like the first. And unlike the initial victim, it appears that at least a few of the creatures have angrily survived their falls.
They turn to end the suffering of the fleeing people, but quickly understand your group pose the real resistance of this dimension they landed upon.
Some of you remember them as farastu demodands like the one you fought in Karran Kural.
Neutral Evil outsiders with SR, immune to acid and poison, resistant to cold and fire, DR to non magical weapons, and able to use a small amount of magic, like summoning other demodands, scare, dispel magic, enfeeblement rays, etc.
Marigold and Maxim are fast to react as the first six ones land around your group.
"ಓಹ್, ಈ ಹುಡುಗರಿಗೆ ಮತ್ತೆ!?" Marigold exclaims, disgusted by the presence of these creatures and the messes they're making all over the city.
"Oh gross, these guys again!?"
She quickly opens up with an oldie-but-goodie, calling out a prayer to Sarenrae to bolster them all for the battle to come.
______________
Maxim attempts to the measure of the nearest fell creature...
.. and bellows a warning to all of what they face
The gun-mage engages his magical boots with the command word "High-Ho Silver Away!" before flying upwards...
... some 60ft into the air!
Seeing the danger Marigold quickly raises a prayer to Sarenrae preparing the Watchers for battle.
Maxim uses a command word and quickly he is flying in the sky!
Red and orange raise their claws and start whispering forbidden words.
This creatures are summoning other creatures.
They are summoning more demodands.
The others shot rays of black power to the apparently stronger members of the party: Kikinnin and JJ.
One of the rays takes Kikinnin unexpectedly, while the other two demodands strike JJ, one of them just barely.
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With the foes spread so far apart Kythel considers his options and twists the Pearl of Power in his hands.
Kythel takes a defensive stance for now.
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"Ugh" grunts JJ as the two foul rays hit his unprepared form.
Blue radiance swirls about him, eddies interfering with the horrid rays.
But the foul light, attracted to his nature cuts through the blue light like a hot knife thought butter.
He advances quickly on the yellow creature, but his blow lacks the force they normally benefit from.
Still, even when raw strength is lacking, the youngster knows where to hit a demon to make it hurt. And Alkast burns with a holy blue fire, making its own statement.
Hoping to distract the nearby Red from Maxim and Kythel, Marigold blasts the creature with light!
From his aerial vantage Maxim takes the lead from Marigold and draws a bead on the same demodand. The gun-mage calls forth his arcane power:
"Bliksem!"
Causing a streak of lighting to streak toward the creature;
AC = 33/13/32
HP = 172/172
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Prayer, Enfeebled -4
Kikinnin spins on Purple, bringing his overboiling animus for the events of the day to bear upon the demodand who dares show its face on the streets of Cauldron.
Kythel presses the a pearl on his pocket and he feels new energies reinvigorating him.
Despite the black energies sap JJ's strength the boy is well known already for cleansing the Demonskar from all kind of abyssal taint. Alakast strikes strong, devastating the enemy, who has difficulties to remain. JJ discovers the farastu's body is sticky.
Maxim's lightning bolt electrocutes the demodand, leaving it clear he is not resistant to the sparks.
Marigolds luminous ray crackles as well the creature's defenses, leaving it badly injured.
Kikinnin does not bode well with the attack on Cauldron after all the terrible events of the day, and mightily chops the right arm of his foe. Kikinnin's axe suffers a similar problem as JJ's staff.
Unable to cope with the horrible damage, red loses the concentration and his summoning fails, while orange call is not answered by any demodand.
The demodand enters into a fury and moves forward to grasp Marigold.
The claw opens a wide gash on the halfling's left arm, but she miraculously manages to avoid being grappled.
The other demodands enter a similar rage, three of them engaging with Kikinnin.
Who blocks all the attacks except one, who opens a gash on the dwarf's forefront.
JJ takes his own quantity of attacks.
And manages to dodge all but one of the claws.
Meanwhile the demodand in the roof shouts frustrated when he tries to finish Maxim's flight and finds the dwarf keeps flying "Uagggha!"
Kythel takes a 5' step backwards (the square behind Maxim) and casts Blessing of Fervor (which should just catch Kikinnin within its range).
With only one of the creatures in range, Kythel holds off on any further actions.
Increase its speed by 30 feet.
Stand up as a swift action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Make one extra attack as part of a full attack action, using its highest base attack bonus.
Gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.
Cast a single spell of 2nd level or lower as if it were an enlarged, extended, silent, or still spell.
JJ twists hard on Alakast, trying to keep it free of the creatures sticky body.
He winces as the angry demon rips into him.
Twisting Alakast, he tries to finish off his foe quickly. The flashes of light as Alakast smashes into the demon time and time again seem to almost blur together into some type of holy aura, leaving little but ashes behind.
all +1 to hit and damage from prayer
+2 to hit and +2 +2d6 damage from alakast (evil outsider bane)
+14 to hit and damage (FE, demons)
Total +17 to hit and +17+2d6 to damage.
STR damage =- -4 to hit and -4 to damage
And fevour attack
Oh and reflex saves :-(
As he stands over what is hopefully the ashes of the demon, the youth puts a small smile of satisfaction on his face and steps toward he next foe.
AC = 33/13/32
HP = 159/172
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Prayer, Enfeebled -4, Blessing of Fervor
[Reflex Save v DC 17]1d20+17+1[/dice]
Kikinnin understands that the numbers might leverage an advantage, as his luck might not hold out long enough to behead all three demodands. He doesn't let that discourage him from slaying Purple outright, and deciding where to execute his attacks next. He feels Eldgammel pulse in his grip, suggesting in no uncertain terms it would like to be more divinely charged. The black beard waits a moment more, surrounded by the enemy.
Prayer: +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks.
Blessing of Fervour: +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves).
Maxim ignores the rooftop demodand and instead conitnues to train his pistol against the damaged creature menacing Marigold below him;
"Magische raket!"
A pentad of energy bullets streak toward their abyssal foe;
Kythel liberates the spell just recall, bathing with fervor the party.
JJ is so fast that Alakast never gets stuck. Instead only a pile of ash is left after his attack where the demodand stood.
Kikinnin follows a similar path, and although his first attack is blocked, he defeats the demodand with the other two, landing a fervorous last strike to orange after marking it for smite.
Piercing through his magical defenses, Maxim force missiles leave his foe in a very bad shape.
Marigold does something heroic!
If still alive after Marigold heroics, the demodand attacks her.
Green and orange focus on Kikinnin.
But only one of the claws effectively bites the dwarven skin.
While the one in the rooftop tries to enfeeble Maxim.
But well trained, the blonde one acrobatically dodges the ray in the air!
Seeing his little sister in danger, JJ charges forward, determined to protect her.
"Don't worry Marigold. I'm coming!"
Marigold adopts a defensive position and attempts to cast another spell...
...and conjures a spiritual ally to defend her and aid her friends!
The halfling shoots JJ a grateful smile as he comes to her aid against Red. Feeling that the situation is under control, she mentally instructs her ally to bring the fight to Blue up on the roof and the ally speeds off in that direction while she takes a step back from her attacker.
Seeing Kikinnin still tangling with some of the creatures on his own, Marigold flings a small ball of fire at Green!
______________
Turning to Kikinnin the Cleric calls upon Pharasma to strike down the creatures that surround him, "Smite these fiends my Lady!"
He will also move 10' to his left and release a wave of positive energy against the Fiends.
AC = 33/13/32
HP = 145/172
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Prayer, Enfeebled -4, Blessing of Fervor
Kikinnin feels his mind steady a little when his divine magic flows through him, cutting down the first demodand. When he pulls back his weapon, luckily, the next demodand begins to suffer the same fate.
Feeling the familiar powers of his friends erupting around him, the black beard holds off on diverting his Smite to Green, hoping that the demodand is ripened up for the righteous kill. He doesn't hold back from swinging on it, nonetheless, should Orange fall quickly.
edit:
Prayer: +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks.
Blessing of Fervour: +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves).
Satisfied that the attentions of both Marigold and Surabar will put paid to the damaged demodand , Maxim instead turns his attention to the rooftop wretch.
He shifts in mid-air then levels his pistol once more and imbues it with arcane energy and pulls the trigger - emptying both barrels into the creature!
Marigold conjures a force ally that destroys the demodand in front before it can damage her!
With that one fallen, JJ goes over the one harassing Kikinnin and strikes at him a mighty blow.
The supernatural nature of Marigold's blast bypasses the demodand's spell resistance, and only the creature's considerable resistance to fire helps him survive the burst.
Kythel's spell fails to break the demodand's spell resistance, but his channel goes through, outright killing green and leaving orange in a terrible array.
As such, it is an easy victim for Kikinnin, who quickly dismembers the creature with his axe.
Unprepared for such an attack, the demodand in the roof is easily hit by Maxim's gun double shot. Patches of abyssal meat fall out to the street as the metal bites it.
Enraged by the dwarf's shot, the demodand dispels Maxim's flight, this one with more success. The dwarf slowly descends into the ground.
Marigold continues to direct her spiritual ally upwards towards Blue, but the demodand is still high enough that it takes a fair bit of effort for the ally to reach it.
Then she too moves a bit closer to the building where Blue is perched...but then remembers that flinging fire close to flammable materials probably isn't a good idea. Instead, she tries projecting another ray of searing light from her palm!
JJ dashes back to the house with the demon poised on top of it. Then, seeing the others have it likely in hand pauses before thinking about climbing the roof to face it.
Although that would be a dramatic scene. Very worthwhile of a Beatinator cover. The Head of the Town Guard facing off against a demon on the roof-top as the city burns in the background. Just missing a full moon really...
Thought in mind he does a half hearted attempt at climbing the wall.
Kythel considers his options against the creature and decides to utilize his cloak to a fire a web at the creature hopefully making it easier and less dangerous for one of his companions to slay.
AC = 33/13/32
HP = 167/172
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Prayer, Blessing of Fervor, Enfeebled -4
Kikinnin watches as each demodand falls, crumples to the ground. He spins around in place, looking for the next threat nearby. Finding none, he trots over to his friends, subconsciously calling to Abadar to heal not only himself, but any of them still injured.
"Damn thing's just perching up there. I worry that dozens more of them have dripped from the sky in other places about town."
Marigold's ray touches the demodand and cracks its magical resistance. The blast of light really injuries the abyssal creature.
JJ dashes over the house wall, and starts to climb.
Kythel heads back to have a better view and uses his cloak's web, anchoring the strings from the chimney to the roof crest. The lack of better anchoring points means the web does not expand in all its potential.
The demodand emits a strange sound while it avoids getting trapped in the strings.
Kikinnin's call to Abadar is answered with many of the groups wound disappearing.
Maxim does something heroic!
Observing the young man climbing the wall, the demodand makes a loud scary sound directed down that hits JJ.
He arrives on top of the roof, and snarls back... hoping that someone has taken a sketch pad out to immortalize the moment.
Hoping to conserve her energy as she has a feeling that the day is far from over, Marigold watches and waits as JJ scrambles up to the roof. Though she takes no direct action just yet, she does mentally command her spiritual ally to make a little room for her brother - and to press the attack as well.
______________
Kythel will move quickly over to the building on foot below the demodand and air walk up beside JJ. Striking with his spear at the creature.
Attack Frost Spear - Damage
Back on terra firma Maxim takes the time to reload his hungry pistol
Maxim reloads his pistol.
JJ reaches the top of the roof and resists the impeding panic.
Marigold's ally tries to lash out, but the recent flight makes it force on the swing and fail.
Kythel bursts in speed by fervor, moves unhindered through web by cloak, and strikes on the demodand by JJ's flanking and bane. The creature bleeds but survives.
Having climbed to the top of the building, JJ and Alakast are as one, reaching out to smite the horrid demon before them. And what a blow, one that surely even the great powers of the abyss would be taxed to avoid.
Alakast sparks with holy light as it drives into the horrid beasts chest, breaking bones and destroying what passes for internal organs in the foul creature.
Prayer: +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks.
Blessing of Fervor: +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves).
As JJ engages the remaining demodand, Maxim levels his pistol toward the scrap and unleashes more magic through the smoking gun;
"Magische raket!"
... blasing five energy bullets streak toward the fell creature
JJ smashes the demodand body breaking it at the same time Maxim force missiles burst whatever remained of the infidel creature. The picture of the young man beating the abyssal creature on the roof with multiple fires in the environment and cinders falling from the sky shall be something memorable to fathom.
With the townsfolk free from the menace of the falling farastus, this section of the city is soon evacuated by the Watchers, the guard and other helping citizens.
Reports of accumulating problems in the southwest districts seems to have prevented that area of Cauldron from being evacuated though.
Covered in soot and sweat the Cleric grimaces, "Still more...
Let's approach this problem fresh as we can".
Kythel casts Cure Light Wounds on Kikinnin.
Kythel then casts Magic Circle against Evil upon himself (duration 120 minutes).
JJ quickly slides down from the roof, a large grin on his face.
"Good view from up there... but to the south-west there are other problems. I think that should be our next port of call."
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Kikinnin takes in the growing apocalypse. From the loss of the family in the collapse, to almost being crushed beneath the streets of Cauldron herself, the black beard feels a sense of loss that begins to weigh on him, almost as much as losing his Far to the deranged king of Ball Hamtuggin.
The healing of the pharasmin is welcome, indeed, especially considering that they're only facing uglier situations as they watch the black clouds swirl above. He begins to march towards the next, and hopefully last, district requiring a slap on the buttocks to evacuate.
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With an odd spring to his step, JJ jogs up behind Kikinnin.
"I know it is kind of odd, but it feels good to have something we can actually fight against here. Rather than just filling in papers and talking to people." admits the youth.
"Two days in charge of the milita and I feel three years older. And when you are my age, three years is a Very Long Time."
As the Watchers walk through the scenes of destruction he does calm down a little. Houses he once visited, destroyed. Under a pile of rubble pokes the tangled remains of a perambulator. Elsewhere trees that provided shade to street vendors... lie in ashes.
"Somehow it still feels like we are playing catchup, and not onto the front foot against the towns adversaries yet."
"Y-yes but r-right now it's all we can d-do," Marigold comments as she hurries to catch up. "L-let's just hope it's enough..."
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"Yours is a black luck, JJ. No sooner had the badge pinned on your chest than your city went moon mad. Might just be the light, but it looks like you've already gone grey above your ears. Yeah, pretty sure it's just my eyes."
As soon as you step into the last district and Kikinnin pities on the new Captain's difficult duties, you quickly spot an immensely obese creature that flies in lazy circles in the sky on bat-like wings that seem too small to effectively support its bulk. The creature's leathery skin is knobbed, rough, and coated with pale green slime.
Its bloated face is demonic and hateful. A crowd of cowering civilians huddles below the circling monster as it barks out orders in a thick, phlegmatic voice.
The townsfolk root through the rubble of a fallen building, placing stones atop each other as if building some sort of structure.
When you are about 100 feet away, the creature spots you despite being distracted by the construction.
This is a Kelubar demodand, an evil outsider considered to be the bureaucrats among demodands, often working as dealers between shators and farastus. The slime covering their bodies matches perfectly their stench personalities. They delight themselves with the submission of others.
As other demodands, they are immune to acid and poison, and have spell resistance, but these ones also are immune to cold and fire, and have evasion.
They like to sneak attack their foes, and the acid covering them is corrosive to the ones their attack as well.
Their stench nauseates anyone at 30 feet.
And they are able casters, capable of using acid magic like acid fog or acid arrow, plus others like summoning other kelubars or dispelling magic.
This one seems elite among their ranks, slightly stronger than usual.
At this range, Kythel knows that he can strike the creature and hopefully bring it towards the Watchers.
The Cleric brings up his palm, "My Lady,cleanse this world of this blighted, bloated, beast!"
"Oh my! It is a Kelubar demodand!" cries out JJ. He gives a quick rundown of its abilities.
JJ ponders best how to bring the creature down to where he can bash it with Alakast.
Marigold's Round 1
"ಉಘ್...ನನಗೆ ಇಷ್ಟು ಸುಲಭವಾಗಿ ಎಸೆಯಲಾಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬ ಭಾವನೆ ಇದೆ..." Marigold mutters as JJ gives everyone the lowdown on this new type of demodand.
"Ugh...I have a feeling this one won't be felled so easily..."
With Kythel striking out with searing light to get the thing's attention, Marigold decides that it's her turn to give everyone a blessing of fervor - seems like it'll be needed! She then moves a few paces away from her companions, trying to spread out in case the beast brings its own magics to bear against them.
______________
As the fell creature drifts toward them Maxim summons defensive magicks for himself;
"Schild!"
... then protected by his invisible bulwark he moves forward in their foe's direction, drawing his double barrelled pistol as he hugs the side of the building...
Blessing of Fervour: +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves).
Shield: +4 shield bonus to AC (negates Magic Missiles)